Action packed 24 hours

Since the last blog post yesterday I've had a pretty action packed 24 hours. Christmas has definitely come to Catania hoorah! I was in town earlier today and the shops were open, even though it is Sunday, and people were shopping - plus there were proper Christmassy lights everywhere in the streets, etc. Fab. The Christmas tunes are now on whenever possible. The Christmas present dilemma remains the same here, as it is in the UK, ie I see something I think someone might like, I don't buy it straight away, and then I forget where it is.

ravioloni

chocolate mmm

Anyway - since yesterday: last night some of us went to a nice restaurant in the centre for Deanna's last night. Once we had all figured out what was on the menu (some of us are still learning Italian), I went for a ravioli which was based on the traditional Sicilian "pasta alla norma" which means it has aubergines, tomato and ricotta salata cheese. The aubergines tasted amazing. The other dishes were kind of the things you get on Masterchef with pieces of meat or fish with strange accompaniments - Darcy had pork with chocolate sauce and pears and everyone pulled a very impressed face when they tasted it. A student had recommended the place and also the four chocolate dessert - we shared it - there were four little puddings each with an increasing amount of cocoa in, so the first was white chocolate and cinnamon (mmm), the second had cardamom (mmm), the third was like a brownie (mmmm) and the last one was a rich what-d-y-ma-call it that they make on the tv where the middle is all gooey. I literally can't remember. But they were goooood!

Then we went to a little bar where there is a darts board and although none of us can play, we all had really good fun having a go. I think that although British/American/English teachers' nights out are well oiled by local wine or overly strong cocktails, and shots that Nesh brings out of nowhere, it was the darts that were fun and we agreed that Sicilians seem to take things a bit seriously - naturally the noise we were making attracted a few onlookers (one of whom kindly said he thought I was 25, hahah, he did have glasses). But they all looked quite serious. Anyway - we had fun. Ella, who genuinely didn't seem to know anything about darts, was a natural - isn't it always the way! But I actually fluked a treble 20 too, when no one was really looking.

180!

Apparently not many clubs were open and Darcy's husband wanted to go to a club where some friends were, which was a hip-hop/rap place. None of us are into that but it was quite an experience. I am seeing new bits of Catania and it feels good. There were a load of kids, mostly boys, in the club, well they all looked young to me! - but not your usual chicly dressed lot - these lot were in normal clothes and I actually felt my leggings/skirt/hooded top fitted in ok. There were two rappers rapping away in - presumably Sicilian? - or Italian - but actually although I couldn't really get any of it, it sounded good - Italian is a great language for that - and the kid clearly had something to say - the audience knew it all and loved it, there was passion and authenticity. Unexpectedly, I enjoyed it. Jo somehow got herself a job behind the bar, or what I mean was, she was there giving out drinks, I have no idea why. The boys of Catania really are a nice looking lot. It's not even the pretty boy, well groomed model look that you might associate with Italian men. It is a certain look, they definitely have - is it a Sicilian or a Catanese look? - and although maybe you would not say, "wow he's stunning" about many, they have a good look going on. I don't see the same in the UK. Not that it matters :)

flea market

This morning I decided to go into town to find the flea market that Deanna had mentioned. Luckily I chanced upon it as I didn't understand the map, and it was quite big. I was hoping I would find some Faberge, you can never give up hope, but it was generally full of tat, like the car boots and markets in England. But with a few more pictures of Jesus and religious things thrown in. Everything was a bit pricey too. So I didn't find anything.

duomo and elephant

After that I thought it was high time I went into the cathedral, to say hello to my Aussie pal's namesake, St Agata. You can't see her (there's a highly jewelled version) until her feast day in February, which apparently is a real spectacle in the city. Can't wait, we get the day off. I happened to go into the cathedral, which by the way is disappointingly plain inside, when the mass was on. Oh hooray. But I needed a sit down so I took a side pew, and took an anthropological look at what was going on. The priest was droning on about Jesus, and Salvatore - ah, no he wasn't talking about my student friend but his name means Saviour :)  All the Sicilians were doing the whole crossing yourself bit, even the pretty boys, and I looked on with a feeling of relief that I am totally free from all that stuff. It was a nice five minutes to think about things though (NB NOT RELIGIOUS THINGS). Tomorrow is the feast of the immaculate conception. Which is fine if it means the day off.

I enjoyed an espresso shot (they are so good) and a lovely croissant in the cafe in the square with the elephant. It's a statue in the main piazza that is the symbol of Catania. It was a lovely day and quite hot in the sun - the sky was very blue! I had to take my hooded top off so I was in a t-shirt. Sorry I know it's cold in the UK. But the Sicilians think it's cold, they're all in their coats and stare at me for taking off my jacket.

Roman theatre

Next I decided to continue the touristy theme and headed up to the Roman theatre that is near the elephant square. Usually it's 6€ but today by a stroke of good luck (maybe a gift from the elephant), it was free. It is quite large and very well preserved - it seated 1500 people for entertainment. It wasn't uncovered until the middle of the 20th century - they didn't realise it was there for ages as people had built houses on it - they only realised when they saw that the buildings were in a semi circle shape and asked why. 

blue sky and elephant

Some guy started talking to me on the way back up the main shopping street. I thought he was just being polite, but he tried to give me his phone number. That's not fine. He was not young. It's never the ones you like is it? :)

Catania looks nice in the sun. Said goodbye to Deanna yesterday and she urged me to do things for myself in Catania - so I have started today, as I mean to go on.  You may have picked up on it already, I think there was a bit of Pride & Prejudice going on with me, thinking I had not much in common with people - everyone is really sweet, and I am enjoying getting to know people better.