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!

Sicily 2021 # - Return of the Travel Warrior

 I am writing this as we start our first full day onsite in Catania, Sicily. Our journey from portal to portal was 25 hours. Flew from Albuquerque to Chicago where we changed airlines going to Catania via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. 

Traveling internationally in this age of opening from the Covid pandemic starts with a bewildering array of determinations on 1) what it will take to get into the country you are visiting and 2) what can you do in the country you are visiting and 3) are their any special requirements to do things once you are in and visiting?

In the case of visiting Italy, if you are vaccinated, you bring your proof of vaccination plus a negative antigen test done at least 72 hours before you get on your first plane (in this case the Chicago Turkish Airline flight). In fact, they looked at our vaccination card when we checking in in Chicago. Never asked for the test. Nor was the test or card checked at our change over in Istanbul. Nor was it asked for when we arrived in Catania. There was a line for people from various countries (of which the US was one) to go for Covid Testing. But according to what we read, that was only for people who were not vaccinated. So we didn't go.

It was already 7pm local time by the time we got out. Took a while to find our arranged driver as he was waiting by the Covid Testing area and we came out of the normal exit. Then we go to our hotel...except it isn't a hotel. It's an apartment. (Bookings bad...I clearly asked for hotels and not apartments in my search). And it is not the two bedrooms we thought it would be, it is one bedroom (my bad...made a mistake on making the reservation). Much Hoo Haa with the lady who is renting the apartment about this but in the end, it is too late and we are not about to go out searching. The apartment is actually pretty nice though it is up steps which we had not counted on. Thankfully, the lady's husband brought our big bags up. 

I am thinking I am going to sleep on a couch when I discover a couch in another room is in fact a sofa bed. No bedding but it will be better than sleeping on a couch. Much figuring out how to stay warm during the evening but in the end (by 3pm) I do get it figured out and sleep well for 5 hours (which if you know me, is a pretty long period to sleep uninterrupted).

And if you remember from our adventures in the past, this is all within the normal operating parameters of our international travel. We are back in the saddle.