After a sleepless night of continuous New Year’s fireworks, we took a seven-hour fast train from Naples to Catania, Sicily. Did not bring any food. Oops. No food is available on this train, except for a snack vending machine. It will not hurt us to “fast” a bit anyway, after eating all that pizza and pasta this past week. “Wonder how long it will take to put this train on a ferry?” Marilynn cocks her head. “We’re on the ferry now, don’t you feel it rocking?”

Once reaching Catania, we cannot wait to see the view from our seaside Airbnb during daylight hours. No worries. Have rented this suite for one full month and plan to live like “undercover locals.” For tonight, thirsty and starving, we walk to the closest restaurant we can find. Throwing down bottles of beer and devouring bruschetta and grilled calamari like a couple of piranhas gives away our “undercover local” status immediately. We broke Italian restaurant protocol.

Buongiorno! The panoramic view from our penthouse apartment terrace shows the sun rise over the Ionian Sea from the east, and Mt. Etna with its spaceship clouds from the west. We may never leave.

Off to the typical Italian breakfast of expresso and croissant, this one filled with pistachio. The special pistachios grown here are smaller, softer, and produce a sweet cream when ground-up.

Time to brave the cool, blustery day and explore the neighborhood. Walking along the seafront promenade we watch fisherman return with their catch.

Restaurants and small markets surround the square near “Porto Ognina” on the outskirts of Catania city center.

They serve and sell a variety of fresh seafood dishes, also available for takeaway, which is perfect for dining on our penthouse patio.

Mostly, we prefer to cook in our well-stocked kitchen. I love strolling through grocery stores in foreign lands. The products reveal clues about the identity of a culture. Tonight, I am cooking. Fresh egg pasta with sauce of vegetables, nuts, cheese, and sauteed garlic in olive oil anyone?

A long walk takes us past the train station and the dramatic “Rape of Proserpina” fountain steeped in Greek mythology.

Arriving in the the “Piazza del Duomo,” the heart of old Catania, we are greeted by the Cathedral of St. Agatha and a smiling elephant, the mascot of the city.

This working city would survive without tourism. The chaotic, authentic, and famous Catania Fish Market thrives no matter what.

A cacophony of vendors yelling, singing, laughing, and bartering with the boisterous crowd draws us in. Shellfish twitch, octopi stretch their arms, and eels’ slither. Seafood cannot get any fresher than this.

The scent of fresh fishes, woodburning grills, and baking baked goods throws us back into starving mode. Breakfast of anchovy sandwiches and raw oysters tastes better than it sounds.

Especially when followed by pistachio and fresh ricotta filled cannoli, alongside a cup of expresso.

Back at our luxurious dwelling, like most seaside homes around here, we have a private, naturally formed lava-rock “beach” between the fingers of old lava flows on the rugged shoreline.

We appreciate the views and solitude here but have not doused in the frigid water yet.

Courtesy of the fish market, our kitchen menu tonight consists of fresh fileted sardines roasted in olive oil and lemon. A bottle of Etna Bianco wine makes for a perfect pairing.

Views from our suite make the dish that much tastier!

Becoming comfortable in an uncomfortable environment is one of our favorite pastimes. Not knowing how to speak the language and feeling awkward in a foreign culture forces us to be aware and observe, instead of indulging our usual impulse to quickly engage and interact.

Even the simple task of throwing away garbage from our suite feels complex and confusing.

Not to mention that the once a week pick up for bottles forces us to view a week’s accumulation of wine and beer bottles.

Watching people’s expressions, along with their body and hand gestures, listening to the musical Italian language, and using the imagination reveals stories. Casual business transactions turn into dramatic scenes.

A true test of our understanding and comfort comes when we attempt to purchase passes at a local gym. After over one-hour of interactions with different gym staff, standing group meetings, and our ultimate refusal to schedule and pay for a physical with a “geriatric” doctor for clearance to workout, we finally gave up. Suddenly, someone shrugs their shoulders, and we purchase ten visits. Everybody smiles and cheers. You just need stamina to conduct casual business in Sicily, as well as a sense of humor.

The open-air market in central Catania produces rewards. Not only with the fresh produce, but lunch of roasted artichokes and a plate of roasted vegetables, all doused in the tastiest extra virgin olive oil ever.

This produce market, not as jovial as the fish market, looks a little like the business of a giant “swap-meet” with clothing and hardware for sale on the side. However, fresh produce still steals the show.

Centuries old volcanic soil, combined with the unique environmental conditions of Sicily produces the sweetest and juiciest fruit and vegetables, chock full of nutrients. The tomatoes rival my father’s home grown in Ohio and Marilynn says the strawberries rival those she used to pick in Oregon.

We have so much food back at the penthouse that we may never leave. Ah, time to rent a car and explore this huge island. Save our legs for hikes around Mt. Etna, where yesterday’s day of rain covered the behemoth volcano in snow.

No worries, we have the time to wait it out. Besides, fresh egg pasta with pistachio pesto, chopped hazelnuts, and chick peas dominates the menu in our kitchen tonight.

Cannot wait for “organic garbage day” when we can toss those left-over sardines that have begun to stink up the kitchen. Nothing stays fresh forever.

Thank you, Abundant Universe!