I'm sitting in a piazza in the center of the town of Santa Venerina just 5 km down the hill from the B+B. It's Sunday and there are about 8-10 men out in the piazza just gabbing. I think they all stare at me when I walked through because 1) I'm not someone they recognize. In these small towns I believe everyone knows everyone and they know I'm not one of them. And 2) there are no other women out. I guess all the women are either in church or at home cooking. And I'm sitting here with my laptop and I have never seen anyone outside with a laptop. So I'm probably a topic of their conversation.
The sun is SO hot on my right now, my legs are burning up under my pants. I tried to sit in the shade but was actually too cool. I can see the ocean off in the distance at eye level ahead of me and Etna behind me. I would like to walk the 11 Km. to the sea from here but wore boots that could not make the journey. They would be ok down but not back up. I tried to get a pair of walking sneakers (shoes) back when I was in Barletta. Being a good size city I figured that would be a place to look. But no one has big feet like me in Italy. I take a size 41 ( 10 U.S.) and most shoes that they carry here go up to 40 (9 U.S.) I've gotten by so far wearing my sandals but it was quite cold when I left this morning so wore boots. I made a few packing mistakes coming here. I should have packed my good walking sneakers instead of my biking shoes. I really believed I'd be biking everywhere but so far no one lets us take their bikes if they have them at all. Their websites all say they have them for WWOOFers to use.
Another mistake is I didn't bring enough reading material. I have been to numerous book stores and libraries looking for an English book to buy or borrow. NONE! I think of my stack of books on my wish stack back home wanting them all here. At least when I can't sleep at night I'd have something to read.
One thing I've learned is that Southern Italy is way different that the North. The people's attitude, work ethics and lack of friendliness just to name 3. People who are here now who have come from the North have all confirmed this to be true. I came to the South because it's Winter and I wanted to be warm. I emailed the next farm here in Sicily and asked if they have heat because here I have been cold at night sometimes because they don't want to turn on the heat. This next farm replied that they keep the 'very old Sicilian' farmhouse at about 13-15 deg. C. this is about 50-55 deg. Oh well. Maybe I can sit (or work) in the sun during the day while outside. I know I'll be warm then.
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