Sogni di Sicilia

Last day here means a thorough wipe-down of everything, including the bathroom I don't use. The latter was unpleasant. For a break, I decided to walk, and Joe came along. We ran into the monthly-elevator-check guy, and the ever-vivacious Mariella. Off to Ai Maidda for a caffè and a sweet. Though it looked open, the door wouldn't budge. We kept going, up and around and back to v.V. Emmanuele, where I pointed out v. Dusmet as a shortcut to v. Cristoforo Colombo, up a short flight of sidewalk stairs. Up there would be Crispi, from where the tavola calda were bought for Ettore's party, and further down, Bar Colombo. Let's go there. Joe said, Nah; I'll just see you at home. Well ok, then. (I'm more of a walker than he is). I love this tradition of old friends gathering on park benches There's a Ti Amo Giuseppe on the wall by the church, but my friend Ray always called me Principessa, so I'm claiming this one Former train tracks Steps to cut between v.V. Emma...

Today started slowly, with some tidying up the house and finishing yesterday's blog.  Outside the monestary, Piazza di San Francesco got some Christmas-ing. We decided to have lunch out, trying Red Fish without ordering the pranzo completo , but ordering a tomato and baby shrimp antipasto and a grilled orato (to split) to order. Joe got a glass of house white to wash it down; I had a lovely mineral water. Orata  It was a good lunch, but I think they charged us incorrectly, as it came to twice as much as usual. It was a tough day regarding money things; I had to go for a long walk to clear my head.  The town was hushed. Although that's somewhat normal for the ora del pranzo , It was incredibly quiet today, as if everything was set on velvet. Even my footsteps seemed muffled. It was peaceful. White Castle??! I stopped in one last time at Decò, wanting to get chocolate covered orange peel for Mariella. People we're buying up poinsetta alla   misura del albero -- the s...

Mariella called after her Pilates class, ready to take me to the Geox at Centro Sicilia, but I asked if Joe and I could take the Cleo and go on our own, as we had some other shopping to do. I didn't want to put her out, and I didn't want to have to hurry. She said yes, and then a rapid fire of words I didn't understand, then we saw her heading off to the cemetery as we were getting into the Cleo.  This particular roundabout in Misterbianco has often been a thorn in our side. Google or Apple Maps rarely get the directions right, and we often, and by that I also mean today, end up in what I told Joe, "feels like a Spir-O-Graph". Although we went off track toward Paternò, it's nice to look up from the back roads and see a Norman castle through the fencing Finally arriving at Centro Sicilia, Joe found a good parking spot despite the place being incredibly packed on a Monday. Whenever I go there with Elena, she asks, "Don't these people work?" Maybe t...

After a relaxed start to our morning, Joe and I took off for Catania, to go to the Mercatini -- the Christmas Markets! There are six of them; I planned to hit three or four. Most are walking distance from each other. Parking on via Garibaldi, all we had to do was walk toward the landmark elephant statue, way down the street in the Piazza del Duomo . I grew up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where it was almost compulsory to have a concrete white bear sculpture somewhere in your house or yard. In Catania, it's the elephant. They're everywhere, but it all began with this fella. I feel I can only photograph an elephant from this angle for the next four years, out of disgust for the Republican party. A little background excerpted from Etna Experience , because I know how much y'all love history: ********** “The Elephant” is one of the legends about Etna. The elephant is the official symbol of the city of Catania, thanks to an old legend. During the Upper Paleolithic Times, a dw...