More Sicily.

9-30-08 SHORT HILLS: More on the trip—it was Mediterranean diet every day. The dinners were antipasto, pasta with veggies or fish, and main course, usually more fish and occasional meat. Lunch was two courses, antipasto and pasta. It was quite satisfying.

The dollar is almost down to half a euro--$200= €112. We weren’t driving, but gas is about $8-10 per gallon, converting liters to gallons and dollars to euros.

The weather was fine. We had a brief shower about every other day, and the afternoons were hot and evenings cool. The vegetation is similar to California—oleander, pomegranates, date palm, figs, olives, grapevines, citrus fruit, eucalyptus, cactus, banyan trees, cedars, bougainvillea and chestnuts on Mt. Etna.

The people often had some English and were willing to help. They would respond to questions even if they didn’t quite get it, but often inaccurately. We learned to ask more than once to get a consensus opinion. Directions were mostly gestures [not that one], but distances could be a few doors away or a half mile.