More Catanian Meanderings

 Buon giorno,

The plan for today was to visit Il Duomo--the Cathedral dedicated to St. Agatha, but wouldn't you know it, the place of worship was employed for its intended use instead of catering to nosy tourists. The nerve!

I began my day with a trip to the grocery store. I got what I needed, but not all I wanted.  When I'm in Italy, I like to indulge in prosciutto and mortadella, and I could find neither, but I did get more of that nice cheese I've been having for breakfast. The store has a bakery and a butcher's shop, but my Italian isn't good enough to try them out.

I've put the water on for pasta.

Confess, Pil, the history and art are just excuses. You go to Italy because you want to eat pasta every day.

Uh. Well.

I was told not to put the induction stove top on high or the lights would go out, so it takes a long time for the water to boil, but eventually my linguine will be done and ready for garlic and oil.

But I had a nice day out until it turned unbearably muggy. Maybe it will rain again?  Here is the courtyard of my accommodations. It's what attracted me to the place.

I made my downhill  and took a turn on Via Crocefero because it's picturesque and offers some opportunity to lick a window or two.

                                                    

I strolled to the Piazza del Duomo only to find a service in progress. I tried an ATM, but no withdrawals were on offer--so thrwarted again. But there's plenty to see in the area.  Here's a fountain. The city paved over the river, but you can see some of the water here.

I also strolled through the market--mostly given over to fish. Locals shop here. Tourists frequent the many fish restaurants. 

So Southern Italy--it's poor, and I wouldn't bet on good government. Organized crime is either not or barely controlled. Of course, we tourists see nothing of this, and I personally am glad of it.

There are a lot of beautiful buildings in Catania, but so many are run down, and there's graffiti and trash. If I am being frank, I am more comfortable in Northern Italy, which is calmer and more elegant. Your milage may vary. That does not mean I don't enjoy being here because I do.

I drink the local wine because for one thing, it's cheaper, and I look for IPG. I'm sipping a red called Frappato, something I've never heard of, but it's quite good.

Ciao for Now

Wandering Around Catania on a Sunny Sunday

 Buon giorno,

I've decided I like Catania better than Palermo even though Palermo was flat, I'm always going up and down in Catania. Both cities share the same traffic issues and angry honking, but Catania has more pedestrianized areas.

Since last night was Saturday, I was awakened by noisy returning revelers, but I got back to sleep.  I had a nice breakfast of Italian cheese and whole wheat crackers, plus my tea. The plan for today was simple. Since a lot of things are closed on Sunday, I proposed to take a big loop around the city.

It was cool when I set off, but that soon changed. I found Via Vittorio Emmanuele and strolled along,  but I soon decided that a block over Via Giuseppe Garabaldi looked like more fun. This is a typical Catanian piazza.

I soon fetched up in the Piazza del Duomo.

But that was not my target. I wanted to walk down Via Etnea--Mount Etna Street, which provides views of the volcano as well as a lot of bougie shops. Maybe if you strain your eyes, you can see the volcano with it's crown of clouds.

Some of the way is pedestrianized. Along the way I passed by the ruins of the Roman Amphitheatre.

A while further along I found my next target Giardino e Villa Bellini. The Bellini in question is the famous composer, whose most famous work, as far as Sicilians are concerned, is the opera Norma, which, of course, is set in Sicily. He build a lovely villa, and the park is the grounds. Unfortunately the villa is not open to the public, but the park is and makes for a charming stroll on a warm day.

I also tried to get a photo of Mount Etna.

                                            

Well, you can just get a glimpse of the clouds that surround the craters. I could see the actual mountain.

I had carefully calculated my route, so after I had walked around the garden, I found the street that would take me home.  I had a very pleasant day out.

I came home to an aperitivo of almonds and limoncello. Some Italians drink limoncello straight as a digestive. I made some iced green tea to have mine. Dinner will be more linguine with some cacio e pepe sauce this time.

Ciao for Now

New Weather and an Historic Monastery

 Buon giorno,

The weather has turned--temporarily. It is cool and rainy today, and overnight there was a massive thunderstorm. I breakfasted to the sound of falling rain. That part was nice!

Because of the weather I had determined to find an activity close to home and indoors, but first I needed an actual grocery store, which I did find and not too far away. I spent nearly fifty euros, but I'm well supplied. I came across some IGP Sicilian olive oil. IGP is Indication of Protected Geography, and is a guarantee of quality. Olive oil has become very big business, and inevitably organized crime has become involved in fraudulent products, so I was willing to pay a bit more for the real deal. I tasted it. It burned the back of my throat and made me cough. You may laugh, but these are signs that I had obtained the Good Stuff!.

I had booked, it turned out, the last spot on the 11 am guided tour of the Benedictine Monastery of St. Nicola L'arena. This was once one of the largest monasteries in Europe. It is now part of the University of Catania but remains a UNESCO World Heritage Sight. I got a discount for being old, and I strongly encourage taking the guided tour. You can visit without, but you'll also miss a lot of areas otherwise restricted.  There were a LOT of stairs. I did not appreciat that part.

First let's visit my neighborhood church.

A bit on the austere side for Baroque, don't you think?

Here's the Eighteenth Century facade of the monastery. Like many other parts of the historic center, it suffered from earthquake and lava flow so few fragments of the original Medieval monastery remain.

This is the "Modern Cloister"  from the Eighteenth Centurymeant to impress guests. Coffee, chocolate and tea were served in that gazebo thingy.

We got to see the Roman foundation--an aristocratic townhouse complete with mosaics and a painted wall.  But the real revelation was the lava wall. Yes, I know I complained yesterday, but this was not some piddley little outcrop, it was a huge wall of gleaming black obsidian.  The monks couldn't get rid of it, so they built on top of it, and we climbed a spiral staircase bored through the wall to the upper monastery where we got to visit the Novice's Garden among other fascinating sites.

I have had some tuna because I need the protein and omega three, and I shall cook some pasta for dinner and dress it with garlic, a little salt and pepper and a generous pour of the Sicilian oil. Buon appetito indeed.

Ciao for now.

An Introduction to Catania

 Buon giorno,

It's not that hot, but it is muggy. Gotta drink some water. Phew!

I did something that I rarely do. I signed up for a guided tour of the historic center. I got a discount for being old. I normally don't care for tours. Huge groups were the bain of my existence when I visited Porto, but I figured Catania is bigger and less likely to be clogged.

I strolled around and fetched up at the meeting place in time. Our group was pretty small. I'd say less than twenty folks, and none of us was obnoxious. Our guide was a charming woman who obviously knew and loved her city and was proud to show it off. The thing is I expected a walk by of historic and religious sites, and we did get some, but what we got a lot more of was . . . lava.

Mount Etna is about thirty kilometers (or eighteen miles for Americans) from the city and looms over it. The volcano has definitely been a factor in Catania's history, so one can understand why the citizens are a wee bit obsessed with . . . lava.  Indeed you will notice that much of the city is built of black or gray bricks and slabs, which is in fact congealed lava.

Much of Catania was destroyed in a massive earthquake in the 1600s. Very few remains from the Medieval period survived although what the Romans build came through. The city is famous for its "modern" Baroque Architecture, and what I saw was impressive and beautiful.  For example. here is the Duomo, dedicated to Saint Agatha to whom the residents are passionately devoted.

We wound a lot of streets dodging traffic once we left the pedestrianized center. I got to see some Norman remains with stone blocks made of congealed lava.

A major eruption occured in the mid Seventeenth Century and lava poured into the area. The historic center was spared because the city walls stopped the flow, but the built up lava also changed the landscape with older parts of the city significantly lower than the newer parts perched on the lava.  This will give you an idea.

She took us around to several lava outcrops. One would have been enough. We also strolled through the fish market, which no doubt would not meet USDA sanitary standards, and saw the facades of old palazzos and convents--some still active.

It's not that it was uninteresting, and she was very enthusiastic, but it was muggy, and I could tell that not only I but my fellow tourees were pretty much done.  My breakfast was inadequate, so before the tour I had some gelato which got me through, but I was jet lagged and dehydrated.

I walked (up hill) back to my neighborhood to find that the local mini marts were pretty useless. I did get some cold water and wine, and I stopped off at what seemed to be the local hot tavola calda cum pizzaria cum panini shop. I got something for dinner and something I could save for breakfast, but I need a real grocery store.

I do like my place. It's set back from the street and was dead quiet last night--quieter than my neighborhood at home, and I did get some sleep--just not enough for my exertions

Catania has a lot to offer. I hope you will join me.

Ciao for Now

Pil Versus the Volcano

 Buona Sera,

From Catania in Sicily. Yes, I made it, and there was some doubt that I could do it in one go. Because of the volcano--Mount Etna, the most active volcano in Europe was spewing ash, making it dangerous for planes and causing frequent airport closures. So I've spent the past few weeks obsessively checking Catania's airport status--rejoicing at every reopening only to despair when it was closed again a few hours later.  But I took heart at the recent and more lasting reopening.

I flew business class via Munich. Here's my welcome drink--the tasty Avionic, my snack of salted almonds, and my amenity kit. I also received a sleep shirt, which I didn't use and will probably gift to a non-blog reader. I got some good sleep in my own cubicle with a lie flat bed. I'd ordered a meal in advance, but did not get what I ordered, and it wasn't very good. There was fancy appetizer of smoked duck, salad, and bread, but my computer does not want to accept the photo.

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So a smooth flight. I believed I had sufficient time for EES and passport control, and I decided to check my boarding pass to see if the gate was listed. That's when I made the horrid discovery that I did not have said boarding pass. I don't know what happened. I always guard those passes and keep them in the same place, but it was gone, and I did look everywhere.  This has happened to me before and it's an easy fix.

On the ground my phone told me the gate, and I proceeded to the automatic EES machines. This went quickly. What I do not understand is why we have to under go the Exact Same Procedure at passport control where the lines can get long and slow. But I made it though in plenty of time and went to wait at my gate until the gate agent arrived. I presented my passport and got a new boarding pass.

The flight here was short. I had another avionic and a snack. Landed, got my bags and found my taxi driver. The airport isn't far from the city, but there was cloggy traffic so it took a long time to get here.

Then found the doors shut tight, and was trying to alert reception that I'd arrived when a fellow resident showed up. He had to call them and then we got let in. My apartment is nice and well equipped, but it's way upstairs, which is going to make it unfun when I have to leave early in the morning.

Exploration starts tomorrow.

Ciao for now

Getting Home with Just One Workng Eye

 

Goden Dag,

So far no one has recoiled horror due to my appearance, but I'm keeping my glasses on just in case.

I have a recurring nightmare in relation to my trips. I dream that I arrive at the airport to check in for my flight then realizing I've forgotten to pack and all my stuff is still at the hotel. Well, today I managed to leave my cell phone behind. Lack of cell phone was a worse handicap than the wonky eye.

I overslept! I guess I needed it, but I still had plenty of time to pack and clean up. I needed to give myself a solid cushion to get through EES and maybe get some shopping in at the airport. I did have to ask for help a couple of times because the signs were hard for me to read.

Because I am a business class passenger I got special treatment in the form of a priority security line and EES, so it was quick and smooth. I had to show my boarding pass to the guys at the priority gate. "Los Angeles!" they exclaimed, "Take me with you." I get this reaction All The Time, and I don't understand it. They live in Europe, and I pay good money to leave LA. I told them "Of course, but make sure to wear your sunscreen."

I was glad to be in the lounge. I was dehydrated and had at least three glasses of water. I did stop to to buy chocs for my friends. I know they don't care, but I'm disappointed in this season's paltry trip gifts.

The flight was very nice flight. I tried KLM's mocktail, the Flying Blue Legend, and it was refreshing. The photo is of the newly designed amenity kit and its contents in association with Dutch luxury brand Marie Stella Maris, which sounds awfully Catholic for the Protestant Netherlands. I especially appreciate the cute little pen, and I can use the socks and creams. Business class passengers are also presented with "Delft Blue" houses modeled on actual canal houses in Amsterdam. This is the one I picked.

I'd preordered my dinner. Here's where I really regret the absence of cell phone. I was served an exquisite amuse bouche--some kind of mousse, covered with cucumber paste and decorated with fish roe. It was lovely. Salmon was my main course. Then I had Dutch cheese. The problem is I eat so well for the first meal, that I have no appetite for the second. I had some tea and picked at the chicken and rice.

Our pilot was a bit of a wag. Since KLM is an Air France Partner there were many French folk aboard, so he made a point of announcing that Spain had defeated France. His expressed sympathy sounded a bit phony.

No phone means no way to order Lyft, and I wasted a lot of time trying to use my email. Fine. I took a taxi home--a long hot journey during rush hour. 

The nice folks at Citadines are going to rush me my phone. I am like a lot of other people--dependent on technology. And the phone finally arrived after being held up at U.S. Customs for five days. Sigh.

Oh, and I saw the eye doctor and my poor old eye is on the mend.

Until Next Time!

Some Observations of Amsterdam

 

Goden Dag,

This is my room, which was my home for the past two weeks. It was small, but comfortable. I have tea making facilities and a small refrigerator.  In the lobby I could always find cold water--for which I was very grateful. I arrange my own breakfast but there's a buffet for nineteen euros, I've already mentioned the honesty bar. It seems to work well.

The Dutch have a reputation for cleanliness, which is well deserved, and yet I came across too many instances of ripped trash bags or dumped dumpsters. No one seemed to take responsibility for picking them up.

Fewer people smoke on the streets, for which I am extremely grateful. On the other hand, occasionally I got a whiff of another substance, which was particularly troubling if it came from a bike rider.

The Dutch people with whom I interacted have been courteous. A few have gone out of their way to be helpful and generous--to me an obvious citizen of the United States.  

Things are run efficiently and without pretension. I was surprised to find an underground metro since my last visit, but they must have figured out the water table. For all public transportation you can tap your debit card.

Amsterdam is like most major European capitals--an international city. English is widely spoken, and you can find a lot of different cultures represented from the Netherland's colonial past to modern immigration.

Of course, I'm here for the history and art as I had to explain to the young man at passport control when I entered the country. Despite my poor old eye, it's been a good visit.

I'll describe my trip home tomorrow.

Tot Ziens