Ponte Dirillo

On July 13, 2007 I had the privilege of attending a ceremony remembering the 39 American paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne that died at Ponte Dirillo in World War II.

"On July 10, 1943 nearly 3,400 members of the 82nd took to the skies in support of Operation Husky, one of the larges amphibious operations during WWII. However, due to foul weather and poor navigation, the troopers missed their drop point in Gela and were scattered for several miles, many coming upon direct fire from German occupied pillboxes located at strategic points along the countryside. 'As they landed they were picked off by the Germans with machine-guns and thirty-nine of these brave American gave their lives defending this bridge from a German counter-offensive that was supposed to bring tanks along its roadway,' said Cdr. Scott Fields. 'Had they not been able to hold off that counter-offensive, its very possible that the landing could have been a lot more difficult than it turned out to be.'" (MC2(AW) Jason T. Poplin, The Signature, Vol. 24, No. 29, July 20, 2007).

The ceremony took place on the hillside next to the memorial site, above the bridge at Ponte Dirillo. The hillside behind us was dotted with the remains of the German pillboxes.

German Pillboxes

Several American and Italian officials paid tribute to the sacrifices made during the ceremony.

Colonel Gordon Davis, former company commander within the 82nd Airborne

Deputy Mayor of Gela

Giovanni di Martino, Mayor of Niscemi

The most moving part of the ceremony was the "calling of the roll" where the names of those who gave their lives were read.

John Hoffpauir, formerly of the 82nd Airborne, calling the roll

Immediately following the "calling of the roll" Taps was played.

Les, my husband, playing Taps

The Ponte Dirillo Memorial

The Ponte Dirillo memorial site is maintained without assistance from the Italian or American governments by the landowner, a local farmer.

Ragusa

Yesterday we finally got out of the house to explore again. The day didn't start off very well. I was grumpy and sleepy, Les & I couldn't agree on breakfast or where to go for the day, and then I had the worst hair day that I've had in awhile. I couldn't even get my hair into a decent ponytail. Finally, after an absurd amount of time my hair sort-of cooperated into a messy bun. I figured it would have to do since I was aching to get out the door.

My grumpiness continued, mostly because I had yet to have my morning dose of espresso. We had decided to catch a cup of coffee at a bar, but I would point one out and my husband would keep driving. He'd offer to turn around, but when I'm on a mission to get somewhere it bugs me to backtrack, so I told him we'd catch the next one.

We arrived in Ragusa about 45 minutes later. As we pulled into town we noticed a brand new shopping center, that amazingly was open on Sunday. We decided to check it out. The doors of the mall opened into a sort of food court. Yay - there was a bar. A cappuccino and pistachio cornetto later the day was starting to look up. Then I noticed a shoe store. We browsed around and I found a very cute and miraculously comfortable pair of wedge strappy sandals that were only 25 Euro. Les bought them for me and I wore them out of the store. The day just kept getting better. The mall was a great find, not huge, but good stores and a lot less crowded than the other shopping centers we have visited on the island.

Once we finished shopping we decided to go see the city of Ragusa. Ragusa is divided into two sections. We visited Ibla. Both are designed in the Baroque style with narrow alleys and stairways and tight winding roads.

Looking down on Ragusa Ibla

Looking up at Chiesa S. Maria Delle Scale

We meandered through the quiet town. Most things are closed on Sunday and very few people were out and about. It was hot out so we didn't wander around for too long. We left Ragusa Ibla and headed down towards the Mediterranean and Marina di Ragusa. There were beautiful, crowded beaches but again we didn't think to bring our swim suits so we enjoyed the view and a gelato and headed home.

Once we were home we set up our new patio canopy that we had picked up earlier that day for a mere 12.90 Euro. I had a couple of glasses of wine and Les grilled steak and vegies. We just sat outside and chatted for awhile. It was a nice way to end the day.

About our patio canopy...it was nice to have the shade in the back yard, but we got what we paid for. I found the canopy on its side this morning in the middle of the backyard.

Mmmmmm....Thai Food

Last night I made Thai Green Curry with Chicken and Brown Rice. It was soooo good! Such things as Thai curry paste are hard to come by in Sicily, but thanks to my mom and the USPS, I had a lovely little jar in my pantry just waiting for the right time. The right time being when I had the time to make it AND had all of the ingredients in the house.

One of the things I miss most about the States (apart from my family and friends) is being able to pick on any given night what type of cuisine I would like to have. In San Diego we were within a five minute drive of some of the best restaurants in town. I can come up with some pretty good substitutes at home -- I make killer enchiladas, mean stir frys, and of course, awesome green curry. But, it just isn't the same as going to Baja Betty's or Zensei Sushi.

Another thing I've noticed in Sicily is that American wines, specifically Californian wines are hard to come by. Italian wines are awesome, so its not like I'm missing out on anything, but I look for Californian wines probably out of some sort of nostalgia. Last weekend I was in Auchan (sort of a European Wal-Mart) and was browsing the wine section. I was looking through the imports and noticed two American wines: Sutter Home and Gallo. Seriously, they can't import anything better than that? I guess they don't want to sell anything that might actually compete with the Italian wines.

So, enough of my ranting and raving about food and wine for the day. I will leave you with a wonderful Italian phrase told to me by one of my best friends: "la vita e troppe breve per bere vino male" - life is too short to drink bad wine.

Pumpkin Tails - In the closet

Some people blog about their kids...I, on the other hand, blog about my cat.

Lately, it seems like I don't leave the house much. Yesterday it hit 111F, so going outside isn't too much fun. Combine that with Les' hectic work schedule and both of us taking classes, we don't get out much. When I'm house-bound the highlight of my day is usually something to do with my cat. Whether it is him barking at birds outside (yes, he barks) or his clumsy self rolling off of the ottoman since he was too relaxed, he is always good for a laugh.

Today as I was doing laundry, I opened up the linen closet, got out a fresh set of sheets, and then walked away. I later went back to the closet to put something else away to find a big ball of orange fluff curled up on my beach towel. This is what I get for leaving closet doors open.


He looked so cute I had to take a picture and share the excitement of my daily life with those that read my blog.

Cefalu

When I found out that we were moving to Sicily I started imagining what life would be like once we arrived - the look of the countryside, the beautiful beaches, etc. I love Sicily, but reality has rarely measured up to to the conjuring of my imagination...until this past weekend. Les & I made a trip to Cefalu on Saturday and discovered a quaint fishing village with beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters like those I'd only ever imagined.

We walked along the waterfront in the warm and slightly humid air. Stopped at a bar and bought cafe freddo (iced coffee with sugar and a scoop of coffee granita) and pistachio gelato - my new favorite flavor. We took our treats to the sea wall and just sat, talked a bit, watched people and watched the fishies in the clear water beneath our feet. Relaxed and refreshed we headed into the town and wandered in and out of tourist shops and finally came to the beautiful cathedral. We only peeked inside because I had left my shawl in the car and Europeans are particular about covered shoulders inside churches.

Panorama of Cefalu that I stitched together

It was a wonderful afternoon. We had hoped to go back on Sunday, this time taking our swim suits, but it was raining. We'll definitely visit again soon, hopefully before the place is swarming with summer tourists.

Noto Infiorata

I've been aching to get out of the house and do more sightseeing. I spend so much time at home that I sometimes forget I live in Italy. Last weekend we took a much needed day trip with our friends, Alice and Blake, to Noto for Infiorata, their spring festival. The highlight of the festival is a street paved with flower mosaics. Here are a few of the pictures. The detail was stunning. It is hard to see the scale in the close up photos, but the first one should give an idea of the size.

Les, Alice, and Blake with the Mediterranean Sea in the background

We had a really good time. I can't wait to get out of the house again and see more!

Two months ago in Rome...

I started my second MBA class the day after my parents left, so, for the past six weeks my time has been spent reading about transformational leadership (really exciting topic...seriously, I mean that!) and writing massive 40 page papers. As a result, I haven't had a chance to properly sort through the 2GB or so of photos from the time my family was here until now. I decided to take a much needed two week break between classes to catch up on things like my blog, house cleaning, etc.

For three weeks in March I was lucky enough to have my mom and dad come visit us a mere five months after we left the states. Some people that are stationed here go three years or more without seeing their families. To some, this is a blessing, but for most it is difficult. For me, five months is probably the longest I have EVER gone without seeing my family. I am so fortunate to have a mom and dad that I actually LIKE to spend time with.

Les & I met them in Rome and we spent six days exploring the eternal city. The amount of history in one place is mind blowing, but we took in as much as we could. We saw all of the highlights and walked until our bodies were exhausted. Everything is within walking distance....if you are willing to walk far enough.

Les & I took the train from Catania to Rome. It was a long 9 1/2 hour trip that was spent sleeping and reading. The best part of the trip was when they loaded the train (yes, the whole train) onto a ferry to cross the Strait of Messina. It was surreal to be sitting on a train and feel the rocking of the boat. I couldn't handle the "surreal" feeling too long so Les & I ran up to the top deck for a quick cafe' and some fresh air. Dragging our luggage up three stories of boat ladders wasn't so fun, but the view was amazing. I love being on the water, as long as I'm outside!

Les on the ferry, Sicilia in the background

Our first full day in Roma started with a tour that was included with our hotel. Our first stop was the Trevi Fountain.

Trevi Fountain

The tour wove through alleys, past obelisks and government buildings and suddenly we were in a square, I looked up and there was the Pantheon. It was such an amazing building, built in perfect symmetry. Inside, the only light source is from the occulus,

The occulus in the Pantheon

Next, our tour guide took us to Piazza Navona. There were quite a few local artists selling their paintings around the piazza. I don't buy many souvenirs when I travel, but I always try to pick up one or two pieces of original artwork. I didn't buy anything that day, but I did come back later in the week and bought a few pieces. I took a few pictures of Piazza Navona, but the best monuments were covered in scaffolding so unfortunately there wasn't much to see.

Our tour ended in Vatican City. I was overwhelmed by the size of St. Peters, the piazza...all of it. Our first destination was St. Peters Basilica, but somehow we ended up in wrong line and ended up walking through the crypt. Once we found our way out we made it into the right line to enter Basilica.

Piazza S. Pietro from the steps of the Basilica

Me, standing in a sunbeam inside St. Peters Basilica

We decided to spend the afternoon in Vatican City after our tour ended. Our next stop (after lunch) was the Vatican Museum. We just took in the highlights because we got there towards the end of the day. Our primary goal was to see the Sistine Chapel, which closes earlier than the rest of the museum, so we skipped a lot of the exhibits and made our way to the Chapel. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed in the Sistine, but I got some great shots on our way.

Map of Sicily in the Map Gallery

We wandered around a bit after we saw the Sistine Chapel and I was throughly amused by some of the mosaics on the floor. There were several dragon-ish horses with the most amusing facial expressions. This on is one of my favorites.

Horse-Dragon Mosaic

As the day was drawing to a close we wandered our way out of Vatican City. We lingered for awhile around the Castel Sant' Angelo and the Tiber River.

Ponte Sant' Angelo

Les, Dad, & Mom with the Castel Sant' Angelo in the background

An Angel on the Ponte Sant' Angelo

The next day, bright and early, we made our way to the Colosseum. We were one of the first people to enter that day and for about 30 minutes it was quiet and we actually had a chance to to contemplate where we were...wow. It didn't take long for the tour buses to pull in and soon the place was flooded with people.

Inside the Colosseum

Mom and Dad in the Colosseum

Exterior of the Colosseum

We spent the rest of the day exploring the Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, and Palatine Hill.

The Roman Forum

Our third day in Rome was reserved for exploring the Borghese Gallery and gardens. Our museum reservation wasn't until late morning so we wandered around the expansive gardens for a couple of hours. It is Rome's equivalent of Central Park.

Les as Roman God

A serene lake in the Borghese Gardens

Late in the afternoon we wandered out of the gardens and into Piazza del Popolo. There were thousands of people flooding the square - mostly wearing green. It was St. Patricks Day and apparently there had been an Irish/Italian Rugby match.

Piazza del Popolo on St. Patrick's Day

The next day we decided to go to the EUR - Mussolini's idea of a perfect community. Stark buildings and wide avenues that now mostly hold government offices. We read that there were a few notable museums in the area so we decided to check it out. We arrived and walked into an outdoor market that was selling mostly antiques, but a lot of other neat stuff as well. After we spent a few euro then went in search of the museums.

The first museum, the one we most wanted to see, was closed for renovations. We went in search of the next museum and walked in circles for an hour or so as attitudes steadily went downhill. Finally, I asked for directions and we found the museum a few minutes later. The museum was...well, not the best I'd ever seen. We walked around for an hour or so and then went in search of lunch.

We were in a business/government district on a Sunday...not many lunch options available. We finally decided that we were done with the EUR and just had to figure out how to get back to Roma Centro. After several minutes of "give me the guide book", "let me see the map", "you don't know where you are going", "give it back", etc. We finally found a cab and went to the Appian Way.

We found a nice little cafe and had lunch. One of the famous activities on the Appian Way is to rent a bicycle and ride as far as you want. I took one look at the well worn cobblestones & knew that it wasn't going to be my favorite activity, but everyone else was game so I gave it a try. I ended up with a wobbly bike and rode for about 10 minutes and gave up. I sent everyone else on their way, returned the bike, went back to the cafe and had a cappuccino and throughly enjoyed sitting in the sun and watching people on the Appian Way.

Via Appia Antica

Our final day in Rome was cloudy and the sky was threatening rain. We decided to go to Camp di' Fiore and revisit some of our favorite sights.

Flower Stand in Camp di' Fiore

By late morning in was sprinkling and by noon it was pouring. We wandered the streets of Rome in pouring rain and surprise, surprise cabs were scarce. We finally made it back to the hotel late afternoon, soaking wet and tired. We put on fresh clothes, took a rest and went out for a late dinner.

The next morning we packed up and head back to Sicily on another 9 1/2 hour train trip, this time with Mom & Dad, which was fun. They spent another two weeks in Sicily. Hopefully in the next few days I can sift through those pictures and post more about our adventures.

Springtime in Sicily

Spring (primavera in Italian) is my favorite time of year in Sicily. I haven't experienced a Summer here, but from what I hear it won't be a contender in my favorites list. (think triple digits with 80% humidity)

Springtime comes early to Sicily. In February the Almond trees start blossoming. In March the wildflowers start to explode into dazzling displays of color blanketing hillsides and valleys. In April, the flowers are still blooming and the Orange trees in the valley where I live are bursting with sweet aromas that travel on the warm Spring breezes. I don't think I've lived anywhere else where you can smell Spring. Its incredible.

Pumpkin Tails - A day (or night) in the life of our cat

This morning started like most mornings. I crawled out of bed and stumbled my way downstairs to make my breakfast and cafe latte (no longer just "latte", if you order latte in Italy you get milk).

I noticed something slightly peculiar when I walked into the kitchen. The pantry was open (not peculiar, we have the bad habit of forgetting to close it) and Pumpkin's bag of toys and treats was upside down on the floor.

Hmmmm....did it just fall out?

I didn't think too much of it until I turned to walk towards the fridge, glanced in the dining room and saw something grass like all over the floor. I stepped into the dining room to inspect and saw a ripped open bag of catnip, with a strung-out cat in the middle of the mess. Apparently, Pumpkin pulled his treat bag out of the pantry, pulled the catnip out of the treat bag, drug it into the dining room, ripped it open and got high.

"Dude....catnip is awesome"

As I started cleaning up the mess, Pumpkin decided to take one last roll in his catnip stash.

"ooh, I love the kitty drugs!"

So this is what Pumpkin does when we sleep. I guess this explains the weird noises I heard during the night and why he was such a spaz this morning! Note to self: close the pantry.