Sicily is different from the rest of Italy. This is a point of pride for the Sicilian people and the rest of Italy is fine with the arrangement as well. I can’t speak any Italian, but I understand the Sicilian dialect is so different they have difficulty communicating with people from other regions. Because Sicily is an island and only about the size of Vermont, they never developed the mass transportation system the rest of Italy has. As a result, when nine American students came to stay with us this weekend, we had to rent a big van to get everybody around.
The Marchesanis are family friends of the Murphys and Kate and Shannon grew up hanging out together. Kate is studying in Rome for a term and she brought eight of her friends to stay with Shannon and I in Aci Trezza. They were a good group of kids from all over the US. They enjoyed the good weather here and spent a lot of time at the harbor kayaking and getting some sun. On Saturday we piled everyone in the van and drove them up to Taormina where they had a chance to do some shopping, see some ruins and enjoy the spectacular day. Back in Aci we introduced them to local food and drink at some of our favorite restaurants and watering holes. Like I used to in college, they had no problem just sleeping all over the place; Couches, Floors, Chairs etc. Live football and Miller Lite are apparently not easy to come by in Roman dorm rooms and our guests seemed pleased to have a little taste of home for a weekend.
Last weekend Shannon had to work a 24 hour shift on Saturday so I was left to entertain myself for a while. That evening I hooked up with the fellas from Aci Trezza going into Catania for some fun. Catania is an old city with a university, museums and a famous theater but I didn’t see any of those that night. The city also has bars, lounges and clubs like any other city and they were all plenty crowded with young people on a Saturday Night.
Earlier that week Shannon and I went into Catania with some friends for some Chinese food. In Washington DC, Shannon and I had cuisine from all over the world within walking distance of us. In Sicily most restaurants serve Italian food (shocking), Chinese food is a novelty and you have to go into the city to find it. There is a drive involved but as James pointed out, it is universally “cheap as dirt.” The food was good, as far as Chinese food goes, but the oddest part of the experience is having a room full of Asians all speaking Italian.
