Three weeks ago I arrived in Sicily on a very gloomy rainy
Sunday afternoon and drove to my hotel then on to my new home at Sigonella
Naval Air Station the next morning. I think I am going to like being here once
I get used to the rules and customs.
I
have written before about the unique driving experiences in different
countries. Like Turkey, you never know when you might have to stop for a flock
of sheep and just wait for them and their shepherd to walk around you. Also
like Turkey, it’s a little nerve wracking to be driving along and suddenly
there are 4 cars abreast all vying for the same 2 lanes. The big difference is
that I have not (not yet, anyway) had to share the 2 lanes with a donkey, a
family on a moped and a pushcart. I have been cautioned that there are really
no rules for the road, stop signs are stop suggestions, and if you get a chance
to merge – take it or somebody else will. And parking: As I understand it,
there are blue curb areas where you have to pay to park by printing out a
ticket – but most of the machines don’t work although gentlemen are happy to
sell you a parking ticket for jacked up price.
OR if you prefer to park in an unmarked parking area, there are
gentlemen who are happy
to watch your car for a couple of Euros. I did the
latter and when I went back, my car was safe but there was no sign of the
gentleman who was gonna watch it.
I have
so much to learn. Nevertheless, I ventured out to Catania to check out the
piazzas, markets and antiquities. The Greco-Roman Amphitheater is downtown and
they keep unearthing new stuff including recently
external walls that are
around 5
th or 6
th century BC. Unfortunately, like
Jerusalem and many ancient cities, houses and businesses have been built on the
rubble or ruins over hundreds or thousands of years so whenever they dig, they
find something new. The market is a bustling and winding collection of hundreds
of venders selling everything from dried fruits to jewelry. Waiting your turn
is ridiculous; it is like driving.
You
just go for it, but don’t touch the fruit! And all of this in the shadow of
Mount Etna’s steaming and snow covered peaks.
