Day 3: Acireale

---

February 24, 2008: Santa Maria La Scala, Italy

Cats...
...there's something very unsettling about cats. They always stare as I walk past, as if trying to figure out exactly what I am or what I want. I get a feeling of cold calculation when I look into a cat's eyes. A sense that tells me they're working things out and biding their time until we drop our guard, and then bam! they take over and we're all working in the catnip fields under lock and chain. Needless to say, I am not fond of cats. The fact that for the second night in a row the feral cats in the area woke me up with their persistent humping certainly hasn't endeared them to me any further.
Today started off with a more pleasing thought: I get to head downhill. Santa Maria La Scala, a five minute walk from the campground, is a small fishing village that is more reminiscent of what I expected to find through most of Sicily. A pine tree-lined square overlooking the harbor of small fishing boats, a solitary cart along one of the side streets selling produce, old women talking to each other across balconies as they hang their laundry on the line to dry, a quiet town where everybody knows each others names: this is what I came to see. Unfortunately the town isn't terribly big so most of my exploration took place in the time it has taken to read this paragraph. Not that that detracted from the enjoyment, but I found myself with slightly more time on my hands than I had expected. After meandering through town, taking in the quaint and endearing aspects of a village that lives life more slowly, I begin the ascent back to the campground where I have ample time to think, to write, to draw, and to plan what to do next.
Sicily, so far, has been disappointing. That is not to say that the people have been disappointing. On the contrary, the people I've met have been exceedingly generous and patient with me, the true saving grace of Sicily. What's disappointing is that I believed a foreign country would be a complete change of pace. What I found was a similar Western culture with a different facade. Despite the fact that Santa Maria La Scala and Acireale were smaller towns about fifteen miles from the main town of Catania, there was never a break in cities the whole way up; one merged into the other. The sprawl invoked a slight claustrophobic feeling as I walked around Santa Maria La Scala. Since these towns are so old, the compact structure with which they were originally designed has endured. The fact that all of these compact towns begin to spread, yet keep their compact design, is what's causing me to feel enclosed. Imagine a labyrinth that's twenty miles square, populated by a people whom you can't understand and who can't understand you, full of little customs you are not familiar with, throw in scooters and cars playing pedestrian tag, and that should begin to describe the claustrophobia and isolation I felt.
Besides that, I have done everything I planned on doing here in these two days, and yet I still have no concrete plans for departure, nor where I will head next. Yesterday, I think, spoiled me. Having someone to walk around with was a definite boon. Contrasting that with the solo excursion today (which was still enjoyable) leaves me wanting to share these experiences with someone. That's why I'm really looking forward to meeting Henrik in Sweden, and my family in Rome. No word from Henrik yet as to when he's free, but just the fact that he's trying to make time to meet me ahead of schedule is reassuring, especially considering the conversation went something like this:
"Hello, Henrik?"
"Yes?"
"Hi, this is Matt."
"Oh hey Matt, what's going on?"
"Well, I'm in Italy now and was wondering if you'd mind meeting me a bit earlier than the end of April like we were planning?"
"Sure, when did you have in mind?"
"Somewhere in the neighborhood of... next week."
"Oh... uh, well I'll have to check on some things. Let me get back to you."
Though I would like to see Taormina and a few other cities close by, it's probably best I wait for Henrik to get back to me so I can figure out my schedule. For now, I'll relax, hit my tent and recharge my phone.

---