Catania

Baby Steps
It's been nearly two weeks since I wrote about my (mis)adventures with navigating the cultural and language barriers. Since then, I feel like I've made big strides!

The first big breakthrough came on April 19, when I had my first actual conversation in public. I was in a little souvenir shop and one of the owners asked me where I was from. We had a very brief, simple conversation wherein he asked whether I speak French and I explained that some Canadians speak both French and English but I only speak English and am trying to learn Italian, lol. It was simple and short but it was my first real Italian conversation with a stranger in a public place. The man spoke slowly and encouragingly and actually helped me along. I felt so happy afterward!

And then April 26, huge victory. Long story short, I had to ask a number of people directions for something in Italian and at one point I stopped and asked a couple--and they answered me in English! And my heart sang, "I speak Italian and you don't!!!!" lol!! It was such a silly little thing but it made me so happy. My Airbnb host said that I should have just kept talking as though I didn't understand English. :D
Then on April 30 I met a girl through a Solo travelers group who went to the Valley of the Temples with me. Her English is only slightly better than my Italian, so we spoke both languages throughout the day. It was good practice for both of us.

On top of all of that, through my Airbnb I have found a text buddy to practice with. She was here for a few days but is studying in Florence, and we are going to text each other in Italian for practice. We will also hang out when I am in Tuscany in June. So overall, things are improving.

Please don't construe this in any way to mean that the sentences I'm speaking are in good Italian. My only claim is that I am producing sentences, however bad they may be. :D

Adventures
The time I have spent in Catania has been good. I've seen quite a bit of the city, including the Monastery, the beaches, the seawall, the Bellini park, the Greek Amphiteatre, some of the piazzas and churches, etc. I've been out to Agrigento to see the Valley of the Temples. I've met some cool people through my Airbnb. I've made

friends at my favourite cafe down the street (and they give me free sweets regularly!). I've tried the local foods and gotten to know the vibe of the city. It's been fascinating to see how being in the shadow of the volcano has shaped the culture and history of this city; there are so many interesting stories.

With all of that said, I also feel like I've missed out on some things due to my still-recovering ankle. I'm limited in how much walking I am able to do. I can only go for a couple of hours at a time before it hurts too much to continue. So I've spent a lot more time in the apartment than I've wanted to. It is slooooowly improving, and I'm hoping that when I get back to Rome I will be able to do more. I'm ready to move on... one month is enough here. But I will miss the food... Sicilian food is in a league of its own!