Sicily 10-26 to 10-28 - The Good, The Bad, and The Gorgeous!

Okay, so let's pretend for a second that it's October 29, and I'm writing this immediately after experiencing Sicily and everything it had to offer. Naturally we all know I'm home now, but, in keeping with my promise, I'm gong to wrap this blog up, and include everything from my trip. Next in line after my last day in Rome entry is of course SICILIA! I have a lot of stories from Sicily, so let's get started.

So, Amy and I flew into Catania, Sicily with Alitalia. The flight was smooth, and Amy was on break from school, so we couldn't have asked for anything more! We got to Sicily and promptly picked up our rental car. Everything went smoothly with the rental, which was great, and we then went to the rental parking lot to pick up our Nissan Micra!! This thing was great! A stout little machine that was ready to hit the road with Amy and I in tow. We also rented a TomTom GPS unit, which was absolutely incredible, and worth the 8 bucks a day. At this time, it was about 11:40 PM, and Amy and I were ready to hit the hay at our hostel for the first night: the Agora Hostel in the city center of Catania. So, I set the GPS for it, and off we went. Parking in Catania was next to impossible to find. After about 15 minutes of looking for a spot, I saw that there were cars parked in the middle of the road in one area. It seemed fully legal, so I followed suit. Just as I was pulling in, some homeless bum comes up to the car pretending to be some kind of traffic director. He's telling us where to park, and pretending like he owns the streets, asking for 50 cents, a Euro, 2 Euro, or 5 Euro to help you park (depending on the moment and also depending on how high he was). After trying to avoid him and park on our own in his general vicinity, Amy and I decided that was not the place to be, so we scratched that 10 minute effort in search of a new place to park. We could not find a thing. Finally, we pull onto this dead-end kind of road that was fairly well-lit, and decided to park the car there. So, we removed all of our things from the car (including the GPS so I could use it to guide us on foot to the hostel), and we headed to the place we were staying. After 10 more minutes or so of frustration, we couldn't find the hostel, and were not exactly comfortable walking on these streets at 12:15 in the morning with "Go Home Yankees" spray-painted on every other wall. Clearly, Amy and I looked like tourists with all of our gear and a damn GPS in my hand, so we decided to go back to the car, where we could be a little more discreet, and go from there. We turn the corner to where the car was parked, and BAM... the rear window is smashed in... my jaw drops, and the only thing I can say is, "..........Already!?" Now, all we want to do is get the hell out of there. So, we get into the car, throw our crap in the back, and book back to the airport. At the airport (the only place we had any comfort in going to), we regrouped and brainstormed with my parents on how to proceed with this trip. My Dad remembered we had a family friend in Catania, and after a few phone calls, BOOM... Rosario, the family friend, shows up at the airport at 2:30 in the morning and picks us up. We had since returned the rental car after.

He asks if we're hungry, and naturally, I was starving, so we headed to an authentic Sicilian outdoor barbecue that was still open about 3 blocks from where our car was broken in to. Rosario made us try sheep intestines, which had a texture I don't ever want to experience again. After the barbecue, we headed to Rosario's house. He gave us free roam of the house, and gave us a great room to sleep in.

The next day, we woke up and headed to a cafe down the street from Rosario's house. We headed there with one of his friends; a really nice guy who didn't speak any English. While at the cafe, I got a phone call from the car rental company. They told me that they appreciated all the steps I had taken to return the car (I had called their headquarters the night before and asked what the procedure should be, considering the local rental company was closed at the time). While they were thankful for my thoroughness, they also suggested that I get a police report from the Carabinieri (the military police), to back up my claims, and make sure I get refunded from headquarters when the claim gets sent out. I complied, and suddenly our day's plans went from relaxing and seeing the sights to going to the police station. We arrived at the police station, and waited for 45 minutes or so before we could file our report. Thankfully we had Rosario with us to explain to the police chief what had happened. Eventually, he gave us our report, and we headed to the rental company with it. The man at the counter was nice enough, but was unsure of how to handle the situation. That said, he was on the phone with his supervisor every 2 minutes reading him every line of the police report and making sure it was up to snuff. Naturally, it was not. Apparently, the police chief wrote that the rear windshield was smashed instead of the rear window, and we had to edit that. Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. We had to go back to the police station and get it changed... but the police station we had just gone to was now closed (Saturday... Italians...), so we needed to head elsewhere, and if this place was closed, then Amy and I would be stuck in Sicily shuffling paperwork around until Monday... not the way to spend a vacation. Luckily, the next police station was open, and we waited about an hour, and headed in to get the edits approved and signed off. Back to the car rental company we go...

I feel like this is a good time in my writing to explain what kind of "status" Rosario has in Sicily. I'm not going to jump to any conclusions, because that's not my style, but if you're familiar with the kind of wrap Sicily gets regarding "family," then you can probably formulate your own conclusions. First of all, when we parked Rosario's 1999 silver Mercedes CLK 200 Kompressor (that should be clue #1) to go to the second police station of the day, he picked some nasty back alley in the middle of nowhere, Catania. Now, I know Rosario is not naive... he's an incredibly intelligent man who has lived in Catania for his entire life, but when he parked this car, he parked it behind 3 other cars, all of which had their windows very recently smashed in. In fact, the 3rd car up was being taped up by its owner. Rosario asked him what had happened, and the owner said it must not have been more than 10 minutes ago when his car was broken into, and a few of his valuables were stolen. Rosario shrugged it off with a sort of "sucks for you" demeanor, and we headed to the police station. Amy and I were sure history was going to repeat itself... I honestly could not have been any more certain that this man's car was going to be destroyed by the time we got back. So we get back, and nothing... not a scratch, not a dent... untouched. I am telling you, after seeing where we parked, there was no way this could happen, unless there was some sort of unspoken understanding not to touch this man's car.

The third clue presented itself when we returned to the rental company with the newly revised police report. We walked in, cut everyone in line, and Rosario started shooting out Italian so fast, I don't even think my Sicilian Grandmother could have understood it. He was just speaking and speaking, and the man behind the counter just nodded and stared. After Rosario finished his speech, the rental agent turned to Amy and I, smiled, took the paperwork, and without dialing a single phone number, or looking at the paper I had handed him, said, "okay, everything is okay, you can go." Silence struck Amy and I, and we sat in the Mercedes on the way back to Rosario's in silence... for about ten minutes. Then, Rosario cleared his throat and said, "basically.... I told him... in a particular way (Rosario loves to say 'particular')... we did everything he asked for, and he should let us go home without saying a word." .... sure, Rosario, we know that's what you said... we believe you. Either way, the man is my Sicilian hero.

So, Saturday was kind of a washout. The good part was that we got to share a family dinner with Rosario's family. If you want authentic Sicilian cooking, this is the man to see. We're talking sausages, about 40 ft long, wrapped around themselves and slapped on the grill. We're talking vegetables soaked in olive oil, and we're talking 75-year-old women cramming food down your throat until you fall to your knees and weep. We also helped his younger cousin with her Algebra 2 homework... it really is cool to see first hand that math is indeed a universal language. I know that's super corny, and I'm no math fanatic (not really a fan either), but the concept of a globally accepted and understood language is still very cool. Also on Saturday night, we went to the historic city center of Catania, and Amy and I were blown away! In a city which we only had bad experiences to that point, this was a breath of fresh air. Amy has claimed that the piazza we saw that night was to date, her favorite piazza, and I have to say it's right up there on my list as well. I didn't have my camera with me that night (for fear it would be stolen... haha), but I will tell you my favorite part about the area. You see, Catania is basically built along the outskirts of a volcano, and thus, their main resource is volcanic rock. In mainland Italy, their churches incorporate a lot of marble, red marble, and travertine. However, in Catania, their churches are almost entirely built out of POLISHED black volcanic rock. It is so cool to see glossy black columns and decorative components within the church... very different, very unexpected, but so amazing!

Saturday past and Sunday came, and Amy and I decided that would be our last day in Sicily. So, again with Rosario's unwavering help, we went out on a day trip to see what Sicily had to offer. We saw Mt. Etna, Europe's far-and-away largest active volcano, standing in at nearly 11,000 feet. What's even cooler is that the three of us climbed it (by way of foot and all-terrain vehicle) all the way up to 10,000 ft or so. After Mt. Etna, we went to the sea (that's what they call their beaches). I have been to some of the best beaches in the United States... from Cape Cod, to Key West, to Miami and out to California; and I have never seen water so beautiful as Sicilian water. In places, the water was literally glowing neon blue. I do have pictures, so as you scroll down through the 38 pictures I posted, your eyes will definitely be drawn to these ones. I do have one more story to tell about Rosario, but before I get to that, why don't you spend some time and enjoy these pictures, and have a look at what Sicily has to offer.

Amy and Rosario along the rim of one of the craters at Mt. Etna. One thing I forgot to mention is that the wind was gusting about 100 mph on this day, and remained pretty steady at 50 or 60 mph. It was intense! At times, you had to crawl on all four's just to prevent yourself from blowing away! Here, Rosario is playing a game that all of us partook in from time to time on the volcano... you could literally lean into the wind up to about 45 degrees without falling over. It would cradle you like a chair, and really was quite an experience!

Amy and her hair, blowing in the 100+ winds.

This picture illustrates very well how volcanoes "work." I had always known a fair amount about volcanoes, but the way they truly work didn't strike me until I was actually standing on one and looking at this. Note the mountain peak in the foreground. Next, note the crater to the left of the peak and behind it. You see, when a volcano has yet to erupt, it looks like any old mountain... it has a peak, maybe some vegetation along the sides.... the usual. Then, when the volcano erupts, there is literally an explosion that rips the entire top of the mountain off. Imagine the kind of explosion necessary to blow the lid off a mountain. That is exactly what you are seeing in the crater to the left in this photo. That crater used to look like the other mountain peaks in this shot, but mother nature took out some aggression there. Really a remarkable thing to see firsthand!

Here's a panoramic I stitched up showing some surroundings from along one of the rims we were standing on.

Amy and I trying to keep our composure while standing on that rim in the ridiculous winds... even my hair, which I barely have any of, is blowing.

That little speck at the center of this crater (where lava once spewed all over the place) is ME!

My Mom will definitely appreciate this picture! Volcanoes are basically made up of dust... a lot of dust. So naturally, Rosario must take after me (or visa versa), and we would walk 10 steps, empty our shoes, walk 10 steps, empty our shoes... you know the drill, Mom.

Probably at about 8000 ft... the snow begins.

Amy and I nearing 9000 ft... trying to stay warm together.

The all-terrain vehicle that took us from about 6500 ft up to around 9000 feet or so.

Me on top of a pile of volcanic rock (and snow). Word on the street is Mt. Etna is absolutely insane for skiing in the wintertime. One look at the slopes of the mountain, and I'd have to agree... it would be insane!

Rosario climbs on top of this tractor thing and says, in his wonderful accent, "Look, I found a new job."

Amy and I came to a spot on the mountain where people would collect rocks and spell out their names or some other kind of sentiment, so they could mark their territory along the mountainside. We decided it would be appropriate to write, "AL MG RM 07," which of course is all of our initials and the year.

A shot of our completed work.

A picture Rosario took on his camera (thus the low resolution... sorry) of Amy and I standing in front of our masterpiece.

Looking down from along one of Etna's many peaks.

I knew this question was going to arise eventually... did you see any volcanic activity while there? YES, we did! Look hard just a teeny bit to the right of the peak just off-center in this image. You'll see steam rising from a valley between these two peaks. That's at about 10,700 ft, so we didn't go up that high, but there was definitely something going on up there!

Another shot looking down at the infinite scenery surrounding Etna.

Rosario and Amy bounding down from one of the peaks we scaled.

Rosario and Amy giving a little wave for the camera.

This was funny. Amy and I were inside the lodge at about 9000 ft or so getting a bite to eat, adn Rosario busts in and says, "I found it... the perfect picture... come with me now." So, Amy and I drop everything and follow him. He takes us to a place we clearly aren't supposed to be (the cable cars were closed this day because the wind was too crazy), and he tells Amy and I to get into the cable car so he can take the picture. We did just that, adn the rest is history. Naturally, I also have a picture of him in the cable car as well.

The three of us back down at about 8500 ft or so.

Beautiful colors of some of the countless peaks of Etna.

More amazing colors and texture in this shot!

This jellyfish was not at Mount Etna. This marks the beginning of my "Sea" pictures. This jelly was massive... and quite frankly, it looks very painful to be stung by one of these babies.

Amy and I in front of the sea.

The aftermath of trying to take a picture in front of the sea. You'll note that neitehr of my feet are touching the ground. I came out dry... unfortunately, Amy did not have the same luck.

Rosario appreciating my classic "Matt Gineo pose" in front of the sea.

The car we rolled around in. You want to see a "status" symbol in Sicily? Try rolling in this.

Beautiful shot overlooking some volcanic-rock cliffs onto the town in the distance.

Another of the same subject.

Amy in front of the water. You'll begin to notice in this shot just how blue the water can get... just to the right of where Amy is.

A shot of the cliffs and a couple of fishermen. Again, you can begin to see the neon blue water!

Amy poses for a picture, and Rosario comes flying in... the result is this... genius!

Me in front of the water.

Artsy fartsy... a little bit of the Photoshop filter, but I think it's appropriate in this case. I like the result.

This is the piece de resistance. Not necessarily the best photo on the trip, but the subject couldn't be any more beautiful. Look at that water! UNREAL!

And before Rosario took Amy and I to the airport, I just had to get a picture of his family... a family that helped us so much while trying to be tourists in a place seemingly unwilling to welcome tourism.

So, that was Sicily. After Sicily, we were off to Venice! That blog will be the next to come, but first, here are the top four things said by Rosario during our time with him in Sicily:

1) Rosario's next door neighbor, who he has known for many years, has a dog. There is a balcony that Rosario's condo shares with his neighbor, but there is a little concrete divider (like a hotel set-up) to separate their living spaces. We expected that Rosario knew this pooch's name, as he's been around it many years. But, one day we're standing out on the balcony, adn the dog comes over to the concrete divider and puts his front paws up on it to see what we're up to. Rosario, stands up with this ear-to-ear smile on his face, walks to the dog, and says, "Hi dog." Not, "ciao cane," not, "ciao Gizmo," or "hi Rover." No, it was "hi dog" and only "hi dog." That was where he left their conversation, and off the dog walked, humiliated that his own next door neighbor didn't know his name.

2) The night we went to that gorgeous piazza in Catania, there was a little tourist train called "trenino turistico," which means "little tourist train (haha)," out in front of the church I talked about earlier. Rosario wanted to go on this train, as he had never been on a tour of his own city, so Amy and I agreed to it. Unfortunately, we were the only people who wanted to go, so we had to convince other people to go with us. Amy and I took the back seat on this and let Rosario sell the "product." Fast forward five minutes, and we haven't found anyone yet. However, a homeless lady comes up to Rosario, and starts begging for money. Rosario just turns to her, throws that charming smile on his face, and says, "I have a better idea. Why don't you come on the trenino turistico with us!?" The woman just looks at Rosario and kind of says with her eyes, "are you kidding me!? I have 4 cents in my pocket and two of my teeth that fell out a couple hours ago... there is no way I'm getting on that damn train with you."

3) We're on Mt. Etna looking at one of the billions of ladybugs in the area, and Rosario picks it up. We're just playig around, photographing it and whatnot, and the thing flies away. Amy and I just kind of give the standard, "ohhhhh man," and Rosario just chimes in and says, "Managia, (oh crap) it died."

4) We're driving back down Mt. Etna on our way home, and Rosario is trying to comment (in English) about the trees and how beautiful they are when they change colors. However, instead of saying that, he said, "woooooooow, look at all the beautiful vegetables." Yes, this man, my hero, called the trees vegetables. Enough said.

Next will be Venice. Let your minds roll this one around for a little while. Ciao!