Images: Etna; Our Rental Car on the Mountain Road
Faithful readers will remember that our Greek ferry tickets were held up by DHL courier, courtesy of the tornadoes in the US that would not allow their planes to land. Long story short, I picked up the tickets at 11:55, 5 minutes before our scheduled departure. This resulted in a very hurried scramble to the airport, with no time for check-listing to ensure we were organized. Still, we began our journey with everything we needed for our two month adventure. Or so we thought...
Eighteen hours and four flights later, we landed in Catania, Sicily. I am not sure if there is a despair that deepens more rapidly than the one you endure as the crowd at the baggage carousel dwindles and ultimately you are left standing alone with no luggage as the conveyer belt slowly stops turning. So we did the reporting thing, giving the details to a thoroughly unsympathetic Lufthansa rep who seemed to be in disbelief that we actually expected our bags to arrive in the same week as our flight. My first thought was – two months with no guitar – again!
Fortunately, SL had packed the essentials in our carry-ons. She also remembered that Sicilian stores don't always subscribe to the 24/7 rule, so we did some shopping, picking up prosciutto, olives, tomatoes, cheese and bread.
We left for our one night at the Band B in Giarre and arrived exhausted at the Alhambra. The young proprietors and their hotel were delightful and the restaurant that they recommended was a breath of fresh air after our day of travel and trial. The pizzi were incredibly delicious – paperthin crust with ingredients you simply won't see on Gino's menu – potatoes, artichokes, eggplant, eggs?? (yes it works!). The vino da casa was exceptionally good at 3 Euro's per litre, and the whole experience almost made us forget our ordeals. (Or maybe it was the grappa that made us forget, I don't know, I forget.)
Tomorrow we begin to try to chase down our luggage, find our way to our mountain home, and to get the cell phone we bought last year in Italy working again!
Eighteen hours and four flights later, we landed in Catania, Sicily. I am not sure if there is a despair that deepens more rapidly than the one you endure as the crowd at the baggage carousel dwindles and ultimately you are left standing alone with no luggage as the conveyer belt slowly stops turning. So we did the reporting thing, giving the details to a thoroughly unsympathetic Lufthansa rep who seemed to be in disbelief that we actually expected our bags to arrive in the same week as our flight. My first thought was – two months with no guitar – again!
Fortunately, SL had packed the essentials in our carry-ons. She also remembered that Sicilian stores don't always subscribe to the 24/7 rule, so we did some shopping, picking up prosciutto, olives, tomatoes, cheese and bread.
We left for our one night at the Band B in Giarre and arrived exhausted at the Alhambra. The young proprietors and their hotel were delightful and the restaurant that they recommended was a breath of fresh air after our day of travel and trial. The pizzi were incredibly delicious – paperthin crust with ingredients you simply won't see on Gino's menu – potatoes, artichokes, eggplant, eggs?? (yes it works!). The vino da casa was exceptionally good at 3 Euro's per litre, and the whole experience almost made us forget our ordeals. (Or maybe it was the grappa that made us forget, I don't know, I forget.)
Tomorrow we begin to try to chase down our luggage, find our way to our mountain home, and to get the cell phone we bought last year in Italy working again!
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