Sunny in Sicily
The first meal we haven’t cooked ourselves (or picked up from a pizzaria or bakery) since we got here. It’s glorious.
Now that the rain has stopped (or at least taken a break), we have ventured out more, though we are still very contented to be largely still.
What is striking is that while virtually no one we have met speaks even basic English, no one cares that I don't speak even basic Italian. We muddle through in a mixture of gestures and half-understood words that somehow convey warmth, welcome, and appreciation.
The Maitre'd at the seafood place we went was not shy about expressing that I was eating my risotto incorrectly (the correct way is deshelling everything first, then adding pepper and olive oil, then mixing, and THEN eating) or that Paul was missing the boat by not putting olive oil on his steak and dipping his fries in it.
The fruit market guy recommended the homemade Ricotta (delicious), and the pizza guy took us into the kitchen so we could see we only needed one large when I ordered two. He also gave us some kind of samosa stalled with potatoes, rice, and a pepper sauce while we waited.
It’s a little crazy in the way that tropical countries often are, but I think I like it.
