Christmas in Modica

One thing I do admire about Modica is the absence of ‘Christmas bling’ on display here.

You see it in the lack of ostentatious, over-the-top, uber-commercial shop window displays. Okay, there are Christmas decorations in shop windows: A few baubles, some tinsel, coloured lights, sometimes Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) dolls, and maybe a twee Christmas message or two.
The latter most often written in English, for some unfathomable reason!

Main street decorations

Anyways, it’s f’sure not like the window and store frontage displays to be seen elsewhere. With said ‘Christmas bling’ most often starting months before the big day, and purely for commercial reasons, of course.
There are, in fact, even fewer flashing lights in the windows than last year, given the price of electricity here.
I believe the reason is that while shop owners naturally want (and need) to make money during this period, Sicilians are even more traditional than other Italians, and there are (as discussed earlier) far more church goers here than elsewhere.
The Christmas season only ‘formally’ starts on the 8th of December, with Italians celebrating l’Immacolata, the day of the Immaculate Conception. This being a catholic festival that celebrates the conception of the Virgin Mary as free from original sin, and it’s a national holiday here.
And it’s only then that most window displays go up. That is: A mere 17 days prior to Christmas Day! For me, that’s one more reason we made the right move back in 2020.
Not that I need more!

Stormy Weather ... Not!

It’s worth noting that December in Modica is not at all like those we enjoyed and/or endured back in London.
F’sure there’s something to be said for cold ‘n crispy days, central heating or open fires, and warm pubs. And I did enjoy all of them, it must be said. Except for the rain, sleet, and hard frosts ... but who enjoys those?
But when you go out for a walk here in a warm jacket and beanie, and end up having to pocket the hat and carry the damn coat because it’s just too warm?
Yes please, of course!

Mid-December beach...

As an example, we visited a local beach mid-December (it was officially 22 celsius at the time), and saw several people sunbathing, and even a few swimming. And then, on Boxing Day (‘il Giorno di Santo Stefano’ or ‘Saint Stephen’s Day’ here), it was 21 celsius with not a cloud to be seen.
Talking of the sky, it’s been chrome blue and pure most days this month. By ‘pure’ I mean the colour is pretty much the same from directly overhead to distant horizon.
A sign I’ve always taken to mean a lack of pollution, and something I often saw back in NZ, not so much in the UK, and was so happy to note it here in our new home. Weather like this improves not only your general wellbeing, but also your mental health.
Okay, it’ll get way colder in January … but still, yeah?

Buon Compleanno

It was Alice’s birthday, so we went away for the night.
Marzamemi is on the Ionian Sea coast, less than an hour’s drive away, and it was an enjoyable break, I have to say.
However, I came away thinking the hamlet (it has less than 400 permanent residents) was really a microcosm of Sicily’s tourism industry. What do I mean by that?

The cliched view

Well, it’s got a lot of history, and of course. In this case dating back to at least the 17th century, and maybe even further. And, despite its ‘touristy’ trappings, it’s still very much a working fishing port. I was lucky enough to watch several boats leave before dawn.
The seafront’s pleasant too. In addition to the fishing port, there’s also a yacht harbour, and sandy bathing beaches. It also has most of the services you’d need to live there: A pharmacy, some general stores, and other shops. And there are larger towns close by.
So that’s all to the good then!
What’s on the other side of the coin?
Now, despite it being off-season, there were several bars open, which you could argue was good. But the drink prices easily matched those we experienced in Syracuse over this last Summer.
As for the restaurants? While the portions were tasty, they were tiny, and the prices ultra-high. Then so many of the (obviously holiday) homes and apartments were empty and unloved.
While Modica is f’sure somewhat ‘touristy’ it has at least managed to keep its soul…

More Soon...

Gettin’ There

Given my medical history, I set a 2021 ‘steps’ goal.

Which I achieved, largely thanks to the fact we didn’t have a car then. I (naturally) upped the ante this year, and was (somewhat) on track to reach said goal. However, this last couple of months have seen this target slipping.
Laziness or circumstance you may ask?
I’m claiming ‘circumstance’! And it’s down to my poor wife. Not Alice’s fault: Rather blame our NZ drivers’ licences.

Got the car at least!

Y’see, when we moved back to the UK, we (again) swapped our NZ licences for local ones. Something we could do, as both countries have a reciprocal agreement in place allowing this. So, armed with those, we happily tootled about the place.
However, when we arrived here, we couldn’t ‘re-swap’ our UK ones for Italian ones.
Something any ‘true Brit’ could, prior to that December Brexit deadline, because ours were seen by the Italian authorities as simply ‘re-skinned’ NZ ones! And NZ and Italy have yet to sign any reciprocal agreement.
Thus, poor Alice must study for, and sit, the Italian licence. Leaving little time for much else.
It must be her because my Italian is years away from being good enough, mainly ‘cause the language used in the theory test is ‘tricksy’! They’re trying to trip people up by using old and/or unusual expressions in the questions, so it’s damned hard to figure out whether it’s “vero o falso”.
While struggling, Alice will do it.
I have absolute faith in her!

Honestly

There’s an underlying sense of ‘honesty’ here.

Pre-opening

You see it in the way that that day’s fruit and vege is left sitting (often unwrapped) outside that yet-to-open fruit shop or supermarket. And no one helps themselves!
That’s astounding to me. Now I ain’t sayin’ that the citizens of those countries I’ve lived in prior were dishonest, it’s just I couldn’t imagine it being done there.
Then there are the cafe owners.
Many of whom seem entirely happy to leave tables and chairs out overnight. Or even when they’re closing for some time. Seemingly oblivious to the fact someone could (quite easily) walk off with said pieces of furniture!
It’s also on show in more ... subtle ... ways.
Like at beaches, where no damns are given about what you look like in that bikini or those budgie smugglers.
And then, when your life comes to its inevitable end, death is accepted openly and honestly, being seen as a part of a life lived. Hence the funeral posters and mourning notices plastered all about the place.
Now f’sure there are ‘rip-off artists’: Witness that fruit shop where they weighed up the six bananas we bought, before sneakily snapping one off without us noticing, and bagging it up! Needless to say, we’ve never been back since. Of course.
Then there are those Sunday Market traders who, as soon as they hear our ‘touristy’ accents, bump up the prices on all their items!
Exceptions that prove the rule, I’m happy to say!

Acqua

It’s said water is the source of life.
You’ll get no argument here! It’s as essential to living as the air we breathe, and the bread we eat. Although I’m well prepared to argue the strong case for wine here!
I bring this up because in Modica water is strictly rationed by the comune (council). Well ... sort of! I’ll explain later.
Y’see, we only get mains water for around three hours a day: That’s anytime between around 06:30 to about 10:00.

Public water faucet.

Alice and I share the joke that there’s a wee man employed to turn it on daily. Maybe not a joke though: There’s no rhyme nor reason to when it happens! It’s started as early as 06:20 … and as late as 07:30. Go figure…
Anyways, to ensure your supply during the rest of the day, you must have water tanks in your home. Or ‘on it,’ as most have theirs on the roof. Now we’re lucky ‘cause ours (3x300 litre tanks) are inside our home. So the plastic tanks are not subject to hot or cold weather fluctuations. A key factor when we were looking to buy.
However, sometimes it doesn’t flow due to the poor infrastructure here, post-heavy rain. You gotta learn to live with that.
When I wrote ‘sort of’ earlier, I meant that there are public water faucets dotted all about the place. Here, the water is free, and flows all day. There’s one about 100m down the road from us.
Don’t ask!

More Soon...

Shout-Out

One (of many) benefits we have here is the Italian healthcare system.

A prime benefit simply being able to walk in and see our doctor anytime his surgery is open. No appointment necessary, and free.
And there appear to be doctors everywhere!
Some dry stats f’sure point to this being the case: In 2020 the UK had 3.03 doctors per 1,000 people, placing it 20th in the world; NZ was ranked 13th, with 3.43; while Italy places 8th with 4 doctors for every 1,000 citizens. In the US (2019) it was 2.64.
So, seeing a GP here isn’t a problem.
One worry though, when we first arrived, was our prescription medicine. Okay, we’d brought a good supply of meds with us when we landed back in September 2020. Despite being in the midst of the pandemic. But that only amounted to a two-to-three-month supply.

The healthcare card.

A worry made even worse because we couldn’t register with a GP until we’d been formally enrolled with the Azienda Sanitaria Locale (local health board). Something that didn’t happen until February 2021.
Imagine our surprise then, when we walked into a pharmacy and asked what we could do about getting said meds, we found each one was available over the counter! Albeit at a (reasonable) price.
Cheaper now we’re actually enrolled, of course.
Now let’s talk about dentists: Italy places 4th in the world for them. Again: Easy to see, and (relatively) cheap. A very welcome finding, trust me here!
Given how my teeth are.

The Switch

Autumn in the northern hemisphere is ‘officially’ between September and November.
That doesn’t mean the weather suddenly gets cooler come September, of course. Far from it here in Sicily, where the days are nearly as warm as August ... but the nights get just a tad cooler.
A welcome change for some: I’m looking at you, Alice! For me, not so much.

A 'benefit'...

Anyways, we were told, earlier this year, that the change between Spring and Summer would be like “A light switch”. One day Spring ... the next Summer. And that f’sure proved to be the case last May.
The same can be said for the late Summer to early Autumn ‘switch’.
Which I can now say occurred overnight between Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th of October 2022. At least here in Modica.
I witnessed this change myself because most mornings I go for a walk around dawn. And the difference between that Tuesday and Wednesday was very marked. Cool-ish one morning compared to cold-ish the next ... and from that day on, too.
Now we still have warm days here, hot ones even, but the evenings and early mornings are ‘crisper’, and I’m back to wearing jeans again. Sigh...
The nail in this particular coffin was the clocks going back yesterday. It’s our third Autumn in Modica then.
It’s not all ‘bad news’ mind you. ‘Tis the season for watermelons, olives, pomegranates, chestnuts, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts and cactus fruits (including our own!).
So mustn’t grumble!

Little Things

It’s the little things that often make all the difference.
A difference especially to your physical and mental wellbeing. A big thing at any time in your life ... no matter your age or circumstance. And that’s f’sure the case for the pair of us here in Modica. Thankfully!

Another 'benefit'...

Things like being greeted by name when you’re out-and-about.
By people who genuinely care about your answer to their “Come va?” (“How are you?”). And who appreciate, in turn, you asking them the same thing. Whether it’s a waitress or cafe owner, a shop manager or checkout person, or indeed that retired doctor or neighbour on her way to the shops.
It makes a huge difference: You feel accepted and, therefore, more accepting of others.
Knowing whereabouts you are in your home town, no matter where you find yourself in it, is another plus.
It’s like the city itself has accepted you, because you appreciate its many twists and turns, steps up and down, uncovered shortcuts, and quirky ways. Something you can only do by taking the time to walk it, like we did before having to get a car.
Of course, sometimes it’s those things that others may think are way less ‘important’.
Like being able to indulge my love for ‘peanut butter’, even here! Okay it’s a tad expensive. Or that I can order a ciambella at a number of cafes. Because everyone knows a ring doughnut is one of life’s essentials!
Do appreciate what you have.

More Soon...

Heart of the Matter

On Thursday the 10th of September 2015, I experienced the first of two heart attacks.

Which I entirely ignored: Putting it down to just being tired after a long walk.
The second happened the following Saturday night, and that did scare me. Because that one I entirely recognised for what it was. However, as it occurred while I was lying in bed, I promptly fell asleep afterwards!
Go figure!

'Hospital Property' indeed!

Despite that, in denial, I still ignored what had happened, and carried on as normal that Sunday. Further proof, if needed, that men are doofuses when it comes to medical issues! Waking up Monday though, feeling both unwell and somewhat guilty by then, I thought it best I mention said episodes to Alice.
Who promptly dragged me off to our doctor. All the while, quite correctly, lecturing me on the need to look after myself, given my family’s medical history. It was, and of course, the right thing to do.
The doctor promptly fired up the ECG machine and, despite finding nothing concerning, an ambulance was nevertheless called, and off to hospital we went.
I mentioned my family’s medical history? Well … my father died at 47, and my grandfather at 57, both from heart disease. “What an idiot!” you’re thinking.
And you’d f’sure be right! But, while there’s a lesson here for everyone not to do what I did, I’m thankful in a bizarre way.
Because without this life-changing incident … my life wouldn’t have changed.
 

Celebrations

It’s always good to reflect on where you are in life right now.
It helps to sharpen and bring into focus what’s important and, equally, what’s not. Perhaps as important though is the need to celebrate what’s gone before.
My heart attack ‘milestone’ maybe not being the cause for any celebration, of course!
But thinking about the more heart-warning here, September f’sure is the month for great joy in la famiglia Kelly.

Lucky me...

I mean, last Saturday (the 24th) saw Alice and me celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary: We were married, in Wellington NZ, way back in 1988. More than a lifetime ago for some reading this blog!
While it seems a lifetime ago for us too ... it also feels like only yesterday that I was stammering through my wedding vows opposite the most wonderful person I’d ever met. Lucky for me then that I get to be with that very same wonderful person each and every day then!
I say that (not only) ‘cause it’s true but because, without Alice, I couldn’t possibly be here: In Italy; and in Sicily. She’s made that a reality.
Another happy milestone occurred yesterday: My 64th birthday. I now f’sure have more history than future, but that’s okay. I’m entirely happy now in my own (albeit wrinkled) skin.
Something else I can thank my wife and, by extension Sicily, for!
Our eldest, Adam, also turns 31 on the 29th. Yet another reason to raise a glass.
No excuse really needed, of course!

Last But Not Least

As I said: September is f’sure a month for milestones and celebrations.
And there’s still more to come, sorry. Not sorry.
Because, y’see, I began my “kiwi4everhome” blog two and a half years ago.
On Thursday the 26th of March 2020 that was: Two and a half years ago to the day mind you! Why did I decide I had to put aside several hours each month to do so? Well, initially, it was to scribe down what we were then doing about changing our lives.
Or thinking about doing. All the while hoping it’d be for the better, of course.
Now though it’s morphed nicely into what it’s like actually living here in Modica. A change for the better I have to say.

Anyways, on Saturday the 26th of September 2020, we boarded our 11:45 EasyJet flight from London to Catania. That one-way flight being six months to the day after beginning this blog. Was this ‘serendipity’, ‘synchronicity’ … or mere ‘coincidence’?
I don’t particularly care really. Because whatever it was, it does mean today is, and naturally, a cause for especial celebration. As that flight was itself exactly two years ago.
In ending, I’ll just say that the last two and a half years since the 26th of March 2020 have been one hell of a ride! And y’know, I still have a .pdf copy of that boarding pass, just in case we ever forget.
Not that that’s very likely to happen, of course.

More Soon...

Vita è Troppo Breve

Life is too short indeed.

Why state the obvious here? Because of course you always think about stuff like this when something tragic happens.

In our case, it was the heart-breaking news that the husband of a friend of ours died this month. From cancer. That most cruel of all diseases.
Now Alice and I didn’t know him as well as we should (could) have, but then we all get wrapped up in our own lives. No excuse I know, but that’s one of the (other) harsh realities of life.
Human nature being what it is, when you get the saddest of news like this you get to thinking about your own life. You begin weighing up the pros and cons of what you have, or have not, done. What you’ve achieved during the limited time we all have. And equally so … what you haven’t.
But I have to reckon this need not necessarily be a depressing subject to think about.
We all are, after all, merely human and therefore all of us are ‘accident prone’. By that I mean subject to making what could be seen as ‘mistakes’ or ‘miscalculations’, rather than ‘wins’.
It’s all about balance. If’n at the end of our days, long or cut short, others can say with some certainty that the good we did, or that was in us, outweighed the bad, then that’s gotta count as a ‘win’, surely?

But by any measure, Jon was a good man.

Theatre

Statistically, a higher percentage of Sicilians regularly attend church than elsewhere in Italy.
While not ‘scientific proof’, I’m happy to attest that I’ve noticed this when out walking in the city on any given Sunday morning.

Seen outside an abandoned home...

Certainly, more are going to church in Modica than I noticed when visiting and/or living in the north of the country. I’m talking young families here too, not just the middle-aged, or the solo elderly.
Now I’m not religious at all. Something I won’t apologise for I’m afraid, but then I do have respect for those who believe.
I will, however, admit to attending more masses in the last two years than I have in the previous decade at least! It’d be uber-hard not to in a place often described as “The city of a hundred churches”.
Why have I been to so many? Well, there are two distinct reasons.
Firstly, a mass always proceeds a religious procession. Such processions are great pageants to witness, and do bring a community together in a way nothing else can seem to. Except perhaps football! Anyways, I believe that if’n you’re attending one ... then at the very least you should attend the other.
The other reason being that I enjoy the ‘theatre’ of Roman Catholicism. There’s so obviously comfort in, for example, the reciting of the rosary before a mass that I find fascinating. Also, when you’ve decided to settle somewhere, shouldn’t you respect the local social customs?
It’s the very least one can do.

Cavalcades

I’ve talked before of these local religious festivals-come-processions?
Specifically, April’s “Madonna Vasa Vasa” and “Festa di San Giorgio”. Both of which were widely advertised, being big draw cards for, besides us locals, other Sicilians and loadsa tourists too.
But there are many others not so well known. And perhaps more important to their communities as these grander affairs are to the wider city, of course!
And many of them remain unknown to us imports. Modicans know all about them: It’s just that the locals seem to assume we should too.
Somehow.

A for-instance here: A modicano friend, when asked about any festivals coming up in June, stated there weren’t any. Yet when I queried about the “Corpus Domini” one I thought was on that month? His answer was: “Yes … except for that one, of course.”
So, for my own piece of mind here (and perhaps for others?), I’ve decided I’d better create a webpage listing all the known “Feste a Modica” (Modican Festivals). I mean: I spent hours on Google trying to make a definitive list and, while I did uncover several, I only discovered two by stumbling across random posters, in dusty shop windows, down side streets…
All that aside, and thus far, my list stretches to a grand total of 17! Albeit three of these don’t involve actual processions, but are of great local importance, so f’sure warrant inclusion.
Why am I so interested?
Well, are we not now both a part of this community too?

More Soon...

Un Giorno Felice!

A very happy day!

The 29th of July has been a day of celebration for us for the last 28 years. Because it’s our youngest son’s birthday. Especially important this year as he got married this month too!
However, this year the 29th takes on even more importance ... because it also happens to mark the first anniversary of us picking up the keys to our ‘kiwi4everhome’.
Yup!

A year ago today, we popped into our ufficio notarile (notary’s office) and scored the keys to our dream home. And such it has turned out to be too: Our safe haven against the outside world; our little corner of this planet that no one can take away from us; in short ... our forever home.
A place that’s proven, time and again, to be more than adequate for a couple of old(er) Kiwis!
Especially now that we’ve got it into a state we’re very happy with. I mean: We’ve replaced all the windows with double-glazed ones; we installed a brand-new kitchen; and, except for a couple of pieces, all of our furniture is brand new too.
Of course, we’d chosen the property initially because we thought its location would be perfect. Being within a few minutes’ walk (no stairs!) from about every retail establishment we’d ever require.
I’m talking supermarkets, chemists, bakeries, butchers, fish shops, etc., here, as well as the equally-important cafes and bars! And we park our car only a few minutes away.
Happy days indeed!

No Place Like It?

We arrived back from our son’s wedding in Mexico recently.
Afterwards, I posted this on Facebook: “Landing in Rome didn’t do it … but landing in Catania did. It felt like arriving HOME…”

And it really was the strangest feeling for me. I mean, I’ve always been a bit of a ‘gypsy’? Someone who likes to move about the place. Someone who, quite frankly, has always found it hard to settle down. Anywhere.
Ask my long-suffering wife!
Look at our shared life over the last 37 years: We’d settle in the UK (Basingstoke, Windsor, Hornchurch) then a few years later would up and move back to NZ (Wellington, Napier, Auckland). Rinse-and-repeat!
Something also reflected in my so-called ‘career’. Since getting my start in IT in 1985, I’ve held over 40 positions in as many different companies, in five different countries!
Was this because my father stayed at the same mind-numbingly boring job for decades until he died? And that wasn’t going to be my fate? Maybe. Maybe not.
F’sure my parents never moved once they’d settled down to raise their family. I cannot say the same, I’m afraid!
When I was in my 40’s, a friend said I’d have to settle down some time. I told him I was too damned old to settle down! And so it proved.
But arriving In Catania felt … different. It felt like I’d arrived. ‘Home’, like I said.
I’ll state here for the record: I ain’t ever moving again.

Had to Happen?

In March 2020, we survived the first UK lockdown.
That over, in July 2020, we managed to travel to Sicily for our successful ‘fact-finding’ trip-come-holiday. Decision made, we landed here in September to begin our new life in Modica. Incidentally, beating by days a travel ban from the UK!

Nasty little buggers...!

Since then, we survived any number of national, island-wide and local lockdowns without incident. We kept to the rules; we kept safe; and we were uber-sensible. As one should be, of course!
Then, in July 2022, it was off to Ensenada in Mexico, to witness our youngest son get married.
A welcome addition to the family, a wonderful country, and new friends (and relatives!) made. In short: An absolute joy, and an experience I wouldn’t change for anything.
Well … except for maybe one little thing.
Y’see, we survived that four-flight journey from Tijuana in Mexico to Catania, arriving home in Modica on the afternoon of Thursday the 14th. Jet-lagged f’sure, but otherwise happy enough.
But then the next day Alice said she felt unwell. Long story short: COVID!
It took her nine days to shake it off. And wouldn’t you know it, after thinking myself somehow ‘immune’, on Friday 22nd of July, I also tested positive.
Luckily, we had (have) only mild symptoms: Sore throat, a cough, tiredness and (in my case) grumpiness! Likely thanks to having three vaccinations, I’m sure, but still very unpleasant.
Update: Tested on Thursday the 28th July … and I’m COVID free!

More Soon...

A Day in the Life

What's a ‘typical’ day like for me then?

As you'd expect, given retirement, it ain't gonna consist of trotting off to an office, I’m afraid.
Sorry. Not sorry!

My favourite early morning view - up to Alta

Anyways, what does a 'standard' day here involve then? Now I'm an early riser, often only managing five to six hours sleep a night so, in order to wake myself up, I go for a brisk walk most mornings.
Once back, I park myself in front of my PC and get on with any correspondence, checking my social media, labelling photos, language learning ... and sometimes even writing a blog!
As Alice is often still asleep, this is my 'me time', and it's also the time when I have my two (large) daily coffees. I'm so a creature of habit now!
Then there’s doing stuff about the house and/or going for a sight-seeing drive out of Modica. Once that’s done, it has to be ‘nanny-nap’ time! Given my lack of sleep, you’ll get no apology from me.
Once up, it’s back on my PC until the ‘grumpy old man’ phase passes then, as so many locals do, we’ll often go out for another walk (la passeggiata).
Here Alice will try and keep me away from any bar we happen to pass, then it’s back home for dinner. Evenings often consist of sitting up on the terrace, and then watching some TV show, movie or YouTube before bed.
Rinse and repeat? Maybe.
But I love my life now!

Un Aperitivo

On the subject of bars, ordering an aperitivo (apéritif) or digestivo (digestif) is so a thing here.

A way of life that I've fully embraced. Need proof? Ask my wife!
For the uneducated, what's the difference then?
An aperitivo's an alcoholic drink one should enjoy before a meal 'to stimulate the appetite', and it's usually more dry than sweet. Now a digestivo is also a dry-ish alcoholic drink, but one taken after a meal 'to aid the digestion', as the name implies.
Please do note: In either case, we're not talking breakfast here! I mean, everyone knows that's the time for a caffè corretto, of course.

Our aperitivi of choice...

Anyways, given how 'late' most Italians dine, a classic Italian aperitivo should be enjoyed sometime between 7pm and 9pm. And one of the most popular here in Modica would be the 'Aperol Spritz', or simply 'Spritz', as it's the most common type.
This is Alice's favourite, while my aperitivo of choice would be the even more bitter 'Campari Spritz'. Either way, such drinks should contain the likes of dry vermouth, Campari, gin, etc., being dry and/or bitter.
In contrast, digestivi often contain more sugar and/or alcohol, thereby offering a somewhat richer flavour. Great examples would be a shot of limoncello or, and my personal favourite, a grappa.
Now there are some who claim a glass of wine can be an aperitivo or digestivo? Even a semi-sweet prosecco. Sacrilege, I say!
But whatever your poison of choice: ‘Cin cin’ (‘Cheers’) or ‘Salute’ (‘Health’).

“Not That One!”

As we’ve now covered when to drink what.
Or should that read what to drink when? Either way, the burning question now becomes: Where to drink it?
Now it’s here I’ve found, over the course of our three-plus decades together, that I’m … somewhat … less discriminating than my lovely wife. At least when it comes to drinking places.
When walking about a less salubrious part of any town or city, a typical conversation runs something like: "What about this bar then?" Alice’s answer here most often being: "Not that one!"
And that, as it should be of course, is that.

One of our favourites: 'Bar del Duomo'

Luckily for me then, there seem to be few of ‘those’ types of establishments here! In fact, we’ve a great choice in Modica, this being a tourist destination and all.
However, such areas can be expensive. And that’s why we always ‘spread the love’ when it comes to which bar and/or café we choose to spend our hard-earned euros in. I say this because we have friends here who religiously stick with one establishment only. Their ‘local’ if you will.
While I for one see nothing wrong with that: It’s just that each and every place has its pros and cons. And we’ve found, during our travels, that not spending all our time in one tends to balance such things out.
Before you ask? F’sure there are some establishments here even I wouldn’t be caught dead in!
Being those tabaccai (tobacconists) with attached bar places mainly...

More Soon...

 

Summertime

When it's 22C at 05:58 in late May, you know Summer's just around the corner!

Meaning, in combination with a humidity reading of only 37%, that the living's suddenly become easy.

Damn hot...!

Someone stated Spring would literally switch to Summer over the course of a single day here. They were right! We were just too busy to notice last year.
Anyways, I adore Summer: The endless sunny days; the azure-blue cloudless skies; the midday stillness and quiet; needing to only wear minimal clothing; and having to drink plenty of liquids.
Although Alice spoils the latter by stating that doesn't include alcohol. But still, it all combines to make this my favourite season of all.
Okay, it can f'sure get hot. Here in SE Sicily, it officially reached 48.8C last August! And, given climate change, it's very likely to reach that (at least) again.
Now is there such a thing as 'too hot'?
The answer is an obvious 'yes', of course, but if'n you're sensible, it's standable. I mentioned that quiet around midday? That's because sensible locals are indoors, with their blinds drawn, staying as cool as they can.
The midday riposo of two to three-plus hours many businesses and offices take here turns from minor annoyance into entirely understandable!
At its most extreme, stepping out into the sun can hit you like a wall of heat. And we experienced just that last year. At least four times over that Summer.
But we’re sensible … and it’s coming up watermelon season!

Growing Season

Spring and early Summer here in Sicily means the growing season.
That and the re-appearance of the uber-fast, acrobatic Swifts from sub-Saharan Africa, of course.
However, along with the many and varied seasonal crops produced here for us to so enjoy dining upon, it's also time for weeds and other unwanted plants. Which, and naturally, also enjoy a revival at this time of year!
They're flowering, which okay can be a feast for the eyes, but they're not welcome in certain 

The wall of a local school

areas: Like in the many crevices of our centuries-old home.
Now we've handled our particular situation by nuking 'em with weed killer. RIP weeds! But others aren't doing the same, and that's a real shame.
I'm not talking 'bout our fellow homeowners here, if'n they want plants growing in, on and about their buildings? Fill ya boots, as they say. That's entirely their prerogative.
No, what I'm talking about here are our local monuments and/or tourist attractions: The many churches; and both civic and privately-owned historic buildings.
The vast majority of which sport weeds. Growing from their roofs, window ledges, and cracks-and-crevices. There doesn’t appear to be a single one here without them!
I mean: There’s nothing more disconcerting than gazing up in wonder at a 300-plus year-old architectural masterpiece … and seeing a 2m fig tree growing from a rain spout 20m above your head … or maybe a cactus sprouting from its guttering or roof.
I know money’s tight, but surely something could be done?

Speaking the Lingo

Alice speaks fluent Italian, and is often praised for it.
Now she'll claim she isn't that fluent: That she still struggles with some concepts and technical terms? But if you can get a local bureaucrat onside; argue with delivery men; and explain exactly what's required to your builder?
Then you're 'fluent enough' yeah?

On the other hand, there's me. Still struggling with stringing sentences together; forgetting words I know I know (if you know what I mean?); and only remembering what I should've said way after the fact...
I have to say, some concepts in Italian drive me crazy!
Take gender now: Italian uses grammatical gender, even for the inanimate. For example, while a candle (candela) or an orange (arancia) are feminine; a chicken (pollo) or umbrella (ombrello) are masculine.
Then a moment (momento) is male; while an hour (ora) is female. At least those ‘a’ and ‘o’ endings help!
Then there are adjectives. Which are usually after the noun they modify, and agree with the nouns in gender and number.
For example, il vestito rosso means 'the red dress', but (literally) is written and said as 'the dress red'. And this becomes i vestiti rossi when it's 'dresses'.
And don't get me started on verbs! In English 'to say' in the present tense uses 'say' or 'says' ... but dire (to say) here is either dico, dici, dice, diciamo, dite or dicono!

On the up side, pronunciation is fairly easy, being phonetic more often than not.

More Soon...

A Sad Fact?

Death, of course, is ‘only’ the final act of living.

And it’s so very common. Literally an everyday occurrence. I mean: We’ve all lost someone, will lose someone and, being mortal, will eventually lose ourselves.
Why bring this up? Am I gettin’ maudlin because I have way more history than future?
Nope!
It’s just that here in Sicily (and throughout much of Italy) death is accepted as a part of living. In that it’s not hidden away. Notices of passing are not consigned to the ‘Births, Deaths & Marriages’ column of the local newspaper, as they are in most Anglo-Saxon countries.

Death notice boards

Sounds weird I know, but you see funeral posters and mourning notices everywhere here.
And I do mean ‘everywhere’! There are at least four dedicated death notice boards right here in Modica Bassa.
Every church also has notices of upcoming funerals, or anniversary masses, on its railings outside. And then, notices are often fixed to the outside of the deceased’s home, and throughout the local neighbourhood too.
The latter staying fixed to the wall until time and weather cause them to fade away.
There’s an open honesty about this that I find … endearing. It’s not hidden away: It’s celebrated and broadcast so everyone knows of their passing, and where and when they can pay their final respects.
Sadly, we’ve found people we knew, but didn’t know they’d died, this way.
Note that I’m not in any hurry to have my picture plastered about town, okay?

Un Caffè

On a lighter note: Ordering a coffee is one of life’s great pleasures!
Note that “un caffè” here means “an espresso” ... and nothing else.

My personal coffee pot...

Since being responsible for importing the first coffee beans into Europe, its consummation in Italy has grown somewhat! Particularly after the 1884 invention of the espresso machine in Turin. Followed by Alfonso Bialetti’s 1933 invention of the iconic stovetop moka pot.
Since then, of course, Italy’s built up this coffee culture which is admired (and imitated) world-wide.
My native NZ was a little late to the ‘coffee culture’ scene, with espresso machines only popping up in cafés from the 1980’s. However, it’s worth mentioning that instant coffee was invented in 1890 by New Zealander David Strang!
Anyways, and like everything here, there are ‘rules’ when it comes to drinking this wonderful beverage.
For example: Cappuccino is a strictly breakfast drink, made to accompany your morning cornetto (croissant) or brioche. And any native who orders one after around 11am would f’sure get a sideways look.
Although us foreigners may just about get away with it: I’m looking at you, Alice!
I’ve actually cut back on drinking coffee here. In my defence though, that was instant, and I’m now exclusively an espresso-junky! Rich, dark, strong and lovely, I only have 2-3 cups a day now.
Okay … my moka pot is a ‘4-espresso-cup’ model, but still!
Another rule? Never wash your moka pot with soap: That built-up residue is key to the flavour.
Lesson learnt!

OMG

I’ve written about death and coffee ... so it must be time for religion then!
Due to us now being firmly in the grip of the ‘Festival Season’ both here in Modica and throughout Sicily.
That is: Religious festivals. F’sure a ‘thing’ here in this most Catholic corner of Italy. The locals do appear to be more religious than many other parts of this country I’ve lived in or visited.
The bells being testament to that! Pun intended. Not sorry.
They peel rigorously at 8am, noon and 8pm every day; ring the quarter hours; and also 10 minutes prior to mass.
But what really draws the punters in are the aforementioned festivals. The city being packed with locals, visitors and tourists for two consecutive festival weekends.

“Madonna Vasa Vasa” (left) & “Festival di San Giorgio” (right)

First came the “Madonna Vasa Vasa” (“Madonna Kiss Kiss”), on Easter Sunday.
Here the statues of “The Risen Christ” and “The Madonna” were paraded separately through the streets before meeting, when the Madonna joyfully kisses Jesus.
Then last weekend there was the “Festival di San Giorgio”.
St. George being Modica’s patron saint. Now his equestrian statue, with obligatory dragon, is carried all about the place: From the valley bottom to the highest point in the city.
An eight-hour journey!
I do have to say that while we loved both festivals, it was San Giorgio’s that made the biggest impression. The joy on every face, either participating or watching, was a … revelation. Especially given the last two years.
And there’s more to come!

More Soon...

 

Withdrawal Symptoms

The Withdrawal Agreement signed between the UK government and the EU allowed us, as British passport holders, to receive a new post-Brexit electronic residence card here in Italy.

This "Carta di Soggiorno" (lit. ‘Residence Card’) could be obtained from your nearest police HQ (questura) and, while not obligatory (as we can prove residency anyway), it was seen as useful. Especially for international travel.

Now we initially didn’t feel the urge to get one as any new process here was bound to throw up … difficulties. That’s because Italy equals burocrazia (bureaucracy) and confusion, of course, and the CdS was neck-deep in it from the off.
I mean: Some questure hadn’t heard of it; others made up the process as they went along; and some simply chose to ignore it altogether! Few got it right, from one end of the country to the other.
After letting things settle down a little, we decided we’d better get ours anyways, as agencies here were now asking for it. Not demanding it: But the pressure was on.
So, we fronted up to the Ragusa questura with all the documents needed. On top of that, they also required our fingerprints.
And that’s when things got interesting. Because, while Alice’s were fine, mine apparently weren’t!
Long story short? Since March 2021, I’ve had my fingerprints taken four times! The last time a policeman said to me: “I’ve found it easier to take fingerprints off of a cadaver…!”
And I’m still waiting for my card!

Non-Pet Hate

The current bane of my wife’s life is ... “Columba livia domestica”.
The humble pigeon!
Those coo-ing menaces who’ve shared our city spaces since like forever.

An ‘urban terror’ given a new name in 1966, when NYC’s Parks Commissioner coined the now-infamous term: “Rats with wings”. And who can forget how London’s then-Mayor Livingstone declared war on those “flying rats” frequenting Trafalgar Square in the early 2000’s?
Why Alice’s obsession? Well, despite our newly-installed double-glazing, that “coo-coo” of theirs isn’t at all endearing to my wife, as it apparently wakes her up too early.
Me? I don’t mind them too much, as I’m up uber-early every morning anyways.
But then, good husband that I am: Her problem becomes my problem!
Okay, I will admit, they can be damned annoying. Especially given we have so many empty and/or abandoned houses around ours. Properties where the flying rodents roost inside of, on their ledges, or under their eaves.
And, of course, they poop everywhere!
Now here, it’s illegal to poison ‘em: Scare them off, by all means; but no culling allowed. Given that, I fired up ‘Google’ and sought remedies. Frustrating f’sure, as there are as many ‘sure-fire solutions’ as there are ‘it don’t work’s!
So, compromising, I came up with a number of (maybe) solutions: Bird spikes, twirling, hanging and shiny wind spirals; metres of reflective tape; and a cayenne pepper anti-bird spray recipe. All of which appear to work at least some of the time.
The fight continues!

My Turn Now

In the spirit of fairness, I thought it best (as did Alice!) I mention my current interest.
Ever since we bought our home here, I’ve become somewhat obsessed by … cacti.

"Coral", our Opuntia microdasys var. pallida f. cristata.

Y’see, when we first moved in back in July 2021, we found that besides our new home, we were now also the proud owners of three damn-near dead cacti plants. That is: A ‘prickly pear cactus’; a ‘crested bunny ears cactus’; and a ‘lemon ball cactus’.
No surprise to those who know me, I did extensive research to find out exactly what they were!
Personally taking them on as a ‘project’, I nursed all three back to full health, and with that, a new hobby was born. Alright, I’ll admit I’m now fascinated by them, as I find them so very interesting!
Every time we go for a walk or drive now, my long-suffering wife rolls her eyes when I point out: “Now that’s a fine-looking cactus, yeah?” And believe me, as we’re in Sicily, where the climate’s perfect for ‘em, that’s said several times a day, I’m sorry.
Not sorry though!
The good thing is that, as I’m no gardener, cacti are so very easy to grow, that even I can do it. They’re perfect for growing on a terrace, as we have no garden.
To date, I’m now the proud owner of 11 different varieties, and my collection’s growing (pun intended!). Alice has now taken to calling them: “Your babies…”
Well she ain’t wrong!

More Soon...

Crossing the Line

 We’ve only gone and done it!

17 months after arriving in Sicily, we can say we’ve made it, yeah? That we’ve gone from arriving here with a couple of bags full o’ hopes and dreams ... and loadsa research notes ... to settling into our ‘kiwi4everhome’.
What do I mean by this?
I mean not only do we have about every document, card and permission we need to both legally and permanently reside here: Our home is finished, done, and as near as damn it complete!

Our pre-renovated kitchen.

It’s fully furnished, (most) boxes are unpacked, it’s double-glazed, has a new kitchen, and all major renovation works have been completed.
So that’s it: We’ve got our house in order.
We’ve crossed the line.
Okay, and of course, there’s still the “rats and mice” things to do. But nothing that can’t be done at our leisure, and over this coming Summer. Nothing that’ll hold up our (ongoing) enjoyment of living here on our island in the sun, in the Mediterranean.
It’s been one hell of a rollercoaster ride though: Ups, downs, and lotsa going round and round in circles, but we’ve arrived. We’ve made it. We’re here now.
And this is forever, by the way, ‘cause we ain’t for moving. When I stated, way back in March 2020, we were looking for a ‘forever home’, that’s exactly and precisely what I meant.
Now some believed then (and maybe still believe now) we’d only end up moving again?
That won’t be happening!

Being First

Along with getting our house in order, we’ve also gotten a car.
While it is, of course, our second most expensive purchase here, it’s been so worth it ‘cause it’s granted us something wonderful: Independence.

Let's celebrate our independence!

Independence from the somewhat archaic and often disorganised modes of public transport available to us in our wee corner of the world. And independence from relying on the many wonderful friends we’ve made here who’ve gone out of their way (literally!) to transport us all about the place.
However, as we all know, for every ‘upside’ there’s so gotta be a ‘downside’, and the biggest downside, besides the cost of fuel right now, are our fellow road users!
I say ‘road users’ because it’s not just other drivers: It’s the moped and motorcycle users; and don’t start me on the pedestrians!
The late, great Clive James, in his “Postcard from Rome” programme, got perhaps the best answer I’ve ever heard to the question when he asked: “Why do Italian drivers drive the way they do?”
His taxi driver answering: “Because we must be first...” Which does about sum it up, I have to reckon!
Said driver also stated that road signs, and road rules, could (and should) be ignored when inconvenient...
We can confirm this to be the case. I will say though, that most of the local drivers here are pretty good overall. They f’sure have far more patience than we’ve observed elsewhere in Italy at least.
Still drive like lunatics though!

Money, Money, Money...

So, our house is now a cosy home, and we’re fully mobile ... but what about the dreaded ‘F’ word: Finances?

Balancing budgets...

Those who’ve been following me since the beginning’ll know I’m a little annaly retentive! If there’s any way of doing it, then I’m all for firing up a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet.
One ‘positive’ from 30-plus years in IT!
So, I’ve been doing end-of-month spreadsheets. Beginning with “1 Total Funds - 23rd October 2020”, created a month after we arrived here, and up to last months: “16 Total Funds - 31st January 2022”.
And no, you’ll get no details!
What I will say is that well before landing here, I’d worked out what I thought was a good, do-able, monthly budget. One designed for two (older) non-working adults, with no in-house kids, and no outstanding or future debts (e.g. no mortgage, borrowing, etc.).
I know, I know: “Okay Boomer” right? In my defence, I opted for unemployment as I can’t get a state pension for another two years.
Anyways, one thing I did uber-research was the Sicilian cost of living. Specifically concerning Ragusa province, where possible, using several ‘comparison’ websites covering the costs of food, utilities, transportation, entertainment, etc.
Long story short? Factoring out buying the house, car, renovations, etc., I reckoned we could live comfortably on a comparatively modest budget here. And, over this last 16 months, we’ve been spending around 90% of what I’d reckoned on per month.
That’s f’sure not bad!

More Soon...

Buon Anno (Happy New Year)

January 2022? January 2022!

It’s a source of constant amazement to me that ... well ... I’ve lasted this long, yeah?
Okay, that does sound a bit morbid but, in my defence, I was born in 1958, and now I find myself in 2022! Who would’ve thought? Not me.

To you and yours from me and mine!

A wise man said: “The days may drag, but the year’s fly by...” While more a reflection of those days when I was still working for a living, I do have to say that the years have f’sure flown by!
It seems only yesterday I was recovering from my heart attack (2015); that we were planning our move to the UK (2017); and then moving again from there to here.
We’ve achieved so much since we landed in Catania (for Modica) on Saturday the 26th of September 2020. Only 16 short months ago now!
Exiting that EasyJet flight, all we had were two suitcases, a whole lot of research notes on my laptop, and our Italian codici fiscali (tax codes). After uttering a wee prayer or two to the gods of chance, we also left that plane with one hell of a lot of hope.
Hope that the extensive research I’d done was enough. Hope that we’d actually enjoy living in (not just visiting) Modica. And hope that abbiamo avuto le palle (we had the balls) to not only survive but thrive!
It appears we did have le palle, and I feel 2022 will be awesome!

Naivety

According to Merriam-Webster, to be naïve is to have, or demonstrate, a lack of experience or knowledge.
And I noted a classic case of this just the other day, on one of the Facebook groups I belong to.
Obviously just off the plane, and in Palermo, this person talked of not wanting to “give up on my Sicilian dream just yet”.
This because they’d found “trash bins ... pouring out onto the streets” and “faeces all over the side walk”. They then went on to ask if anyone knew of a cleaner area in Palermo? Or perhaps other “cleaner cities on the island?”
The reason I’m focusing on this particular post, over many others, is that it uber-highlights that distinct lack of knowledge some have when arriving here.

'Nuff said...

I’m not talking tourists: These are people wanting to settle here. Why oh why didn’t they do some (at least basic) research before setting foot on Sicily? I mean: C’mon! ‘Rose-tinted glasses’ and all that!
Before even thinking about making the move, I’d Googled things like ‘problems in Sicily’, ‘infrastructure in Sicily’, and ‘best places to live in Sicily’. Basic, simple stuff that takes seconds to do.
Did it take the shine off? F’sure it did! But this is what being realistic means, doesn’t it? You do your research, into the good, the bad, and - yes - the ugly, before even thinking about boarding that plane, surely?
We’ve still been shocked, but that’s all part of life and living yeah?

Crimes and Misdemeanours

It may come as somewhat of a surprise, but crime rates are fairly low here in Sicily!
Statistically, in 2020, it was actually Milan, Bologna and Rimini that were the ‘leading’ areas for reported crimes in Italy. In fact, no Sicilian city even makes the top 15.
That’s not to say crime doesn’t exist here. Of course it does! But it just doesn’t directly impact our lives.

It’s petty crime, like pickpocketing, that’s more of a ‘threat’ to us. Although (again statistically) on the island it’s no worse than elsewhere in Italy.

F’sure Modica ain’t Palermo, Catania or Messina, of course. Places which could be intimidating if’n you don’t take sensible precautions. I mean, we don’t flash the cash or expensive items about, and never leave anything of value in plain sight.
A standard operating procedure in any town or city we’ve ever lived in or visited. And we’ve both lived in and visited more than a few!
Now let’s address the elephant in the room here.
You have to know one of the first things most friends said about Sicily (including some Italian ones) was: “What about the Mafia...?”
To which I replied: “What about ‘em…?”
When it comes to ‘Mafia-like’ criminal organisations, Campania (with its capital Naples) has the largest number of such organisations.
While Sicily naturally does feature, it’s fourth on the list. A statistic I can live with!
Anyways, no mafioso is gonna bother with a couple of middle-aged Kiwis.
I can hope!

More Soon...