La Bella Sicilia

Balcony of Marco's Villa with Lava Rocks in Background

Balcony of Marco's Nonna's villa

We just got back from 5 days spent in Catania, Sicily at Marco's dad's family's villa on the sea (how's that for Grammar 1 possessive nouns, English teachers?). It was built sometime in the last 200 years - I ask for an exact age, but I am quickly learning that Italians do not think in terms of age. They look at a building and say "this is the municipal building" when that is only it's boring present-day purpose. When I ask what it used to be, they say "I don't know, a palace or some other important building...probably a rich family lived there." And when I ask the age, they say, "I don't know the ---- century", taking a stab at whatever number pops into their head first. Anyway, some time in the last couple of centuries Marco's family built two villas on the sea. They are right on a beach of volcanic rocks and every day the family and all of the extended cousins goes to take a swim in the deep, crystal waters before having a coma-inducing lunch at 2:00 pm. After a two hour lunch, beginning with pasta (primo), continuing with a meat or fish (secondo) and vegetable (contorno), still continuing with fruit (frutta), and ending with a dessert (dolce) and espresso (caffe'), all accompanied with the desired beverage. This holds you over until about 10 pm, when we eat a pizza or a dinner of cheeses, cured meats, vegetables, fruit, and bread. In addition, every morning was started with granita (kind of like gelato but way better). That's pretty much our visit - swimming in the sea and eating.
 
On the way to picking up food or doing more of this eating, we experienced the wonders of Sicilian driving. There aren't really lanes painted on the road, and if there are, no one follows them. On a two lane street, there might be three cars and two motorini all trying to pass each other. Red lights are more of a suggestion, the speed limit only counts if you're going too slow, and cars pretty much park wherever they so please. In fact, we talked to Marco's uncle at length about speed limits and red lights. Marco pointed out that he saw several cars casually cruising through red lights and his uncle argued vehemently against Marco, claiming that Sicilians DO obey the rules, per forza! Then Marco cited the time(s) that he's seen people go through the red lights when there is no one there, and his uncle responded, "Well of course if no one is there you would go. Why would sit there and waste time for nothing?" This conversation continued with a discussion on tickets for speeding in America and the imposition of speed limits on the highways - it was absurd that you aren't allowed to go as fast you possibly can in America when we have such opportunity with our streets and cars. The Sicilian point of view: "How can you fault someone for going as fast as they can if they have a V4 or V6 motor and such numerous, wide, straight lanes? It's more efficient that way - obviously if you have the means, you should go as fast as possible." I think I'll try that excuse the next time I get stopped.

Another thing I found striking was the relationship of the Catanese people with their volcano and their sea. Every day, the first thing the people commented on was the condition of the water. "Today the water is beautiful; Today the water is dirty, what a shame; The temperature is perfect for a swim." They eat food fished off their own shores and fruits and vegetables cultivated in their own farms. Weather includes not only the temperature and chance of precipitation, but how much ash will fall from the volcano. Marco's Nonna knows at what time shade will fall on her porch, making it possible to eat lunch outside, and his whole family waits for the one time a month when they can take a swim under the light of a full moon. In fact, this was our inaugural night in Catania - a family gathering ofmunching on pizza, watching soccer, and into the sea for a moonlight swim under la luna piena.

View of Catania with Etna (Catania's volcano) in the background

However another thought came upon me during this visit to the beautiful land of Sicily. Although it is a wonderful place to visit, I could never live in Sicily. Speaking with Marco's family made me realize how stuck these people feel, still controlled by a mafia-run government and helpless to advance themselves of self-merit. Many young people see no future in staying, and seek to leave as soon as they have a chance. Others insist on the possibility of change and the capacity of this generation to do something that has yet to be done. I am left with a hope that the latter will prevail.

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