Catania, Sicily

May 7, 2012

This was another port that did not come highly recommended. Since my routine during the first three days of a cruise can be quite full, that was okay. I was willing to spend another day ‘getting ahead’ to allow me more time to explore later in the voyage. But as I ate lunch, again from the open deck on 14, I was intrigued by the duomo that arose majestically from the city less than a mile from the port. After not stretching my legs yesterday I decided to at least take an hour walk ashore to get some exercise and see if I could discover any unexpected delights.

What is it about these European ports that appear that no work has been done on them since WWII? When I finally performed the customary quick change in my cabin and headed ashore, I was once again underwhelmed by the initial impression. So I needed to keep the targeted destination of the beautiful cathedral in mind as motivation to keep me moving forward.

Before we move forward I need to acknowledge how fortunate I am to be able to explore each afternoon in the way that I do. I say that in comparison to the lot of my paisan, Gilad, our Deputy Security Chief. Gilad oversees the security officers who man the gangway at every port. He is an amazingly dedicated and eminently cheerful young man, although given his muscular physique, one with whom you definitely would not want to be at crossed purposes. Every time I get a chance to go ashore there is Gilad still ensuring that security is maintained. Our running joke is that he is ‘still here’ when I leave and will ‘still be here’ when I return. After my sign-off and my subsequent return from vacation, I am sure that Gilad will ‘still be here.’ Thanks, Gilad. A good reminder not to take my privilege for granted.

I ventured through the initial blocks of Catania and must say that for all its uniqueness I could have been walking through the port area of Oakland, CA. But my instincts were soon to pay off. I turned up a narrow side street that would direct me to the piazza di duomo and I was definitely not disappointed. One entire side of the plaza was a beautiful cathedral, and the other three sides were ringed with shops and outdoor cafés. The plaza itself was easily 75 yards long on each edge. Just past the mid-way point were a large fountain and some attendant statuary. The best part, though, were the people. The square simply teemed with life. Some tourists, yes, but the vast majority was local residents who were out for a mid-afternoon coffee or glass of wine, or those who simply wanted to sit on the edge of the fountain and take in the warm sun. After a brief exploration I chose to join them and found a table in a café at the edge of the piazza.

A glass of cool vino blanco seemed like the perfect accompaniment for the moment, and I was delighted that a complementary bowl of olives was also placed on my table. Wine, olives, sun, people-watching, I think my European heritage has been reawakened. I chatted with the waiter for a bit having him help me with forming the Italian phrases of polite conversation as I watched the tableau unfold. I pulled out my camera and did my best to capture the scene. My favorite shot was of an African nun who was striding quickly in full habit across the plaza. I captured her image just as she turned to look back over her shoulder. The dynamic moment with the staid cathedral behind her spoke a lot of the church past and present. As I continued to shoot pictures a blur of red crossed my view finder. It was our photography manager, Daisy, out exploring on one of our loaner bikes. I couldn’t resist taking several shots of her capturing the scene on her own camera. Such are the images that you can see unfold when you take advantage of the chance to sit, relax, sip wine and eat olives.

Duty calls, and the balance must be maintained. I returned to the ship knowing that I look forward to returning to Catania and exploring further . . . or perhaps, just sitting, sipping, and seeing.

And the adventure continues . . .