Sorry it's been a while

29.01.12

Holy crap! I did not realize how dependent I was/am on the internet.  Being on boats this summer I was not near internet and it wasn’t that difficult, but I think what helped was I knew that I would eventually be near internet.  Having the school be closed on weekends is absolutely killing me! Especially since my computer says that there is internet signal but it won’t connect.  What’s also frustrating is the majority of the readings I have to do for class are posted online… I will most likely be traveling on weekends when they don’t already have something planned for us (which happens more often than not) but traveling is near impossible if I can’t search/book for flights and hostels.  I am finding that I am completing all book reading work and have little left to do.  

We are finally settling in and are adjusting to life here in Ortigia.  Tonight (Sunday) we are going to have our first ‘family dinner’ tonight (Sunday).  As this is our first one we are sort of winging it… for our future dinners we will most likely have concrete plans as to where and what we will be making.  

Saturday the school took us to Catania (about 45 min-1 hr away) to see the amphitheater and churches.  We spent the entire day walking around going in and out of churches and learning of the history of Catania.  I have a terrible short term memory so I am sorry to say that I don’t remember much of what they told us in the ways of names of places and why they are important.  I do remember one thing they told us: many of the high clergy and saints have parts of their bodies preserved and put on display.  We were able to see the hands of one Bishop which were mummified and placed (with his body!) in a glass casket within the church.  We also learned of S. Agatha, who was captured and had her breasts cut off.  Because of this there are many depictions of S. Agatha sans breasts, or with breasts on a platter.  This mimics the depictions of S. Lucia with her eyes on a platter.  The breasts of S. Agatha are extremely important in Catania’s culture so much so that they have special cakes made to represent breasts… the literal translation of the cake name, S. Agatha’s tit cakes.  These cakes are extremely sweet tasting, and are rounded with a cherry on top.  

One thing I noticed in Catania was the extreme lack of dog and cat poop on the streets/walkways.  Dog and cat poop is very abundant here in Ortigia, mostly from stray cats and people walking their dogs.  There are a few stray dogs in Ortigia but I haven’t seen them yet.  Stray cats are everywhere!