Sicily 2021 #26 - MUPGT In Covid Form Overcome & Naxos Pizza

Could all things associated to the issues associated with traveling in the Covid Era be attributed to the Magical Unicorn Pony God of Travel? Or does she have some minion like the Paranormal Pegasus Foal Diety of Pandemics? I don't know. I don't care. Well, that's a total and complete lie. I care a lot. BECAUSE EVERY FREAKING TRIP I TAKE INVOLVES SOME KIND OF STRESS RELATED TO THE COVID TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS!

As usual, there is a Covid test (mercifully a rapid antigen test) required for vaccinated travelers to return to the U.S. In a tourist area like Taormina, you can be sure that they know and understand this. Sure enough an internet search (Not a Google Search Damn It - even if I did use Google 😟 - ) identified a lab. I was going to do the test on Thursday but realized that since the U.S. in its enlightened way allows you three business days rather than 72 hours before you travel (as almost all the rest of the world does) to have your test done, that we could do the test when we were already planning to be in Taormina...no special trip.

We found the lab without a problem. No one was there. We were taken care of right away. They told us we would get an email notification and could get the results online. 

Here is where I made two errors. First, I didn't ask when we could expect to get the results. Second, an alarm didn't go off in my head saying "Danger! Online notifications almost never work when you are in another country!" An antigen test is supposed to be ready in hours. Thursday comes and goes and there is no notification. I am sure we are going to have to go to the lab on Friday and see if we can get it in person (this is what happens to me every trip to Ghana). 

This morning, Friday, comes. It's pouring. I mean a deluge of rain. I have lost sleep over this worrying about what happens if for some reason the test results are lost and we have to do something the last minute. Now this. The thought of going up the winding mountain road and a long walk up hill in pouring rain to get to the lab and deal with the people with their limited English and our non-existent Italian is putting me in stress overload. Then I came up with an idea. What if I asked our condo hotel manager (remember this place is just about deserted at the moment) to help us. 

We go down and he says, "No problem. I will call them." He does. They go back and forth for a few moments. He tells us, "They are going to email them to me and I will print them out for you." Boom, five minutes later we have our Beautiful Negative Covid Tests in Italian and English. I am so incredibly grateful. One gets the impression this is NOT the first time this has happened with a guest or with the lab. The icing on the cake was we wanted a last pizza and he gave us a recommendation for a place in the next town over. 

A Pizza Story

 Our Pizza Maestro - There was just one guy in the little place and they were only doing takeaway

 Real Deal Brick Oven Fired by Wood

 

Don't think they are proud of this baby? This sign says, "This oven was made by the Master Nardino on the 24th of April 2019"

 

 Putting a Pizza together

We were so hungry by the time we got back to the condo, I forgot to take a completed picture before we ate a slice.

They were one of the best we've had. Only the pizza we had our first night in Catania was comparable (though the one's we brought back from the bakery in Siracusa were pretty good too!)

AH! But Wait! Pizza Action Films

Assembly

 

Into the oven - watch the save with the second pizza

Out they come

Final Prep

 

The rain had finally stopped and we went out our patio (barely used because of the bad weather) to take a couple of ocean pictures.