Friday, October 15, 2021

Sicily 2021 #2 - Cleaning Off The Camera Rust

 We are in Catania, one of the largest cities in Sicily for a day while we wait for the #3 family to fly down from the Netherlands where we are meeting up at a rental house elsewhere on the island just like old times. (Though it should be noted for the record that when the #3's and Wife did their rental house search during their visit to us this summer they went out of their way to say they did not want de-I's traditional rental house with the insane drive to it. So I am suspecting something tamer than normal). 

We are staying smack dab in the center of historic Catania. Catania is an ancient town but was leveled in a huge earthquake during the 18th century. It was rebuilt in the Baroque style. I didn't do a whole lot of research before coming here partly because I didn't want to get disappointed if Covid caused a trip cancellation and partly because, I am really tired from a year and half of hitting Theodora hard and just wanting some serious chilling and partially because Wife and I (claim at least) that we need to cut back on our former style of travel to accommodate our increased age.

But our 'travel legs' seem to come right back. Partially it is being back in Italy. We have done so many trips to Italy and it is one of our favorite places, one we feel very comfortable in. So whereas a first time traveler here from the US might find the streets rundown and scary looking, to us they are just the familiar haunts of an Italian city with all its ancient bones showing. 

This is the first time I've really had the camera out for serious photo blogging in all this time. I was feeling very rusty. Having a mask on some of the time with it fogging my glasses did not make looking at images in the view finder easy prior to shooting. And I have taken so many pictures of very similar things throughout Italy, that I was trying to be circumspect on my selections. We'll see how this keeps up.

Pictures

We are right next to a major market area in town


 


I have a question

 

Is a 'Volcanic Free Map' a map of areas free of volcanoes? A map that shows you where free volcanoes are? A map made without any volcanic material?

Wandering the Main Plaza Around the Duomo (Cathedral)

 

 

 

 

 


The Mentor

 

Piazza with Famous Elephant Statue

First Meal on the Trip at 11:30am

Laundry - One of my Photographic Obsessions

To the Water (if there is a shore or port we will go there...even if there is nothing particular to recommend it)

Miscellaneous

Wife contemplates the finite nature of reality as represented by the decorative umbrellas at the end of the tourist season while waiting for our lunch

We were nearly falling asleep at the table (this is about 1:30pm) waiting for lunch

Spaghetti with bottarga (cured tuna roe), grilled vegetable, grilled sea bass

The Wedding You Always Wished You Were Part Of

Wife and I continually run into these amazing local events in our travels. this was clearly a wedding of people with means!








2 comments:

Renee Michelle Goertzen said...

Aunt De-I looks like the consummate professional photographer she is with her had turned backward like that!

Bernice said...

On one of our travels, to which country I cannot recall, the bride and groom came out of the church with their two very large dogs. Attendants? It really is memorable to witness something like that.