Humble Pie

Ahhh....just finished my first one on one, two hour Italian class and I need to rest my head on a block of ice. I've learned that it's one thing to mangle a language while pointing and grunting like a cave woman when shopping, it's quite another to actually use the language properly (surprise, surprise). We learned the absolute basics today. "My name is Bridget, I am from America, I am here on vacation, This morning I drank a cuppuccino out of a small cup and I ate eggs on a plate." My teacher observed that I asked a lot of questions about food, shoes and alcohol. To be honest, the burning question I was finally able to ask was "Why do I get such surprised and disdainful stares from waiters when I order a Negroni in a bar?" My teacher informed me that it isn't customary for Sicilian women to order cocktails or alcohol in a bar...especially such a "potent" drink....and especially when I have a 5 year old in tow. Not only am I sticking out because of my green coat (people are wearing primarily black or darker colors), off season footwear (sandals vs. boots), caveman Italian and bright rainbow colored umbrella (Tony refuses to use it)...but also because I am a bad alcoholic mother. I don't think I will be elected mayor of Cefalu anytime soon.

The weather has been very tempermental. It is usually very sunny and warm here this time of year...for the past two days it has been rainy and cold (at least I'm used to moody men and weather). In all fairness, Tony, has been an absolute champ. His Italian is light years beyond mine and everyone loves him. I'm pretty sure that they think he was given a big dowry to marry me.

Amy "Brooklyn", has been visiting for the past week. She is leaving tomorrow and we have had a lot of fun. On Saturday we traveled to Palermo and visited the nearby town of Monreale. Monreale is home to an amazing Duomo that has some of the most spectacular mosaic work I've ever seen. We also visited the catacombs "Dei Cuppuccini" in Palermo. Very morbid, musty and creepy. There were signs posted everywhere about being respectful to the dead and refraining from taking pictures. Hmmm...I highly doubt the Sicilians who paid top dollar to be buried there had any idea that they would be on display for the unwashed masses hundreds of years later. Note to self....cremation is the way to go.

Yesterday I spent the day cooking. At least I'm halfway decent at something here. My approach is to eat something in a restaraunt...and to try to duplicate it at home. So far so good...even if I am an alcoholic, sandal wearing barbarian.