We started the new year with a morning exercise routine, lasting about 45 minutes; afternoons were spent improving our Italian. The weather gods were kind to us during January, allowing us to sit outside at Cafe St. Angelo in the quite town square. When ordering beer and wine the chips, peanuts, olives and bruschetta are complementary. How can this not be our favourite place????
I had a great B'day. Gaby & Gerald surprised me with cake and presents. A new tea mug and a Sicilian card game called "Scopa" we now play on a regular basis. Even Gracianna came by with a decadent mousse tort which was the perfect dessert to a perfect day.Mid January Gaby's sister arrived from Germany and there was a great pot luck luncheon on board the Amara Zee, Caravan Stage Company,a most unique theatre venue.....a 30 meter "tall ship" performing all over Europe for the last 27 years. photos2011.htm
Left for a 10 day trip to Germany January 21; visiting close family and taking in the world's biggest Boat Show in Düsseldorf. Unfortunately we both came back with colds; mine lasting the usual 7-10 days, but Wolfgang's developed more in bronchitis. Needless to say chicken soup was on the menu several days. Spent several days being lazy listening to CBC podcasts, reading or playing Scrabble against the computer.
In the meantime our neighbours Gaby & Gerald took possession of their washing machine which Gerald installed and is running regularly.
Took an early taxi to the airport and left Wolfgang to take the bus back to Licata.
I flew Alitalia from Catania to Rome to Toronto. Worst service ever on Alitalia. I left Wolfgang to look after things on the boat. Hell no!!!! He quickly decided being alone wasn't for him and decided to go skiing in Austria with friends a few days.
I spent my first 3 days in London, Ont. with Tanja and family. It was very gratifying to see her in action as a mom. She's a natural and I'm extremely proud of her. I love our "one on one" time together. Taking the train into Toronto, I rented a car and drove to Sudbury with a short stop-over in Aurora to visit with my mom. Arrived in Sudbury just in time for dinner, BBQ ribs my favorite. Needless to say I had a great time spoiling Ryland and just hope he remembers me the next time he sees me.Once back on board SA, I quickly learned that our boats had still not been lifted out of the water so that the 3cm thick layer of growth can be removed and a new anti fouling paint could be applied by the wharf crew. I had hoped that would have happened while I was in Canada, sparing me much uncomfortableness, but it seems it was not meant to be. Anti-fouling paint is a specialized coating applied to the hull of a boat in order to slow the growth of organisms that attach themselves to the hull affecting the performance (boat becomes much slower).
With Wolfgang as our chauffeur, Gerald as the navigator and Gaby as the only one of us who speaks Italian (shameful I know), the next day we ventured east to Ragusa. This ancient city is located on a wide 300m high limestone hill and is also listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We had a great day discovering the Baroque Cathedrals and other historic landmarks that took us downhill. The original plan was to take the #11 bus back up to where we had left our car with a valid parking permit until 4:30. However, it turns out you need a bus ticket BEFORE boarding, the driver does not handle the money. He was an unpleasant donkey's ass and wouldn't make an exception. Our favoured option was to taxi it back; luckily, everything happens for a reason. Had we taken the bus we would have had a ticket on our windshield since our parking validation had expired as the Parking attendant was circling our vehicle.Speeding home (as if that's possible in Sicily) we still needed to do a Grand Shop while we still had the car. With the beer and water cases put away we were finally able to settle back to relax at around 10 pm.
While you probably won't find the Easter Bunny in Sicily during Easter Week, you will find some interesting celebrations with ancient rituals and traditions. Each province or city has a specific religious procession that usually involves a statue of Jesus and a statue of the Virgin Mary. Here in Licata the main event culminates in the different processions Good Friday. The first takes place just before dawn where the "simulacrum" of Christ is taken from the church. At midday, the next procession of Christ bearing the Cross continues thru the main street and ends with the Crucifixion.The evening procession starts with several hundreds of people lining the main street in anticipation when friars dressed in peculiar white habits march along carrying a beautifully decorated empty portable throne (stretcher). Once they arrive at the place of Crucifixion in the centre of town, "Christ" is taken down from the cross and placed on the stretcher; at which point the entire crowd turns around and proceeds to walk back towards the cathedral.
.Wolfgang and I have both not been well the last two weeks.
Wolfgang's chest congestion and cough have made him miserable. I visited a doctor who confirmed Strep throat and prescribed an antibiotic, but we're on the road to recovery and keeping our fingers crossed that we will have a new hull undercoat by next week.
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