Pictures > Words

Mondello

Seeking an escape from the city last weekend, we braved the spotty bus service en route to Mondello. Following a brief ride spent standing pressed against the front window, we were so overwhelmed by the splendor and peace of the community that we spent an hour napping on a sheet in the sand. Save for a few Nordic girls giggling (perhaps at the European male swimwear), the beach was comprised entirely of people sleeping off the previous week's activities. Other than the windsurfing team and a few snorkelers, the water was pristine and surprisingly warm for the end of October. A case of Corona would have put the afternoon over the top.

Learning the language

As the only programming broadcast in English with Italian subtitles, MTV is an appreciated means of developing our language skills. Unfortunately, we are typically relying on Snooky and the Situation  to expand our grammar and vocabulary, so you can imagine why this method has its limits. We were, however, blessed with an episode of 'Hoods featuring Katy Perry returning to her so-called'hood of Santa Barbara to get reconnected with her roots, which oddly began as a Christian singer before she began enthusiastically kissing girls and waking up in Vegas.  

Along the language front, I have come to appreciate the Italian pronunciation of every letter in a word because of the following experience. Following a generous family lunch with Antonella and Marzia in Altavilla, I tried to ask them how old their brother was, “Quante anni ha tuo fratello?” (How many years does your brother have?). However, I failed to pronounce both n's in anni, so I essentially asked them how many anuses (ani) their brother had. I knew something was wrong when they answered 1 in a burst of laughter, then asked me how many ani I had.

Elsewhere, our spartan apartment is without scissors, so Meredith has resorted to cutting classroom materials with a 11 inch chef's knife that probably won't shed it's garlic scent until we depart. “Signora Kohl, this activity smells like stuffed mushrooms.” For the Teach For America crowd, it was reminiscent of week 1 at Institute.

Passagiata : a stroll in the street

In the course of countless hours spent wandering the streets in search of nothing in particular, we have come across some magnificent sights. But what we have enjoyed most is that the city's busiest streets are closed on weekends to allow for families to take a passagiata. 

The city has yet to rebuild structures damaged during World War II, so we expect Spielberg and Tom Hanks to collaborate on something here soon

Quatro Canti 

The Four Corners consist of fountains with statues of the four seasons, the four Spanish kings of Sicily, and of the patronesses of Palermo (Cristina, Ninfa, Olivia, and Agata). At the time the piazza was built 400 years ago, it was one of the first major examples of town planning in Europe.  Now it is considered the finest example of Baroque intersection architecture in the world.  

Palermo's best pictures: Ivy's Benvenuti al Sud.
Scenes from Palermo's nightlife: Francesco's Palermo e Dintorni.

Francesco and Antonella