Chestnuts and Etna

On Saturday we went to Trecastagni, which is not far away and had some nice winding streets and a church high up with a fantastic view (it was night) across the city and up towards Siracusa (Syracuse). We went to see a festival where there were some traditional singers, one playing the accordion and one singing in Sicilian. There were some huts like you have at German markets, with crafts and fruit and vegetables and other nice things. There were supposed to be some horses with traditional Sicilian carts, but sadly they were not there on that evening. Perhaps another time.

The next day we went on a trip by car to the places on the slopes of Etna - I'm not sure exactly of our route but I think we basically drove a long way around the volcano and took in lots of different places. There are lots of local food festivals taking place at this time, so it was very busy - the Sicilians obviously enjoy celebrating their produce and good for them - we saw some lovely olives growing, citrus fruit, and we have seen lots of lovely sweet chestnuts growing on the slopes of Etna.

Since it rained last week and has gone colder, Etna's peak is covered in snow! It looks so amazing. We went to the valley of the Alcantara river - Gab told me there are very few rivers in Sicily. This was amazing because the rocks there are (of course) volcanic and look exactly like something from a film set - the light grey colour and the "blocks" of them look like they are plastic or manufactured. It was quite distinctive and quite unusual. We clambered about over them, with Whiskey the dog leaping around with the usual agility of someone lucky enough to be on four legs when we are teetering on two. There were also many interesting plants including wild cyclamen, wild artichokes, wild fennel and some things which Jo and Gab had fun sticking to each other's backs. There were some amazing stripy leaves that looked like they had been painted. I also saw some black beetles - and the ants seem larger here.

This was west of Taormina, and north east of Etna. We also went to the the village of Lingua Glossa, where there were some nice paintings on many of the walls, and a nice cake / pastry shop.

Afterwards we drove higher up the side of Etna to a place where there were many sweet chestnut trees - most of the chestnuts had already fallen to the ground and been taken by people or creatures - we had fun trying to get them out without stabbing our hands. I have just been eating some and they are very nice. We saw a massive four hundred year old tree (not a chestnut?)

I finally got to have a prickly pear fruit - they have soft, watery orange flesh with big seeds in. They were okay - an acquired taste maybe - not unpleasant but they would be better without the seeds. They were not unlike watermelon, that is the closest I can think of.

If you squint you can just see the snow on the left...?

More food

We are continuing to drop in to the cafe when we can and last week we tried something Jo spotted behind the counter - crema di caffe - a light, airy and very sickly concoction that seemed to be all air and caffeine. After a few spoonfuls of this smooth and sweet delight, it was almost enough. But I finished mine and spent the afternoon on a caffeine high. This might explain why I have trouble going to sleep.

The temperature has gone cooler at last and we have had rain and thunder, and maybe even some rumblings from Etna? Who knows. It could have been my imagination. I don't really have the right clothes but attempts to get some have been fruitless as well. Like the UK, it seems unless I want to spend a fortune, clothes are just as rubbish.

I still haven't settled into a food routine, and while it is tempting to eat out at the cafe (I think most people seem to eat their lunch there, it is always so busy) I also want to save money. At the weekend in another place, everyone seemed to be having breakfast which I thought was fun. However, the local supermarkets are not cheap, especially for (I can't remember the word. This is what happens.) Stuff for the bathroom, anyway. It is all expensive. I need snacky things I can eat quickly and today I found some nice wrapped focaccia slices that stay moist - the bread here seems to dry up or go solid very fast which is not nice. I also found something I have been looking for, for ages - since my trip to Como in 2007 in fact - but more of that another time.

I am a bit frustrated that I have not got on with learning Italian. It is having the time to sit and look at what I learned in Babilonia, and also finding someone to practise with. I tried to arrange a meeting with someone from the conversation site but I have not met anyone yet. I have started to talk a little with our Italian flatmate, who is not around often, but I sometimes see her preparing food at unusual late hours. She is only young and we managed to have a short chat and a laugh, so that is good. I am also trying to speak to the secretaries in work, who are very encouraging and like to help. Valeria taught me the word for to sneeze today (as everyone is sneezing) and then proudly said in front of the others, tell them what I taught you today! But sadly, the word had gone completely out of my head about 45 seconds after she told me.

The week is just full of work which is how I suppose all working lives are - Monday to Friday is full of planning and then teaching and even though I have the mornings and afternoons up to about 3pm, I feel I should be looking at lessons the whole time - I am not yet able to relax even when I am repeating a lesson, more or less, to a second group. I am sure it will happen with time. But at the moment it feels fairly stressful and also I am not even sure how much I enjoy it - I do not enjoy worrying about it before, during and after, to the extent I cannot switch off when I come home. I have been listening to my meditation tracks and hoping that helps. I also think sometimes it is a bit boring if you are sitting doing nothing in the class while the students are doing their exercises. But perhaps I ought to be doing something like monitoring and encouraging them. Unfortunately my room is not big enough for me to move around much to see what they are doing. Everyone seems okay though mostly. Sometimes I find it hard to explain things clearly and soon realise when they did not understand. People do not say if they do not understand so I have to find ways of checking. On the whole the students are keen and hard working and it is most rewarding when they have a nice time and enjoy what they are doing. This happens occasionally. I would love it to happen more!

I am speaking English with more of an Italian accent on the end of words. I can't help it. It is just natural. I heard another teacher doing it too.

We have taken to popping into the cafe/pasticceria during the day if we can, which gives us a break from school and also helps us to "integrate" haha. They know our faces now and try to help us make ourselves understood. (I walk past the same (fairly attractive, to me at least) man several times a day, who owns a shop by the cafe. I have no reason to go in the shop as it sells strange things. But not until yesterday did I manage one of those half smiles at him and he managed to raise an eyebrow back at me. See, it is a slow process). Today we went to the cafe at lunch time and everyone was getting hot food - I thought I'd try myself, so ordered some pasta. It came and was an enormous bowl of pasta and lentil soup - very tasty but so huge, I could not finish it, which was a shame and probably looked terrible to them. Jo was sensible and just had an arancino. I have not settled into a good routine for food yet, as I start teaching at 3.30 and usually finish at 9.30 with a gap in between, but not a large enough gap to have a proper dinner at home. I need to start eating a proper dinner at around 1pm. Eating after I finish is way too late.  In fact we did meals today in the teens class and I asked them what times they ate and told them how it is different in the UK. I was surprised that even they eat their dinner at 9pm. The teens classes did some great menus, which I have put up on the wall to give a bit of colour and to show them I am proud of what they have done.

Lessons seem to be going well but I still spend virtually all day planning, preparing and worrying when I have new lessons to give. If I am repeating a lesson, more or less, to a second group doing the same things, that is less stressful as I can follow what I did the day before. I enjoy the actual lessons; the students and I are getting to know each other and relaxing more and so it is always fine, sometimes even fun. There are lots of things I would like to improve and need to think about but it is far from disastrous. I would just like to improve on everything. I can hear my CELTA tutor telling me about being more dynamic, having more energy and authority etc and it is true, I do need that. I also need to plan the shape and focus of the lessons better, and to make my instructions much clearer. It is having the time. There are loads of materials available in the school and online, but you need time to look through everything. I want to make lessons engaging so that students enjoy learning and also learn new things. But right now I feel like that is something I have to work towards. Everyone at school is very helpful though and they have all been offering me advice, which is great.

One lesson I had today has students who are very keen to get the right pronunciation. They ask me to repeat words clearly and so by the third or fourth time of saying something I find my mouth does not work any more and I cannot speak properly. Today I had to concentrate so I would not laugh. But the following class was fun because we had a break from grammar and were thinking of adjectives to describe personality - the actual lesson did not get on to much else, which was my fault, but we were all laughing trying to think of words and teasing each other about who they applied to. So maybe it was enough.

It is still warm. But tonight it is very windy which is different. We have a regular pigeon friend who sits on our balcony but tonight the "anti pigeon" foil sheets that the landlord has hung from the railings were flapping up and so I went out to pin one down, so that the pigeon was not disturbed by it. Of course he flew off when I approached and has not returned. So maybe tomorrow. He is so sweet; yesterday he stayed there all day which was unusual so I was glad to see he was okay today.

I never seem to get anything done outside work, like posting things, buying things, or contacting people, and finishing work at 9.30pm means my brain is too active to go to bed at a reasonable time. Plus it is the only time I feel able to read, relax, email, etc. We do not have a tv so I have been reading the fabulous Wilkie Collins.

To make weekends fun and something to look forward to, Jo and I are thinking of going to different places, now that we know where to catch the bus and where it goes to. We are hoping to go back to Siracusa and Ortigia in the daylight and also to go further north up the coast to Messina, Milazzo and even across to the not-so-far-away mainland (the toe of the boot).

On Friday evening we went into the centre for drinks. As it is still warm here, everyone just walks up and down outside all evening - some sit at tables outside bars and cafes but the streets of Catania were thronging with young people. It reminded me of Christmas shopping on Oxford street, it was that busy. It was quite alien to me and so I simply watched it all. I am not sure exactly how you're supposed to talk to new people when they're all going somewhere but I expect we will check it all out at some point. I am still trying to set up a daytime conversation exchange with someone so I can practise speaking Italian and also help them with their English, whilst drinking coffee and eating nice things.

On Saturday my Italian seemed to have deserted me (as my English is slowly doing as well) - but I managed to get some folders etc in a nearby stationers and finally get all my pieces of paper in order. This feels much better and so I hope that lessons will take less time to plan with each new week. Jo and I treated ourselves to ice cream and a couple of small cakes (pasticcini) at the local cafe. They had an amazing array of small choux pastries and other delights. We chose one with coffee icing and another shaped like a swan.  We were also quite excited to find a cheaper food shop. I was so excited to see frozen chips and sprouts (not for the same meal).

On Sunday we hopped on the Taormina bus again but this time got off one stop earlier at the coastal resort of Giardini Naxos. The beach here (or, at least the part we found) is shingle, tiny grey pebbles with some sparkly bits and to our amusement, some bits of old kitchen tiles perfectly rounded by the sea but with the design still visible on the back. The beach was not that busy but sometimes the loud conversations of Italians drifted over - they do nothing quietly. It was quite relaxing and the sea was still nice for a dip - it was very clear again.  A small plane or two flew over very low and the odd jet ski and boat sailed past further out to sea. Etna, to our right, was hidden by cloud. Here, like Isola Bella at Taormina, you are asked if you want to buy something every five minutes, by immigrants from African countries and China - they all speak Italian. Usually people think we are German or Scandinavian as many come on holiday to Sicily, but when they find out you are from England they always guess London. So we were pleased when one man, who had been to England, reeled off a whole load of place names, even Nottingham, when he was asking.

Towards the end of the afternoon the skies clouded over - at one point there were the strange clouds above - so we packed up and went to a cafe. This time I tried ice cream in a brioche, (pistachio and almond) an ice cream sandwich.

I am relieved to say the temperature seems to be going cooler this week. I have two new classes (both one-to-ones) - one of which is helping someone who is going to take an exam to be an English literature teacher in a school. I am helping her to analyse passages from books and other texts. It was a refreshing change from teaching grammar. The other new woman is taking a rather technical exam which students take to show their proficiency for universities or working abroad in an English speaking country. Meanwhile, one of my pre-intermediate adult classes asks lots of questions and so it is becoming clear to me that English is quite a confusing and complicated language - I really have to swallow a grammar book to understand it sufficiently. There are simply loads of resources online and in book form to help you but it is having the time to absorb them all and use the best ones for the class.

Taormina, Vindicari and Ortigia

Last weekend we thought we deserved a treat after making it through the first full weekend of teaching so we decided to go to Taormina. Naturally I was keen to show Jo the delights of where I had spent June and so we headed off towards the bus station. Everything takes twice as long as you would imagine because we don't know where anything is, so after walking round in a big square we finally found where the buses go from Catania to Taormina. The service is Etnabus and we were pleased to see they went every hour. There were also loads of bays with buses going to other places like Siracusa (Syracuse) so we are pleased that we will be able to go to lots of places. Jo realised people were holding tickets already so we then we had to find the ticket office which was on the other side of the road.

When we began to get close I was excited to see the town perched on the hill, with Castlemola even higher above. It felt so good to be heading back. It took us about 75 mins to get there, with a stop off at Giardini Naxos. I was very pleased that Jo loved Taormina as much as I did. I showed her where I stayed, and we walked up from Porta Messina along the Corso Umberto. It was not quite as busy as it had been in June, but as soon as we got to the first church, we saw a wedding outside. In total that day we saw 2 which does not come close to mine and Letitia's record of 5 on midsummer's day. It was lovely just to be back walking along and admiring the buildings and the fancy shops and the people. Jo was like I was during the first weeks, taking photos of everything.

Unfortunately Etna was in cloud, so the view from the piazza was not as impressive, as usually the view of Etna is stunning. But looking out across the blue sea from above is still beautiful and the square was busy and full of tourists.

We stopped for something to eat at Gambero Rosso - where else, the favourite haunt of my lovely Swedish Sophie and Rickard. No sign of Felipe or Mattia but the woman there promised to pass on our greetings. After a massive pizza, she brought us a mandorla wine - the first one Jo had tried. While Jo was away from the table the rather nice looking waiter told me how beautiful she was. It is like being with my Swedish friends again, they do so love a blonde here.

We decided to save the Teatro Greco until another day when the skies are clear, so that we can have a great view of Etna, for that is the best thing about going there. I took Jo to where Babilonia school is, thinking it would be shut as it was the weekend. But to my surprise the cafe was open, so in I walked, just like all those happy, beautiful mornings in June. To my delight, the trees were all in fruit  - we had wondered what they would grow. There were huge pomegranates, grapefruits, limes and something orange like a tomato, but not a tomato. I was really happy to see the cafe staff, Cristina and Saverio again - they are so welcoming and it was just like old times. Jo and I had a drink under the trees, the lizards darting from table to table, and it felt like the first time I had relaxed properly since I got here.

We ended our day with an hour or so at Isola Bella, not too crowded, and not too cold in the sea. Jo got some goggles for 3 euros which broke before she even put them on.

The next day, our manager and her Sicilian partner, took us to a nature reserve in the south east of the island, called Vindicari. It is on the coast and it has very tall reeds (or were they grasses?) that made a lovely sound blowing in the breeze. It also had some small lakes where many birds come, such as ibises. I saw lots of birds, one bright blue, but the reason we went was to see some flamingoes that had come up from Africa. There must have been about 30 of them and they were quite far away in the centre of a lake, so although you could see a faint pink tinge, you could not really see more than that. You could sometimes hear them faintly. Gabrielle managed to get some good pictures of them.  Apparently more will come over the next few months so we might return.

As well as water, there were interesting low bushes and plants, some fleshy, some with berries, and some with little flowers. There were lots of the prickly pear cacti, which have come into fruit - the ends go red. I wanted to try one but haven't yet; Gab has said they are hard to get into. I picked one up at the supermarket yesterday and got attacked by it. There are tiny little hairs or prickles. Hence the name I suppose! haha.

On the coast was a disused tuna factory, like the Mannera in Montalbano (which is also along the coast). Apparently they used to catch (the poor) tuna and cook them on site in the factory.

Just next to the reserve was a small bay, where the sea was so clear and shallow for ages. We all went in for a swim and we saw some gorgeous light blue fish swimming about. Jo and I cannot get over being able to go in the sea in October. It is mad. Apparently summer is starting and finishing later here, but I think even this is unusual. It is still muggy in the day, but at the coast there is always a nice breeze.

On our way home Gab wanted to stop for an ice cream so he went out of the way to show us Ortigia which is an island that is attached to Siracusa.  There were some big Greek ruins that had been reconstructed into massive columns. It was Sunday night so the Italians were doing their "passeggiata" where they all dress up in their best clothes and saunter along the main streets to look at each other. I love it, it was so much fun in Taormina, but it was also quite enjoyable in Ortigia. Everyone looked rather nice. On our way back, we stopped to look at some street guy with puppets, but I was more taken by a rather stunning looking man watching opposite. I notice he did not move away when the show ended so I wondered if he was a stooge, to draw the tourists in to watch! Maybe not... Such a shame that they don't seem to go for the pale look (so far).

Sicilian Adventure

The Time Is Now will be taking a break from fonts and tympanums for a while, but instead reporting back on a new adventure in Sicily. While I will miss standing in cool churches (even more so while I battle with the heat here), my sister will still be visiting and finding new and fabulous designs to draw, so I will be keeping up by proxy, through her blog.

I have come to Catania on the east coast of Sicily, at the foot of the impressive Mount Etna, to try my hand at teaching English to Italians. After two and a bit weeks I have settled in and am getting used to preparing and giving lessons. I have one children's class, two teenagers' classes, and four adult classes. All except the children's class meet twice a week.

In addition to adjusting to a new job and a new challenge, I am getting used to Sicilian ways. At first the noise of the city overwhelmed me - it is not Taormina, the small and beautiful town where I spent June at Babilonia language school, a Sicilian paradise. I am sharing a flat with another new teacher, who is confident and positive and we are tackling the idiosyncrasies of Italian life together. We have had several things to work out including how to get internet, tax codes, the possibility of bank accounts and so on. Our flat is palatial and we have a living/dining room that reminds me of rooms in the books of Jane Austen. The flat is like all those around here: eight floors (we are on the third), with balconies. The main road is noisy and has a constant stream of traffic, including emergency vehicles, and Italians beeping their horns for the slightest reason. How they don't all crash into each other is a miracle as they have no road sense or sense of danger. Crossing proved traumatic for me to start off with, as I had no idea how you were supposed to get to the other side. But they do actually expect to stop at the crossings and wait for you to go over. You just have to be careful to remember to look both ways, for although it is a one way street, sometimes buses and taxis are coming from the other direction.

I have found a nice little cafe (pasticceria) on the corner between us and the language school (we are a few minutes away). It has the most enticing little cakes and pastries and the man behind the counter has helped me to learn what to ask for. Everyone knows you are English from the milky whiteness of your skin and the overall scruffy cut of even your best clothes; and of course the painful English accent when I attempt to speak Italian.

I am hoping to set up a conversation exchange with a handsome Italian boy (why not kill two birds with one stone, although I hate that phrase!) So far I have not met anyone but they are all keen to practise English, even by email. I have seen countless handsome men so that is one bonus of being here; it is visually very pleasing. But they do all seem to go for the blond look and while I am with my housemate all interest is directed towards her.

Our manager and her husband have been very hospitable and are keen for us to experience Sicily. The first weekend we went up to the lowest bit of Etna where we could see old craters and lava flows, which looked very weird like muddy rocks. Their little puppy provided loads of entertainment. We also sampled chestnuts, local wine and cheeses.

  

My housemate and I found the market in Catania which was very interesting: lots of fresh and large vegetables, with huge peppers, aubergines, etc. Again, local cheeses (the man on the cheese counter was very nice) and the usual market fare. It seems cheaper than shopping in the local food stores. You have to weigh your own vegetables which took me ages, because you need to identify them in order to print the price label. I was keen to try a prickly pear fruit (from the cacti) but forgot to weigh it so the guy put it to one side at the checkout.  My best buy was a mosquito plug in as they have been feasting on me in this continuing hot weather. It is crazy that it is still warm in October.

We have had a granita and brioche in a cafe in the centre of Catania and had a wander round. There does not seem to be lots to do (and no parks!) but there are a few things to explore at some stage like Roman ruins and the cathedral (home of Sant'Agata, the patron saint of Catania). I have been meaning to pop in but it was closed for the siesta time. There is an elephant statue in the main piazza that is rather nice and I have to find out the significance. The siesta lasts four hours here. Shops close at about 12 and reopen at about 4. This is the best time for crossing the road, as it is quiet!