My suitcase finally came yesterday and I welcomed it with a hug and an empty set of drawers. Thank you to all the people gave me clothes to borrow before I even knew you. But let me tell you, I felt like I had a whole new wardrobe this morning. So many clothes to choose from! Luckily (what??) it is layer weather outside. Not to mention in our apartment.
One of my favorite memories about visiting Paris a few years ago was that it lived up to the hype and my hyped expectations. Sicily is the same way. It is everything I needed it to be.
Some observations:
- Shop owners on the island love to give American students free food--cheese, vino, bread, lemons. This morning at the open air market we were invited into our favorite cheese shop for "breakfast" consisting of sandwiches made from all the freshest ingredients and tiny cups of red wine.
- The ground is terribly uneven yet Italian women manage to look comfortable strolling around in shiny black stilettos.
- Siesta time is from 1-4 and I don't hate it.
- A warm shower has become a celebration.
- American music has definitely made it's way over as evidenced by the 6 year old boy I heard playing on the street one day singing "baby, baby, baby OH!" and Norah Jones serenading us from the radio at the restaurant where we ate the first night.
- Italian's clap but don't cheer. My housemate Melissa and I learned this the hard way at the festival for St. Sebastian when the fireworks stopped and our yells were the only ones to be heard above the clapping.
- It is perfectly acceptable to stare. A lot.
View of mainland Sicily from Ortigia
Temple of Apollo in the center of town
Ladies of Mario Minitti (street, not man)
Ortigia and the Mediterranean
Ortigia and the Mediterranean
Fresh produce everyday
He said "cheese"
View from our apartment's terrace
Festival for St. Sebastian
Fireworks for St. Sebastian
A few of us students with our fearless leader Ramzi
Oh Lauren! It is such a delight to read about your life in Sicily! What type of fish was that smiling in the photo? Do they have only red wine or do they have white too? How is your italian coming? And by staring, do you mean the men at you? haha Keep up the writing, it is awesome! I am so jealous of your wondrous island life!
ReplyDeleteFollowing the blog now. Keep up the posts. Aren't the internets fantastic?
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading my ramblings Caitlyn! I really don't know what type of fish that was, but I'm not sure I'm ready to try it. We only had white wine the very first night at the restaurant we went to but since then it has been red. Red is cheaper too. Italian is going fairly well. My tutor has to tell me about 4 times a class that I am saying something the Spanish was rather than the Italian way. Yes, the men, the women, everyone stares. I think it is more because we are American than anything else. I miss you a lot!
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