Sicily 4 Me

Time to update????

2010-09-27T19:50:00.002+02:00

I can't believe it's been nearly TWO tears since I updated this blog!!!! Ok, so this one doesn't really count - I sold the Audi so I figured it was time to put the Jeep front and center.

We're taking a little 4x4 adventure next weekend - watch for a new post.

4x4 Adventure in Bronte

2008-11-17T18:39:00.054+01:00

On Sunday we went on an excursion with the Sportland 4x4 club (http://www.sportland4x4.it/) that was organized in conjunction with the 4x4 Club "Bronte NO LIMITS." The turn out was really impressive with a total of about forty 4WD vehicles participating.

We met at the Life Caffe (Villa Comunale Bronte) at around 9:00 for registration and breakfast. Naturally, since Bronte is known for its pistachios, we had fantastic cornetti con pistacchi. After breakfast we departed; some of us for what is considered a 'soft' ride, while the majority were in for a 'hard' one. We began at the same point and crossed paths a few times throughout the day.

We began our adventure by crossing a river.

We crossed the river, exiting by means of a relatively level point. Those enthusiasts that were along for a hard ride chose to exit through what became a mud hole, up an embankment.

Of course, one had to be wary of how close they got to the action so as to avoid being bathed in a shower of mud.

After we left the river, the groups split up. The risk taking group (they seemed to seek out some pretty steep, cliff side, paths from what I could tell) went on their way while we followed another path.

The majesty of Mt. Etna under the bright blue Sicilian sky always makes a fabulous background, even with a little cloud cover.

We continued into a ravine which ended up taking us up a very slippery path along a steep edge, with a few moments of nervousness as our back end slid in an unfavorable direction, on the way out.

We continued our journey after everyone made it up the slippery slope - no pun intended. :)

At 12:30 we found ourselves in for an unexpected treat...fresh ricotta (eaten warm in a small bowl with a spoon...it was awesome...I could eat it every day), chunks of pecorino, pane, and vino.

On our way to explore the grounds at the farm we couldn't help but notice the creative parking job of some of the drivers.

Naturally, we saw some sheep.

The most interesting thing we saw in the barn was the milking area. The sheep are ushered into a small pen where they are then taken one at a time to be milked. The sheep's head is secured between the grates to ensure that they don't run off while being milked.

Before long, we were on our way to our next destination.

When we arrived, we parked along our 'soft' track and watched the others play.

I took a little too much video and successfully drained my battery; lesson learned.

After we left this spot we worked our way back across the river at a different point...up a steep hillside...to a bar for a caffe, a bathroom, and panini was had by all. The organizers then handed out small commemorative placques for all participant drivers and shared a shot of spumante in celebration.

Donnafugata Castle & Scoglitti

2008-10-30T17:07:00.023+01:00

A few weeks ago I went to Donnafugata Castle and Scoglitti with some colleagues. The main portion of the castle, according to all accounts that I have read, was built in the mid-17th century. Approaching the castle requires walking past a variety of shops.

They had signs posted asking that no pictures be taken inside, and being the honest person I am, I followed the rules. So the remainder of my shots are of the exterior, accessed via the garden. There are lion sculptures at the base of the stairs on both sides.

Okay, so the lions are grinning...umm, I guess it's a grin...maybe it's a grimmace.

Personally, I like the close-up view.

Once you pass the lions and get to the top of the stairs, there is plenty to see and admire. From the stairs leading to the top of the tower...

To close-ups of the arches...

or simply admiring them for the majesty that they command.

Of course, I am always mesmerized by the gargoyle type adornments that are so common in much of the early architecture that is abundant in Sicily.

Naturally, I have to get it at a few different angles.

After we left the castle, we went on to Scoglitti where we had a fantastic seafood lunch at Pizza in Piazza. While we were waiting for the restaurant to be ready for us we took a walk to the port.

There was a small park overlooking the port with a sculpture of a man and a child in a boat.

Rather fitting, as the boat is very similar to some of the smaller fishing boats.

While I certainly appreciate the nice catamarans, speed boats, and yachts, Sicilian fishing boats have a lot of character and make for a great photo opportunity.

Ragusa Ibla

2008-10-28T17:52:00.017+01:00

Recently, I took a return trip to Ragusa Ibla for part of a romantic getaway weekend. The weather was beautiful and the company was incredibly fantastic. Naturally, while we were there we took a few pictures. The baroque architecture was really beautiful as can be seen in great detail in the Chiesa di San Giorgio (yes, it was also in my last posting as well...but this picture is better) built in the 1700s.

At the end of town is a beautiful, well maintained park. There are plenty of benches, picturesque views, and sculptures.

Many of the balconies have ornate carvings of faces or animals.

Of course, one can always find laundry hanging out to dry...in this case, accompanied by an Italian flag. There was a man, that we could not see, singing from within which drew our attention to this window. It was like we were being serenaded as we walked the street.

When I looked to the left, the dome of a large church caught my attention.

Here's a view of the town as we sauntered a little further down the road toward our hotel.

Most balconies are adorned with gorgeous plants.

And, as narrow as the streets often are, one must always be wary of passing cars.

After a while, I decided to play with the settings on my camera...one of those is the option for black and white. This view was from outside the front of our hotel, Locanda Don Serafino.

And one final shot as we drove out of town.

Whirlwind Tour

2008-07-13T17:07:00.015+02:00

Toward the end of Sarah's visit, we made a run to Caleca in Patti to purchase some dishes for her student apartment. She chose two patterns as you can see here.

After shopping for dishes we went to Santo Stefano di Camastra. Of course, I didn't have my camera with me so I don't have any pictures to show for it. We had a nice meal at my favorite restaurant in San Stefano, Trattoria da Giannino. When we came home we sat and admired Mt. Etna from my balcony for a little while. It's been erupting continuously for well over a month now and always makes great pictures.

A few days later we tackled Palermo and Monreale. I didn't take any pictures at the cathedral in Monreale because I left my camera in the car - oops.

We visited the catacombs at the crypt of the Capuchins and they asked that we not take pictures out of respect for the dead - we obliged them.

We parked, illegally, near the Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo and walked through the Porta Nuova.

The inside wall...

And the sculptures on the other side...

Two days later we drove to Ragusa...stopped near a cathedral built between 1706 and 1760 and dedicated to St. John the Baptist for a picture and lunch.

Then went on to Ragusa Ibla, which was destroyed in an earthquake in 1693.

This is the church of San Giorgio, in the duomo.

The next day we went back toward Palermo/Trapani and stopped in Erice. This is the view looking out over Trapani.

The castle was closed at the time we were there, so we couldn't walk through it.

From Erice we searched for the Plana degli Albanesi which is reputed to have the biggest and best cannoli on the island. After many wrong turns and a lot of time, we found it...at around 5:00. We found that everything is closed on Monday's and there was no cannoli to be had at that time of day - grr. Now I'll have to go back.

We decided to go home by way of Messina and stopped in Cefalu for dinner.

As dinner was coming to an end, so was the day.

Naturally, we ended her visit with dinner in Taormina as usual...and again, I left my camera in the car...I really need to stop doing that.

Cantine Aperte - Nicosia

2008-05-25T17:10:00.014+02:00

On Saturday, May 24th, I saw an advertisement for Cantine Aperte; on the last Sunday of May, Italian wineries open to the public for tours and wine tasting. I really wanted to go to one since there are so many close to my house: Gambino, Murgo, and Nicosia are the closest. But, I already made plans to go to lunch at Lisa and Onorio's so I figured that I'd have to wait until next year.

During breakfast at Papavere & Papere in Nicolosi, my colleague Michael stated that he had to go to the store to buy some wine - his favorite Due Neri Nero D'Avola by Nicosia. Rose, our Italian/American friend, mentioned Cantine Aperte and that the Nicosia winery was in very close by Trecastagni. Immediately, Michael wanted to go and since it was only 10:15 and I had time before lunch, I agreed to drive. We followed the signs and found it without a hitch, although we entered from what would be considered the back door.

We figured that we could just buy some wine...right? You know, take the tour, do a little tasting, make some selections, and end with purchases. Well, it didn't quite work that way. We walked in and were immediately greeted by Giuseppe. He spoke to us in Italian, naturally. It took me off guard because I was only half listening and I didn't catch any of his words. In my confusion he paused and asked in nearly perfect English if we spoke another language; I said "yes" and we laughed. He asked if we wanted a tour and neither of us seemed to want to make the decision so finally I agreed and off we went.

Among the many things that our guide explained to us was that the facility is relatively new and has a capacity of 1.5 million liters. We saw presses, filters, vats, the lab...

wooden barrels...
bottling...
labeling...

and packaging. Michael was reluctant to let go and inquired whether he could buy a pallet of wine or not; he can...and he might.

After our tour, we went inside. There were several ladies behind the bar, but our very generous guide Giuseppe stayed with us. We tried a nice white wine (Grillo). Then Michael tried a red (Nerello Mascalese), which he liked. I was uncertain about what I wanted to try so Giuseppe asked if he could make a recommendation...of course. I tried a red - Cerasuolo, that was good. He said if I liked that, he had another red that was light and great even with fish - I'd tell you what it was, but I can't quite make out the spelling on the notes that I brought home (no...I didn't write it). Finally, I asked him to tell me what his favorite was. He said that he preferred the Cerasuolo but that the Etna Rosso was also good...of course, you imagine Etna while you enjoy it - I said that I didn't need to imagine Etna, I could sit on my balcony and look at it - what else could I need? Maybe someone to share it with. ;)

Now that we knew what we wanted, we asked if we could purchase some - guess what? The answer was NO. We could arrange for it to be delivered to our house, or go to the sales office during regular business hours M-F. I'll be going back soon.

We could have ended our visit to the winery with a trip to the vinyard, but it was approaching noon and I had to be on my way.

The trip to the winery was well worth the time spent on many levels. We got to see the facility and taste the wine. Also, I asked if we could bring a group back sometime for a tour. Not only can we make arrangements for a tour, we could also do a light lunch - perfect!

Gruppo Nicosia s.r.l.

Uffici: via Papa Giovanni XXIII, 43 - 95039 Trecastagni (CT) - Italy

Cantina: strada privata al n 49 di via Luigi Capuana 95039 Trecastagni (CT) - Italy

Tel. 39-095-780-6767 http://www.cantinenicosia.it/

The Off Season

2008-03-02T15:17:00.013+01:00

I really love the off season in Sicily. One can actually walk freely and enjoy what the cities have to offer.

To the right is Castelmola, a small village situated above Taormina.

Here, also to the right (strategically located below Castelmola), is the main drag in Taormina - tourist free. In the summer, it is often packed shoulder to shoulder.

And below, the Piazza Duomo in Ortegia (near Siracusa).

Okay, so the off season is a nice time to stroll casually through the streets; to see, and appreciate, the architecture. On the down side, the temperature is often somewhere between chilly and down right frigid. Not all of the shops are open, but if you're lucky they'll see you and open specially for you (this just happened to me in Castelmola). During high tourist season in the summer it is relaxing to get a table in the sun (or shade), have a snack and a drink, and people watch.

Sicilian Ceramic Heads

2008-02-18T10:18:00.008+01:00

When I first saw a ceramic head, I thought to myself, "Why would anyone want one of those?" I thought it was not very attractive. Then I looked at the price tag and confirmed my initial reaction with a gasp, not only was it ugly, but it was also pretty pricey. I have maintained that opinion for over 5 years now, well, that is until recently.

Just before winter break I took a drive up to Santo Stefano with Evelyn. She wanted to buy a few last minute ceramic Christmas gifts. Having nothing to do that day, aside from school work, it was an easy choice. Besides, I had had my eye on a ceramic cyclops that was in a shop there for over a year, and was also in the market for a decorated roofing tile.

We arrived before lunch and started shopping. I guess we were done in less than an hour (it helps when you know what you're looking for). We loaded our treasures into the car and walked to my favorite restaurant in Santo Stefano di Camastra - Trattoria da Giannino.

While we were waiting to place our order, the man seated next to us was served his pasta. It looked great and smelled even better. We commented on the pasta and then Evelyn asked the man what it was called. He politely told her, and then offered us each a taste! We declined. He insisted. We declined again (I had ordered it before), and Evelyn ordered it.

After lunch we walked through a few shops on the way to the car. There was an awesome trinacria in one, that I really wanted...unfortunately, at 650 euro it was a little out of reach. In the next shop, we saw a small (8") ceramic head that I thought was surprisingly handsome. I didn't have anymore cash and asked if I could pay by credit card, the vendor declined stating that his machine didn't work. I apologized, and we left.

We then went into the shop next door and immediately saw the most beautiful ceramic head. It was about 16" tall, a woman, and mine. It was much more than I wanted to spend at 460 euro. I told Evelyn I wanted it and she immediately began bartering with the shopkeeper. Maybe he hadn't sold anything in a while (being the off season), or maybe he just really liked her, I'll never know...but he came down to 390 euro - a steal, and the deal was done. It still nauseates me to think about how much I spent on her, but she is beautiful, and an investment.

Sarah, I hope you like her...she'll be yours one day.

I've heard a lot of different stories about why the Sicilians craft these ceramic heads. Among them is the story of the Moorish royalty that were being taken away for execution, thus the somber look. The story that I think I like the most is a vengeful love story, and is explained here:

http://siciliamo.blogspot.com/2007/10/balcony-scene-with-twist.html

Etna spews ash, displays spectacular lava light show

2007-09-05T20:15:00.000+02:00

7:55 Tuesday evening, September 4, 2007, I was sitting in my living room. I could hear rumbling in the distance and knew that it was either Mt. Etna or thunder. Since we've had a long, hot, dry summer, I hoped for rain. A few minutes later I heard a rain like sound tapping against my shutters, so I went to the front door and stepped outside.

Sure enough, there was rain coming down...only it was a shower of ash the size of bath salts. Here you can see the outline of Mt. Etna. The funnel above is a cloud of ash and steam and while it appears to be going straight up, the wind was blowing in my direction; this was no gentle breeze. If you get an opportunity to look at a map of Sicily, Mt. Etna is easy to spy...and my town (Torre Archirafi) is on the eastern coast of the island just south of Riposto.

So, I watched periodically as evening approached in hopes of seeing the lava fireworks. After all, I was going to have a real mess to clean up so I wanted some sort of satisfaction to make it all worth while.
The lava lit the mountain landscape and I knew, based on the ash that was falling, that it had to be spectacular. Usually when ash flies like this it is because a new crater opens up, but my guess is that it had something to do with the recent collapse of a crater and/or the force with which the eruption occurred.
In no time at all you could see a long lava flow in the distance. My pictures don't do it justice. Seriously, it was so much more incredible to the naked eye.
A colleague, from a closer distance and with a better camera, sent me this picture the next morning. I so need a better camera. Another colleague said that Italian news reported that the eruption was accompanied by an earthquake measuring 2.4 on the Richter scale. This makes sense since earthquakes in volcanic regions are often caused by the movement of magma beneath the earth's surface. The bursts of lava measured "many hundreds of meters high" equating to around 1,000 feet in the air. The Catania airport was closed for the evening to maintain the integrity of the planes, and of course for the safety of passengers and crews as the ash is capable of causing irreparable damage.
So, here's an early picture of the ash accumulating on my new lava table and patio.
And here's a close-up of the passenger window of my blazer...as you can see, the ash is very coarse. It crunched as I walked across the driveway. I rubbed some between my fingers only to find that it had glass like qualities; very different than the soft, sand like ash that fell during the October 2002 eruption.

Of course, there was no threat to towns and the sun came up the next morning for all to bask in the glory that is Sicily (sorry, this a bit of an awkward shot...but I was driving).

Taormina Film Fest June 21-22

2007-06-22T07:46:00.000+02:00

Since moving to Italy, I have successfully disposed of all of my 110 volt appliances and accessories replacing them with either 220 v. or dual voltage items. Except the XBox. It was decided that since it is 110, and I don't have any transformers, we will mail it back to the states so that Sarah can play it while she's there. But, before mailing it, she'd like to play it a few times here...so we called my brother to see if he had a transformer we could borrow for a few days. He did, and the only detail left was to work out when and how to acquire it.

Walking to the car after running an errand, someone suddenly called my name from behind. We stopped and turned, and there was Matt. He said, "Transformers." To which Sarah quickly replied, "have you talked to my uncle?" Confused, Matt replied, "no." Then we determined that he was talking about the movie.

We went to see the premier of Transformers in the Greek amphitheater in Taormina last night (Thursday, June 21). What a treat. The movie was introduced by producer/director Michael Bay (The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Transformers), and actor Shia LaBeouf (Holes, Constantine).

It was a clear and beautiful night with a light breeze. When the lights went down, a spectacular laser light show ensued. A memorable experience was had for all. The movie was great although I think it would have been better if it had not been quite so loud - well, in retrospect, my emotions are mixed on that - you certainly were not distracted by talking people because you couldn't even hear the person next to you. We were not allowed to take pictures during the performance (they were actually sealed in security bags), but here is one of the stage, uh...and Rob taking up some of the foreground.

I'll have to mark the Taormina Film Festival on my calendar for coming years. It's really sad, because this is my fifth summer living in Sicily, and my first visit to Taormina during the film fest (I usually avoid it because I really hate big crowds). This year was different because it was planned at the last possible moment. We ran into a friend at 5:00 pm that told us a group of people we knew were going. So, we made an on the spot decision to go as well. We left immediately and drove to Taormina to buy our tickets (seeing how they set up the amphitheater and how it all worked, I think we could have purchased them at the door at 9:00). Regardless, we arrived in town at about 6:00, bought our tickets, went home to feed Cocoa, and changed clothes. We returned, got a quick bite to eat, and entered the theater. It really went smoothly and there were not that many people waiting as most were already seated. We found our friends and had a great time.

When it was time to leave, we waited for most of the people to exit before we made our way out. This was a good plan as the road through town is not all that big. Leaving the amphitheater grounds, we saw people waving their hands in the air for t-shirts. They were throwing them into the crowd. Fortunately, we were with a couple of tall guys that towered over the majority of the people in the vicinity and they were able to grab several. After rejoicing over our newly acquired merchandise we ambled to the main intersection (where the taxis park). We were standing there saying our good-byes when suddenly everyone in our group dropped everything and took off...all I heard was Amber saying, "oh my god, it's..." and I said "what?" "Who?" and Christine said, "you know, the Green Goblin, Spiderman, James Franco" (also in Tristan and Isolde, Flyboys, James Dean). He was standing about a foot away from us and I totally did not see him until it was only the back of his head. What an idiot. You never know who you might see in Taormina...and a foot away I miss one of the best looking men in Hollywood today, what a great smile.

We finally caught up to Amber and her friend Neil and they were nearly hysterical...Amber had taken Neil's picture with James Franco...it is really a great shot. The rest of our group was nowhere in sight...possibly trailing after him for a picture of their own?

Yep, that's precisely what they did. While they were chatting they learned that Mr. Franco would be introducing an independent film that he co-wrote, directed, and starred in (Good Time Max) on Friday night at 6:00. We ran into Christine on Friday morning and she told us about it as well. Later in the day she called to give us the details and, because the showing was early, we met them once again in Taormina.

Once in the theater, we sat toward the front (I was on the isle). Two women came in to make the introduction and, rather than going all the way to the front, they decided to stand on the landing directly in front of us. A few minutes later, James Franco and Vince Jolivette walked down the center isle (I have to admit, it made me gasp).

After the showing we decided to get a bite to eat. We chose the restaurant that sits just outside the gate of Taormina for Porta Messina (Trocadero's?). Naturally, because the weather was awesome, we sat outside. Just as we were finishing our antipasto, James Franco walked around the corner, arms outstretched (he was just coming from the beach and appeared to be enjoying himself). I could not get my camera out fast enough, but Sarah and Neil were up and after him without a second thought. They caught up with him as he was ordering a gelato (pistacchio...one of our all time favorites). They were gone for what seemed to be a long time so Amber, Christine, and friend decided to trail after them (I stayed at the table with Matt). Anyway, they took another picture with him and Sarah mustered the courage to ask to take a picture as well (this one will hang in my classroom).

During their chat, they learned that he planned to return to UCLA to finish his degree (congratulations James), and explained that we are teachers and that we live here - naturally inviting him back to tour the base...one never knows. Personally, I prefer the towns, beaches, food, and weather, but the point was more a morale boost for the military members and their families. So, as it is with all those we meet (well, most anyway), there is an open invitation for future visits to the little paradise in the Med that we call home, complete with English speaking American guides.

Simple tasks...?

2007-06-09T10:32:00.000+02:00

How long does it take to get money, pick up and deliver x-rays, and go to the vet? Six hours...really. :S

Wednesday, I set out to do four simple tasks: get Euro, pick up my dental scan, deliver it to my dentist, and take Cocoa to the vet. Since Maryellen had to stop by the dentist's office as well, she agreed to follow me to find a bancomat and stop by the radiologist.

We left school at 3:00. I stopped by the ATM near the school and it was out of order...BRAND NEW and already out of order. Rather than taking an extra 8-10 minutes to go to one a little out of my way, I figured there would be plenty to choose from in downtown Catania.

We agreed that we both needed to get gas, so we stopped at the gas station first. I told Maryellen about the banking issue and she agreed that we would certainly see one. Thus, we set off on our quest. As chance would have it, we passed a bank on the way. The problem was that it was in a very busy traffic area and rather than triple park, I opted to continue on. It took about an hour to go the 18 miles from school to the radiologist. We parked the cars and began looking for a bancomat. When we had walked 5 minutes, we inquired with a man on the street who gave us directions to the nearest machine. It took us several minutes to find it, and as luck would have it, it was out of money. While we were commenting on the incredulity of the situation, we saw an older scooter with a spare tire mounted on the side and, since we had never seen such a thing we took this picture.

So, we re-focused on our task and asked another man for more directions. He was helpful and sent us in the direction of the Duomo. We walked and walked...realizing that we were in what we would consider to be a low-rent district we knew we were destined to go nearly all the way to the Duomo, sure enough it was within two blocks of the centro. I made my withdrawal and we were on our way to the radiologist. By the time we arrived at the radiologist it was 5:00...yes, two hours had passed; one driving, the other walking.

At the radiologist we learned that they would have takin my bank card as opposed to cash - go figure. We should have known, but since they don't deal in many cash transactions, we expected to have to pay cash. The good thing was that instead of the 150 Euro they told me it would be it was only120. Ok, so now I had money and my x-rays.

I live a good distance from Catania and my vet is also far from my home so Maryellen offered to deliver the x-rays for me -- she's a great friend. So, we set off in seperate directions. I reached my house by 6:00, got Cocoa in the car, and headed for the vet.

Traffic backed up at the tollbooth for some construction that had just been set-up. It took about 15 minutes to get through. When I reached Gravina traffic backed up again (which is typical for the area) and I was beginning to get anxious as 7:00 neared (the time the vet closes). Thankfully, we arrived at the vet at 6:55 and made it in the door. There were however, 5 others in front of us. We were finally seen at 8:00, there was an examination and collaboration of doctors, and we were on our way home with instructions to return on Monday or Tuesday for a final treatment option before a recommendation for surgery. Poor Cocoa...I feel so bad for her.

Finally, after 6 hours of running around (driving, walking, and waiting), Cocoa and I made it home at 9:00.

A Lesson in Socialized Medicine; When Cultures Collide

2007-05-26T14:43:00.001+02:00

I have had a bridge now for more than half of my life; and, for about 19 years it has served me well. The last 4 years however, have been less than tolerable. It came out, and a base dentist had a new one made and put it in - great! Well, it lasted about 3 months before it came out. Since then, I have been in and out of the dental clinic every couple months to have it re-attached. Last fall it began to come loose yet again (I might add here that it has actually stayed in about a year now). So, I went in to the dental clinic again to make an appointment and they told me that they no longer do "that type of work," which is probably for the best since they haven't yet managed to do a stellar job as it is. Okay, so where is this story going? Oh yeah, since I needed to find a new dentist, I figured it was time to look at other options as well.

I was referred to an English speaking Sicilian dentist in Catania who studied dentistry at New York University by a co-worker. He really seems to be a great guy. Well, as it happens, he specializes in implants. That was a relief since it is one of the options I was considering. So we spoke about my teeth, bridge, and the feasibility of implants. He explained why my new bridges kept coming out (which made perfect sense by the way) but said that the decision was ultimately up to me. The implants will cost me 1.800,00 Euro each which equates to a grand total of about $4,700.00. It includes everything; all the visits, work, parts, and lifetime annual check-ups. While it seems like a lot, consider that my bridges (not including visits, etc) cost me in the ball park of $2,000.00 to make...I would be needing a new one every 3-5 years for the rest of my life. Okay, so I decided that I want to go ahead with the implants (less maintenance and more reliable). The first step is to have a CT scan of my upper jaw to determine what steps need to be taken.

My new dentist told me to try to get a referral for the CT scan from a base dentist. He told me that if they wouldn't do it, that he would help me get an appointment. So I went to the base dental clinic which promptly told me in a less than pleasant tone "we don't do that for civilians." Nice huh? I'm good enough to teach their kids, but not good enough for a simple referral. Regardless, I went back to my dentist and explained the situation to him. He was understanding, sympathetic, and called to make the appointment for me. Naturally, the phone was busy, so I was instructed to call my dentist back the next day to find out when my appointment was scheduled for, as they would keep trying until they got through.

I had an Italian speaking colleague call for me a few days later as the dentist's receptionist does not speak any English. She said my appointment was for the 24th of May at 4:30, perfect (almost 10 minutes on the phone). She then said that I needed to come back to their office to get my ricetta (prescription) for the appointment. When I got home, there was a message on my answering machine that I did not understand. So, the next day I had my colleague call her back. It seems that the CT scan costs 150,00 Euro. She was adamant that I needed a referral from an American dentist. We explained that it was not possible and that I would pay the fee (almost 10 minutes on the phone). Then I went to the office to pick up my ricetta and was told that it was not ready and then I was instructed to try to get a referral from a regular doctor (this was a 40 minute drive one way with traffic plus 20 minutes in the office). By now I'm a little confused, so I called another Italian speaking colleague to translate for me. She said that the woman really did not want me to have to pay, that she was embarrassed that I was being asked to pay. I laughed and said that it was no big deal and that I would submit it to my insurance. Finally she understood and asked me to come back on the 23rd to get my ricetta (another 40 minute drive one way and 5 minutes in the office). So I did, and it was ready - life was good.

On the 24th I showed up for my CT scan and the receptionist saw my ricetta and pointed me to another counter. I went there and they held up another piece of paper and asked me where mine was. I really didn't understand what they wanted, but I did understand that they weren't going to do the CT scan without it. Once again, I got someone on the phone to help me with the situation. The problem wasn't that they weren't going to do the CT scan, the problem was that they didn't want me to have to pay! I appreciate their concern, but the time and energy my colleagues and I put into this was becoming astronomical. Just because THEY didn't want me to pay (60 minutes in traffic, 35 minutes going between counters, and 5 minute phone call).

Needless to say, after a grand total of about 3 hours and 45 minutes worth of time spent unnecessarily convincing them that I was willing to pay the 150,00 Euro, I had my CT scan. I do however, have to go back to pick it up and PAY on the 1st of June.

Incognito - a rather fitting name

2007-05-01T17:50:00.001+02:00

Ok, so we finally had lunch at the much anticipated Incognito.

Water and wine poured, food passed and served, we began pacing our selves for this seafood extravaganza.

If you'd like to know more about what we ate, and how good it was, please go to www.alohafromsicily.blogspot.com and read Jacque's commentary...it's great.

The purpose of my discourse here today is to talk about irony... :)

Yes, that's right, irony. Isn't it ironic that we ate at a restaurant named Incognito? You know, to appear with a concealed identity, which is what an image conscious person would have wished for had they been seated at our table during lunch.

Oh, we had fun, we had great fun...we laughed pretty hard, and pretty loud. But then again, look at the characters that we had entertaining us...

There's pinocchio with his sparkling wine cap nose.

Then, the uh, well...I'm not sure, but the nose transformed into either another eye, or an appendage of some sort.

This one pretty much speaks for itself...I'm not sure if there wasn't enough food, or if this particular dish just tasted good.

And this, well, this was great on several levels. While waiting to be seated for lunch we noticed several pregnant looking women (one can never be too certain) coming out of the restaurant. Naturally, we joked about the water, food, what have you. Well, much to our surprise, we learned that the condition was equally contagious for men, as is shown here. Of course, our plate licker just had to pick up a dessert at that very moment and drop the whipped topping...well...to an unmentionable destination. By now our very stuffed sides were splitting and it was nearly time to go.

Stay tuned for more adventures of Sicilian dining American style.

Honors 10 Literature/History Annual WWII Study Trip

2007-04-28T13:36:00.000+02:00

April 25, 2007 - the date of our 3rd annual WWII honors 10 study trip. We had relatively nice weather; it wasn't too cold, it didn't rain, and everything else fell perfectly into place.

We began our trip with a visit to the German War Cemetery in Motta St. Anastasia. The cemetery is an open air building separated into several chambers. Each chamber is labeled for the city (or the vicinity thereof) where the soldiers buried within died.

This is the plaque located at the entrance of the tomb, that explains the significance of the structure, in German, Italian, and English.

In the first room that you enter, there is a sculpture of a dead man representing all the soldiers that lost their lives in the war. He is naked, which could certainly be intended to represent the fact that beneath all the uniforms, behind all the government politics, the men were men like any others.

The slabs list ranks, names, dates of birth, death, and ages.

The cross, shown here, is the central monument in the British War Cemetery in

Catania. The grounds are maintained immaculately.

The plaque shows two other war cemeteries (at Agira and Siracuse), and the total number of grave sites by nationality. The cemetery at Agira is strictly Canadian.

The rows of tombstones are neatly trimmed with a variety of beautiful flowers.

Most of the tombstones have a sentimental saying selected by the surviving family members. This one says:

"Fond thoughts linger

Tears often flow

And to that lonely grave

our thoughts will ever go"

Not long after I begin to read the tombstones, tears well up in my eyes. So many of them were so young; and war seems to me, so pointless.

While I have walked many of the rows here, this was the first time I saw the tombstone of a woman, assistant nurse Lily True, and I wonder if there are more here.

Our trip ends with a visit to Le Ciminierie and Museo Storico Dello Sbarco In Sicilia, the World War II War Museum of the invasion of Sicily, in Catania. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but I find it quite fitting that the last exhibit is a background picture of the British War Cemetery with a replica of the sculpture from the German War Cemetery and a screen running each soldier's name, one by one.

Our breakfast club has progressed to lunches...Mmm

2007-04-22T19:31:00.000+02:00

Our Sunday morning coffee group has morphed beautifully into a luncheon group as well. We started out having lunch at my house last week...to break-in my new tables, furniture, dishes, dishwasher, you name it. It started out raining and ended up, well, cloudy but tolerable enough to sit outside to eat. I managed to stay out of the picture. :)

This week we all went to the Porto di Catania and ate at a quaint little ristorante called L'ormeggio. It isn't much to look at from the outside, but it was great. We sat down and the food started coming. We had a nice sparkling white vino locale, multiple fresh seafood antipasto dishes, three seafood pastas, the main course: grilled pesce spada (swordfish), grilled calamari, grilled prawns (jumbo shrimp), and swordfish involtini (rolled and stuffed with stuffing, pine nuts, and some fruit resembling currants), then dessert came, grappa, cafe, and we were stuffed to the gills.

Next week we're off to Incognito, a wonderful small seafood restaurant in Acireale. They only do lunch and you have to have a reservation. We booked a month ago and this was the earliest date we could get. Having eaten there before I can safely say we're in for an awesome meal. The address and phone number are listed below if you'd like to visit them yourself. For more information see www.sicilianodyssey.blogspot.com and search for Incognito or seafood.

Trattoria Incognito - Via Vitt.Emanuele, 48 Acireale (CT) - Zona vecchia stazione - Tel. 3497896343

Lava Tables

2007-04-13T08:01:00.001+02:00

I finally parted with the money and bought myself 2 lava tables; they are after all, an investment. I couldn't decide on a design so I asked the vendor if he could make me a large 100 x 200 cm table with fruit...oranges, lemons, figs, pomegranates, grapes (red and blue), and prickly pear around the edge with something in the middle. Also, I wanted a bistro table (80 cm) with Mt. Etna, something typical of Sicily, and a border. He looked at me as though I were crazy because I was so vague and it was a lot of money, but I said that I trusted him to do a nice job. So here is what I got, and yes, I am happy with them.

Potpourri

2007-03-24T17:15:00.000+01:00

A few favorites...in order of importance, naturally...Sarah, working diligently at her computer...yeah, right...does that look like a college student studying??

Cocoa at peace with the world...and her unstuffed squeeky toy...And, what I made for dinner tonight 3-24-07...penne pasta on a bed of spinach topped with shrimp, garlic, pepperoncini, red onions and olive oil...mmmmm

Cruising along the coast

2007-03-15T18:52:00.000+01:00

Okay, so these are a couple of pretty poor pictures...I was getting ready to go to bed the other night and I heard what I thought was a boat (ship) horn blowing nearby. Then it quit, and as I was about to dismiss it, it blew again...and again...long and low. So I thought maybe there were two ships in close proximity to one another...but it was so loud, it had to be really close, which I thought was odd. So, I took my camera and went up to the balcony to have a look...much to my surprise there was a cruise ship...and it was VERY close indeed. I figure it pulled into Taormina about 8:45 PM or so, as it was passing me by at 8:30. The first shot was blurry so I switched the setting to action...and it's dark...maybe should have tried fireworks, next time...if there is one.

Garmisch

2007-03-11T17:10:00.000+01:00

So here they are...my pictures from the short, but too long, trip I recently took to Garmisch, Germany. I could never live in a climate like this. Every day was rainy and completely overcast, as you can see in the pictures here. I expected the Alps to be grand, and yet the German Alps where Garmisch is situated are not as tall as Mount Etna and as such, I was less than impressed by the scenery.

Changes

2007-01-27T18:17:00.000+01:00

It often amazes me, how quickly the years seem to pass. Take my daughter for example. She'll certainly have something to say when she sees this post. I had hoped to do one with recent pictures, but have not had an opportunity to obtain any. Maybe she'll send me some from college (that's a hint baby).

Here she is...at 3-4 months, almost 3 years...and nearly 18. She's beautiful...and I, of course am biased.

So, the funny thing is that I have been contemplating how to do a post about her. Just today my sister-in-law mentioned that I should do one...so here it is - with what I had to work with.

Sweetie, please don't be angry - ah, how could such a happy girl be angry...just look at her wonderful smile...at least these aren't really BAD pictures. ;)

So, how about it? Are you going to send me some pictures, or will I get to take some new ones soon? I could always dig up something interesting...saw a good one - you sitting on a rock in Cefalu...the look on your face is priceless.

Piazza Duomo, Catania

2007-01-20T09:35:00.000+01:00

Here are a few pictures from Piazza Duomo in Catania taken the same day as those at Bellini Park. A piazza is a square. Piazzas vary in size and shape, some are very small and others are very large; this one happens to be on the large side. Sometimes they are surrounded by homes, sometimes the have benches, fountains, statues, or cafes...and of course any combination of the above. Piazza Duomo has a variety of buildings surrounding it; restaurants, shops, pastry shops, banks, a cathedral, and a road. It also has a fountain and a monument (an obelisk with an elephant) and is often referred to as elephant square.

Bellini Park, Catania, Italy

2007-01-17T17:15:00.000+01:00

As you enter Bellini park from Via Etnea you are met with a large, wide, staircase. I have included several views of the fountain from various areas around the park. There was more to it, including a long row of busts, but naturally my battery was not fully charged...sorry.

The day was mostly cloudy, but the temperature was still moderate. I wore a sleeveless mock turtleneck sweater under my leather jacket and was warm just walking from my car to the Piazza Duomo (which is not shown in this posting). It was less than a two minute walk. It is difficult to believe that it is mid January and the temperature is still so warm. I am concerned though, because we really have not had much rain yet this season. We really could use it, as the summers are long, hot, and very dry.

The grounds keepers change the date every day. There is another park in Acireale that has a similar date display.

The sunrise is always worth a post or two

2007-01-15T07:23:00.000+01:00

I was standing on my balcony, just outside the kitchen early on the morning of January 2nd and simply had to document the sunrise although still a little dark.

Okay, so I didn't stand out there the whole time...I was in and out...and the sun snuck up on me.

I knew this was one of the last pictures for this segment, as the brightness of the sun crept over the roof lines of nearby homes, I decided to swing to the left and get a close up of the palms.

I am going to make it a point to post something about the island next time...maybe a sunny walk in nearby Taormina, or an adventure in Ragusa which I have yet to visit.

Gambino Winery

2007-01-13T20:07:00.000+01:00

I recently had an opportunity to purchase some wine from the Gambino Winery in Linguaglossa, Sicily. I had such a hard time choosing which kind to buy...so, I bought a box with one of each; 2 rosso, 2 bianco, and 2 nero d'avola. One of the whites is made from a red grape...how do you suppose that happens? Oh well, it is good nonetheless. How do I know? Well, as it is with all (most?) of the wineries, and local vendors, you can taste what ever you want before you make a decision. Check them out at www.agricolagambino.it -- for those of you in the states...you can order it online, although you have to buy in quantity. Salute!

Oh yeah, it wouldn't be right if I didn't mention that the weather here has been unseasonably warm...it hit the low 70s today when it is normally in the low 50s if not 40s. Absolutely beautiful.

Quiet Christmas

2006-12-27T10:18:00.000+01:00

It was a quiet Christmas...well, kind of.

On Friday my caldaia (hot water heater) circuit board blew...which means no hot water and no heat. Fortunately, it has been in the high 50s and low 60s during the day and I really have not needed the heat. The downside is that my landlord was not able to fix it...he came Friday afternoon and Saturday morning to no avail. Of course, nothing is open on Sundays, Monday was Christmas, and the Italians take the day after a holiday as a day of rest. Thus it is Wednesday morning and my landlord has returned...with a sack full of mandarin oranges (the second in 3 days).

So, Sunday I braved the elements (the wind, driving rain, and fog were nearly impassable) and went to my brother's house to spend Christmas eve with his family (and take a shower). Monday Cocoa and I snuggled on the couch and watched movies all day. Tuesday I went back to my brother's (for another shower...and dinner). I'm going back yet again tonight, hopefully I'll have showered at home this time.

Ok, so the verdict on the caldaia today is that they must go in search of yet another part...I am assured that if they are unable to fix it today a new one will be installed tomorrow. When things work, they work well...for instance, when the caldaia works, I never run out of hot water...but when they don't work, well...we're going on a week now. :(

You spent how much?!?

2006-12-23T11:41:00.000+01:00

My dear sweet friend Lisa just cracks me up sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I do like nice jewelry...but I can't imagine dropping $4,000 on a bracelet...on a whim. :S

Perhaps that's because I don't HAVE $4,000 to spend on non-essentials. But it is beautiful...and I did have it in my hands...long enough to fasten the clip and secure it on her wrist.

The pencil is, of course, to add perspective to the size of the diamonds. I'm so jealous...then again...she is nearly 10 years older than me and married to a very understanding and great guy...which undoubtedly adds to her ability to make such purchases. Oh well...if and when it's meant to be it will be. For the time being I'll just drool on hers...just a few key pieces...that's all I'd need...one bracelet, a few pair of nice yet simple earrings, maybe a necklace, and one ring...actually, I'd be happy with just the ring...a diamond solitaire...maybe set in platnium...1 - 2 carat...no other accesories...yeah, that's all.

I'll never grow weary of the glow...

2006-12-14T04:52:00.000+01:00

The reflection of the flowing lava is is seen radiating off of the light cloud cover over the mountain peak.

Pictures really don't do justice for the live view as they make it look farther away than it actually is.

Green eyed monster?

2006-12-12T20:34:00.000+01:00

Okay, so I couldn't resist posting a picture of my precious Cocoa yet again. I laughed so hard when I saw this picture. That's it...not much to say about it, at least at this very moment.

Oh yeah...I bought her a soccer ball. She loves it! And it's so funny to watch her play with it. If I ever figure out video clips, maybe I'll post one.

Geep on the move...

2006-12-12T20:18:00.000+01:00

After registering my first ever used car (1997 Blazer), I got caught up in a traffic jam...waiting for a flock of goats and sheep (affectionately known as geep) to change fields. I was a few cars back this time, so the view was not as good as it could have been. Although I did hit the video function on my camera as I was passing them - it's pretty cool, but I don't know how to upload video clips to my blog as of yet.

Etna took a break from erupting for a couple days, but is back at it today - and in full force...still magnificent, of course, but I thought you might be tired of looking at volcano pictures.

=)

Fate of the squeaky ball

2006-11-04T18:17:00.000+01:00

If you saw the previous posting that showed Cocoa with her new squeaky ball, you'll understand this posting.

I still haven't figured out what criteria Cocoa has to determine which squeaky ball to preserve and which falls fate to becoming unstuffed. She went through 2 brand new squeaky balls (this is the first of them) in a matter of days. The one she saved - the old, dirty, disgusting one, is still in use after more than 8 months.

As you can see, she is quite happy with herself. A few weeks later she found the last "new" squeaky ball and it had the same fate as the previous two. Of course, she still brings me her nasty, dirty one to play with her - I can not explain sufficiently how gross it really is. Maybe that will be a good follow-up photo to display.

Sunset along the autostrada

2006-10-21T16:26:00.000+02:00

While leisurely driving home early one evening, I decided to take a few shots of the sunset - hoping that the colors would come through accurately. They are very muted here compared to their actual brilliance. Regardless, I think it turned out okay - for a moving target. I figure I'm going to stop taking these "in motion" pictures, if for no other reason...because it is dangerous. :)

The things you see...

2006-10-10T19:22:00.000+02:00

My garden is pretty well done for the year, however I do still have a lemon tree, peach tree, and rosemary bush that need to be watered. So I went out to water them a few days ago and when I got to the lemon tree I thought I saw something move...sure enough, there was a praying mantis. It was about 3.5"-4" long and happily stood still for me to go get my camera and take a few pictures...Earlie this summer I saw a walking stick! It was on the side of Maryellen's car...which I thought was a little weird, but hey. I really kind of like the picture. Her car is black and as a result of the beautiful sunny day you can see the reflection of the insect, road, sidewalk, and wall. This one was really big measuring easily 8.5"-9" long. I didn't think it would be nice to simply drive away with it on the car, so I picked up a little twig and coaxed it into climbing on...and then I put it on a nearby tree.

The light in my life...

2006-10-09T17:50:00.000+02:00

The eruption of Mt. Etna is just a glowing spot on the horizon from my house - this picture really does it no justice. The photo is from the end of September. There have been several eruptions since July. A few hours later, as I was leaving home, I took the second shot - about half a mile from my house. At least you can see the outline of the mountain in it.

Sunday morning called for yet another pastry

2006-10-09T17:37:00.000+02:00

Mmmmmm mmmmmmm yummy! Sunday morning it was time for another visit to the Family Duck. It's starting to get a little cooler and as such breakfast takes a turn from granite to pastries and cappuccino. This is a pastry filled with warm ricotta and ciccolato - it is to die for. :)

Onorio made dinner Saturday night...Mmmmmmm

2006-10-09T16:42:00.000+02:00

Lisa invited me to dinner on Saturday...Onorio was cooking up something special - fiorentino bistecca (grilled T-bone steak, about 2" thick). Here you see him holding one up, and a platter with a few...

This is how each one looked on the plate. Mmm.
Salad had to have a separate dish...and below, Onorio has his steak pose in the way that the fiorentino is typically cooked...grilled, standing on end.

Italian Pastries

2006-10-01T14:33:00.000+02:00

Went to The Family Duck in Nicolosi this morning...you know...the Sunday morning cappuccino and intellectual discussion ritual. Anyway, you really have to love the Italian pasticceria. When you buy pastries to take home the packaging is unbelievable, it always looks so nice. So this morning I just had to buy this huge canolli like ricotta pastry. So here's how it looked:

The package...

The prize...the tray measures roughly 6"X9"

Here's another perspective - the mug holds 12 oz., 14 if you fill it to the rim.

Buon appetito!

Dilemma

2006-09-30T08:19:00.000+02:00

Ok, so here it is...the typical status of my refrigerator. My dilemma is whether to simply unplug it and not use it anymore, or to find some kind of motivation to utilize it in a more efficient manner - as it is, it is consuming far more power than is justifiable. Now I understand the rationale behind the small Italian refrigerators that I have seen...don't get me wrong, they do have big ones like this too...however, they are more of an anomaly. It's not that I don't eat...I do...but I really dislike (that's for you Pienta) leftovers and tend to throw out a lot when I do big shopping because I don't eat it fast enough...oh yeah, incase you're wondering...the freezer has ice in it - that's it...just a few ice trays. So there you have it...Parmesan cheese, lime juice, a few eggs, soy sauce, plum preserves (jam), natural peanut butter, worcheshire sauce, sweet pickles, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and aloe gel for Sarah when she gets sun burns.

Accidentally cool picture

2006-09-24T22:17:00.000+02:00

So I'm driving to school one morning early this month and I just can't resist taking a picture of the latest eruption of Mt. Etna. I turned on my camera, and as I set it on my lap (until I could get a clear view of the mountain), I accidentally pressed the button to take a picture. As a result, I wind up with a cool picture of my dashboard. Sooooooo...I just had to take some more.

This is the radio...it is fitting that it shows some resemblance to music notes on a page...okay, so use your imagination. ;)

That crazy dog...

2006-09-22T05:20:00.000+02:00

So, Im getting ready for work and here comes Cocoa. Naturally, she has to be close to me whenever I am home. The problem in this case is that the bathroom I was using to get ready is pretty small and Cocoa is pretty big. So she comes in the room and is looking for a place to call her own...as you can see, she found a great place that she was out of harms way...I just don't understand why this spot was any better than the open doorway. Yes, that is her squeaky ball in the shower with her -- funny thing is, they could both use a shower. :)

How to post...

2006-09-03T08:00:00.000+02:00

My daughter recently asked me to post some directions on "how to post" a comment.

Under each posting you will see:

Posted by Kendra Smith the date 0 Comments (which of course may be 1, 2, 3, etc.)

If you would like to leave a comment:

Select

0 Comments

This will open a window that gives you the opportunity to type your comments in a box.

Once you have composed your comments - to your liking, choose an identity.

Options typically include:

Your name

Other

Anonymous

Then either preview your post and then login and publish, or login and publish.

That's it...success. =D

Scrumptious Granita

2006-08-27T19:25:00.000+02:00

Ok...here it is! This morning (this ritual actually occurs often) a group of us met for our weekly granita at The Family Duck in Nicolosi. The granita pictured here (from left to right) is mezzo mandorla e mezzo ciccolato (half almond and half chocolate) and the other is mezzo mandorla e mezzo gelsi con panna (half almond and half mulberry with whipped cream). I don't know how to describe this because, for those of you in the states - granita is not shaved ice with syrup as so many people believe it to be. Here, in beautiful Sicily, it seems that they freeze fresh fruit with sugar and then scrape it as it freezes...so that it does not actually freeze solid...it comes out kind of between ice cream and snow cone...and is to die for! Granita and a brioche (warm bread - as seen in the background here) is a typical Sicilian breakfast in Sicily...at least on Sundays in the summer - after all...it is seasonal. Regardless, if you ever have an opportunity to have REAL Sicilian granita, don't pass it up. Flavors that I have had include:
Lemon, pistachio, almond, cafe, chocolate, strawberry, kiwi, mulberry, and mandarine...I have seen peach, but have not tried it because I really don't care for peaches (that's for you Pienta)...and someone told me they have had pineapple.

Summer Residency @ IU

2006-08-12T20:24:00.000+02:00

I had an opportunity to meet my doctoral cohort face-to-face this summer at my residency at Indiana University - they're a great group of professionals with such a wide range of experiences. I can only hope to learn a lot from my interactions with them...that is provided I make it through my next set of classes - if this first class is an indicator of what lies ahead...well, let's just see...

Mmmmmm...

2006-08-11T13:12:00.000+02:00

I have never seen such meaty tomatoes in my life. I have been giving my tomatoes to Lisa and Onorio because I have far more than I would ever eat...well, actually, this is the first tomato that I kept for myself - one slice became part of a toasted tomato sandwich. Very tasty. Anyway, I am giving Onorio 10 more on Sunday...he's making tomato sauce and canning it for the winter. Maybe I'll hit him up for one small jar to make pennette all' arrabiata - that would be penne pasta with tomato sauce, spicy salami, and pepperoncini (crushed red pepper). Mmmmm...

Just how spoiled is my dog???

2006-08-10T14:31:00.000+02:00

See Cocoa happy with her new squeaky ball...

2006-08-10T14:24:00.000+02:00

See Cocoa squeak her squeaky ball...

2006-08-10T14:16:00.000+02:00

See Cocoa look on in amazement as her squeaky ball falls to the floor...

2006-08-10T14:05:00.000+02:00

See Cocoa ask me to get her squeaky ball...

Look a little deeper...

2006-08-07T18:25:00.000+02:00

When you look at a rosebud what do you see? Today, I see relationships. To get to the bud you have to negotiate the thorns, only to find that the bud is unfolding imperfectly. Does that make the flower any less desirable? I suppose it could. Then again, it reminds me that nothing in life is perfect, and anything worth having is usually work. So where does today's thought take me? I've been working through countless thorns in search of the perfect rosebud - for 15 years. And only now, after making my most recent blunder, am I realizing that no such thing exists. Good relationships are worth the work you put into them to win them...once you acquire the prize, it is worth even more work to keep. So what qualifies as good? Hmmm...well, let's consider the rosebud:

What do I have to have? A flower

What would I like to have? Some leaves

What can I live with? The thorns

What can I not tolerate? Bugs

So, if the rosebud I pick fits these guidelines...it could in fact be worth a little extra effort.

Really...I'm not spoiled

2006-08-04T20:34:00.000+02:00

Here she is...my spoiled but not spoiled Cocoa. Cocoa has had a rough month. Her right ear had been very dirty for some time. The base vet gave me some ear cleaner and told me to clean her ear regularly; that for some reason she seemed to be producing a lot of wax. Well, let me tell you...she was producing wax because she had an infection. I found out the day before I left for Indiana when her eardrum burst and I had to spend the day at the vet and in search of an open farmacia to fill her prescription. I felt so incredibly horrible...so anyway, as much as I'd rather not have her on the furniture, I didn't have the heart to make her get down. Here she is sleeping on the couch with her bouncy ball and bone...in actuality she was inches from where I was working diligently on procrastinating a paper.

My wonderful Italian vet really likes Cocoa. He remembered her from a year ago when she was in to see him for a nearly fatal poisoning. Anyway, she has been pretty good about letting me give her the treatments and her ear is looking really great. Bad news is yesterday she started shaking her head a lot and scratching at her other ear...and whining while doing so -- the same actions as she had gone through in the week before the ruptured eardrum...so I took her in again today - more treatments and a we go back Monday...looks infected too -- I can only hope that we caught this one in time to help her.

Oh yeah...and she's fat! She weighs 76 pounds and could stand to lose about 8 pounds. I told the vet that I was feeding her what the bag said to feed her - 3 cups - (Science Diet) -- to which the response was "they're in the business to sell dog food" -- "cut her down to 2 cups". 2 CUPS!! That seems like nothing...but orders are orders...she's already on withdrawal from cheese, vegies, meat, toast, and whatever other crumb she could convince me to share with her.

In case you're wondering...no, she didn't even flinch when I took her picture -- she kept on sleeping...poor baby.

Sometimes I wish she could talk, then she could tell me when something was wrong...although she would also say other things...I imagine like when her ball goes under the couch..."could you get my ball? Please? Please, please, please, huh, could you....now...please." Kind of like a 3 year old...that would drive me up the wall - she does a good enough job without being able to speak...at least in an intelligible language...although I do understand her head tilts, whimpers, semi-barks, and such.

Why is melanzane (eggplant) purple?

2006-07-24T18:01:00.000+02:00

Because the flower it comes from is purple?

Seriously? I haven't got a clue. ;)

Okay, so I have complained about Alitalia and my travel woes...it is time to give credit where credit is due. The woman at the Delta check-in counter at the Indianapolis airport was great. She fixed my botched ticket (Alitalia in Catania cashed in the e-ticket to re-rout me and only printed 2/3 of my flight coupons) in a relatively short amount of time...then she did the unheard of - she issued me boarding passes all the way to Catania! Wow! So my flight to Cincinatti was ok...then Cincinatti to Rome went smooth...then I ran through the airport to the Alitalia transfer desk because I noticed a flight boarding for Catania - could I get on it? You bet...traveling with only carry-on luggage and being a single individual they had just enough room for me if I hurried. I arrived at Catania airport at 1:00...the time my original flight from Rome was scheduled to leave. Home at last...now life can go on.

Where you gonna go when the volcano blows?

2006-07-24T16:25:00.000+02:00

Nowhere! Why? Because it is incredibly awesome to stay home and take pictures silly. Mt. Etna blew on Saturday, July 15th. As usual, it was beautiful...and as a special bonus, this time it blew through an existing crater so there was virtually no ash. The flow seemed to come quite far down the side of the mountain, but as you can see it is still well above the nearest city lights. The eruption ended during the early evening hours on Sunday, July 23rd.

Italian air travel continuation

2006-07-20T01:48:00.000+02:00

Okay, so I stayed the night at the Rome Hilton...that was nice. I arrived at the check-in counter at 9:15 for a 12:20 flight only to find out that the ticket I was issued the previous afternoon meant nothing! I was on stand-by...and pins and needles until 11:50 when they called my name and gave me a seat. No additional glitches encountered enroute to IU.

I begin my return journey tomorrow (Thursday) at 12:30. I already know that the Italian pilots have scheduled a strike for Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm...since I am scheduled to leave Rome at 1:00 I am prepared for a delay.

My residency has provided me with a little bit of useful information. I am not so sure it was worth the travel, but it was nice to meet my cohort face-to-face...to get a feel for personalities and they're a great bunch.

Italian air travel

2006-07-17T07:03:00.000+02:00

Okay, so traveling with Alitalia is not the greatest...everyone knows it but they insist on flying me that way. They have a track record of losing bags and cancelling flights. So, I decided that since I would only be gone for 5 days (2 traveling) I would only take a carry-on...excellent planning on my part I might add.

My itinerary:

Catania - Milan
Milan - JFK
JFK - Indianapolis

I arrived at the Catania airport at 4:40 Sunday morning...promptly got in line...and soon was at the check-in counter only to find that my flight from Milan to JFK had been cancelled due to mechanical difficulties (I really needed to hear that...since I abhor flying). So, my very nice check-in attendant (Vittorio) explained that he booked me on the next flight from Rome to JFK and that I was to leave now for Rome - GREAT!! I am on time since my layover at JFK is for 6 hours.

Well, I arrive in Rome...go to the transit desk only to find about 50 people in front of me. It seems that everyone from my cancelled flight was re-directed to Rome from their respective airports (Catania, Milan, Florence, Munich, you get the idea). Needless to say I was not on that flight and if I was, by the time I got to the counter, I wasn't any longer. So, I have 4 hours of standing at the transit desk while they try to make alternative arrangements (since I am travelling alone I certainly can't leave my spot). They decide that we must then take our tickets to the ticketing counter and make out own arrangements...great, now all flights for anywhere in the US are gone for the day.

So, I go to the ticketing counter and have to listen to really crabby American tourists complain about everything...especially the fact that there was only one person working the ticketing counter - of course it was 1:30 and riposo had started. What good does it do to make a scene? Life happens, right? So the nice girl at the ticket counter gets me a flight the next day at 12:20 which puts me at my final destination after the obligatory dinner that I am to attend - oh well, wasn't looking forward to that anyway. She put me in the airport Hilton and gave me a voucher good for lunch, dinner, and breakfast the next day. What more could I ask for given the circumstances?

So, here I am in Rome...preparing for breakfast and another long day of travel...if all goes as expected I will have spent about 37 hours in airports and planes. UGH.

All I have to say is that this residency better be worth it.

I'll be home by 2 pm Friday provided I don't run into any more glitches.

Ciao

Are you looking at me?

2006-07-12T19:25:00.000+02:00

Cocoa continues to be a guinea pig for my attempts at photography. At this moment I was thinking of those silly greeting cards...you know the ones. ;)

I should be sharing photos from Taormina the night Italy won the world cup - but I forgot to take my camera with me. It was awesome...we had dinner at an outdoor restaurant down a little side street since the mainstreet areas were really crowded. We ate, drank, and watched the game with some Italians and foreign tourists -- everyone was in favor of Italy.

Afterward, there were fireworks, vespas, flags, cars, horns, yelling, chanting...you name it. While it was chaotic for Taormina it was tame compared to places like Milano, Roma, Napoli, and yes...Catania too. The sense of national pride was intoxicating and all of Italy it seems was alive and celebrating into the wee hours of the morning...well, maybe they weren't the 'wee' hours...I know I heard some celebrating around 4 am.

Anyway, more about Cocoa. She went on a long walk around Torre Archirafi two nights ago and behaved like a perfect lady. No barking, stressed but not skittish, and she got to experience life as a true Sicilian dog. We stopped at an outdoor tavola calda for a gelato and Cocoa laid under the table...hardly anyone knew she was there.

Sunrise

2006-07-12T17:51:00.000+02:00

I was watching the sunrise from my patio with a cup of tea and a biscotti and thought I'd share it with you. The colors were brilliant; a beautiful beginning to yet another gorgeous day.

A dog's life

2006-07-04T09:21:00.000+02:00

Poor Cocoa...she didn't know that she was a guinea pig...she thought she was a dog...no, wait...what was I thinking...she thought she was a person!! Yep, that's my dog - spoiled to the core. But she's sooooo cute, how could I not spoil her? You should see her when my landlord comes around, you know, when all her hair stands on end and she tries to look all scary. Well, it makes him jump and back up about 30 paces, yeah that's right 30 paces...I laugh at her and he just looks at me like I'm crazy.

Cocoa and I are going on our first walk together today...I think she's excited because she's already in front of the door with that look of anticipation in her eyes. If she does well maybe we'll end up along the lungomare, although I'm thinking this will have to go in baby steps.

Oh yeah, the 'guinea pig' comment...that's because I've been practicing my photography skills on her these past few days. She doesn't pose very well...just as I'm about to shoot she moves. Good thing it's a digital camera because I'd have wasted about 40 pictures...but this one is a good one.

I did the math...

2006-07-03T21:49:00.000+02:00

Well, I kind of cheated...I looked up metric conversions online and found out that 1 kilogram is equal to a little over 2.2 pounds. So, I was pretty close in my estimation of cost.

Hey, I can't 'only' do homework now can I?

2006-07-02T17:34:00.000+02:00

Getting ready to wash the car and who has to help? Yep...that's Cocoa. She has to lick the water off the car, and the ground, and naturally she loves to lap it straight from the hose.

Yes, that is a garden behind me, can you believe it? My landlord planted it for me before I moved in...little does he know that I am a plant killer. I have melanzane, pomodoro, basilico, zucca, limone, rosmarino, and sedano (eggplant, tomato, basil, squash, lemon, rosemary, and celery). And far more than I would ever hope to consume at that.

It takes time...

2006-06-30T07:39:00.000+02:00

Okay, so here's the fruit...I can't believe how long it took to upload this picture, I guess I wasn't patient enough yesterday. Anyway, the fruit, vegetables, seafood...you name it...is all in abundance and much of it is displayed in such a way that makes you just want to reach out and take a picture. Seriously, it is difficult to go to the market and not buy anything...then again, the whole purpose of going to the market is to purchase something. ;)

Oh yeah, I wanted to be sure to include the price sign...that's 2 euro a kilo. I don't do math but I think a kilo is around 2 pounds which makes these particular grapes about $1.30 a pound -- of course prices vary by vendor.

Off to taste test the pineapple. Ciao

Success at the Catania Market

2006-06-29T16:19:00.000+02:00

Our trip to the Catania market was successful on many levels: 1) we made it there and back with relative ease...this is not always possible however, traffic was light and 2) there were many photo opportunities as anticipated. I think my favorite of the day was this lovely display of fresh fruit.

Okay, so I'm learning about my new camera and how to upload pictures from the camera to the computer and then from the computer to the blog.

Looks like it isn't going to work today...maybe domani.

Camera's charging

2006-06-28T01:23:00.000+02:00

Okay, so I went out and bought a camera today...a Nikon Coolpix S5...it should do everything that I need and more. ;) We'll see. Tomorrow (uh, well...today 'cause it is 1:23 am and well past my bedtime) I am going to the Catania market with some friends - there are always photo opportunities at the market.

A work in progress

2006-06-26T14:55:00.000+02:00

Please bear with me while I learn how to post and update my information - my blog guru is vacationing in the states for the summer. I probably should go out and buy a digital camera so that I can share the beauty of my island home with whomever chooses to peruse my page. Thanks for your patience.