Darwin’s an impressionable, charming, and very bright young guy in his 20s, originally from Mauritius, living in Catania. We met him last year at the villa, as he is the son of the villa’s caretakers and he helps his parents with their workload at the villa. Those of you reading this, who were also at last year’s yoga retreat at Villa Saracena, will remember him.

“I work part time at a bar. The food’s the best. You should come by.  No, I don’t work on Thursdays, but I’ll plan on being there the night you come by.”

So we connected via “messenger” before our Thursday evening date with him and came to find out he no longer worked at the bar.  He had quit the night before we were going to meet. “The owner wouldn’t pay me, so I quit. But it’s ok, I’ll meet you there.”

After hearing more about his nightmarish-ex-boss, I suggested we meet elsewhere.  And so we had dinner with Darwin in an outdoor trattoria in the Massimo Bellini Opera House Piazza.  Darwin speaks English as if he were born in the back streets of London. He studied at Cambridge Preparatory High School while living with his uncle. He knows all the colloquial British English expressions, the good ones and the bad.  He’s witty, funny, charismatic, knows just about everyone, and is at that special place in his life, you know, where the whole wide world is about to unfold for you!

We enjoyed asking him questions and listened to his animated replies. As we conversed, people strolling by on their evening passeggiate saw him, and greeted him, “Eh, Darwinneh! Che mi dici?”  (Hey Darwin! What’s goin’ on, man!) And there was our attractive waitress, who came to our table one too many times so I asked him, “So, Darwin, is she your friend?”

“Well, yeah, yeah, but I don’t know her name. I just call her Mella. I call everyone Mella or something like that.  You know, Carmella/Carmello is such a popular name, so I just call everyone Mel, Mello, Mellina, Carmel, Armel, and you know, it kinda works. They love it! The women find it sexy when I call them Carmella!  Even if it’s not a given man or woman’s name, and 5 times out of 10 it is their name, they just get a kick of it. ”

He grabs his cell phone, unlocks it. Tosses it my way and says, “Look!”

I was wrapped up by his English accent and was trying to figure out why a woman would find it sexy to be called someone else’s name (in fact, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t like it if you called me Carmella!), but I managed to catch his phone.  He leaned over and opened up his contacts and there it was, in plain English, an endless list of Mellas and Mellos, and variants on the names, complete with phone numbers. Sometimes he writes in a second name to differentiate various friends: “Mello Grande (big), Mel Alto (tall), Carmello Birra (beer-probably had a beer with the guy), Carmella Serena (quiet, serene).”

I also noticed that when Darwin’s Italian friends, both men and women, young and old, stopped by our table to hug him, tap his head, punch his arms, tweak his cheek, greet him, or give him a kiss on the cheeks, Darwin added a little zest to his perfect Italian: instead of rolling his r as Italians do, he would pronounce his r like the soft throaty French r.  Now this would make sense, given that Darwin speaks French because he hails from Mauritius.  However, I have heard his English r and it doesn’t sound French.  And I have also heard him roll his Italian r, so I know he can do it. So I asked him about it.

“Oh, well, you see…they love it!  Yes, my friends love it! They find the soft French r charming, especially the girls.  Yeah, the French r!”  His laughter is contagious. “Francesca, you actually caught that?”  He doesn’t realize I’ve been around the block a few times and I understand and am fascinated by the subtleties and power of language.

“Hey, Darwin, what did your dad say when you got your nose pierced?”

Actually, Darwin’s septum is pierced and he wears a septum ring. Is that what it’s called? I should have asked him!  I think it’s just called a “nose ring”, whether the piercing is in the nostril or the septum.  It looks really good on him and gives him a certain look, along with his close-buzzed head.

“My dad? No problem. My dad understands me.  He’s cool.  He loves me and accepts me.  Yeah, he’s the best.  He’s super cool with this.”

Darwin’s a really good guy!

“So, what are your dreams?”

We found out that he once-upon-a-time wanted to be a surgeon. Why? Because he wanted to help people.  He is definitely bright enough to pursue this dream, but he quit school.  He did part of his high school in England (Cambridge), but later quit. Just didn’t work out for him to attend school.  He was bored. So now, the surgeon dream is out the back door and in through the front door is a new dream to own and run a bar with a friend in Catania.  They already have found the place and are renting it at a great price. Now they are saving money to get the business going.

I bet when we come back next year, we’ll be visiting Darwin at his new bar, assuming a more attainable dream doesn’t drift in through the side door.

The next day, we left Catania and headed to Siracusa. Below are some photos from Siracusa.

Ortigia

We toured the catacombs under the church of San Filippo.  As you enter, a skeleton is painted on the wall.  He’s been there for hundreds of years and his job is to greet you, to welcome you to this underground world of the dead.  One of his arms rests on a balcony and the other arm and hand is ready to sweep you up:

The next two pictures are also from this burial chamber. On one side of the chamber, the picture of the skull and bones says in Latin, “We were like you.” And across from this, another skull and bones says in Latin, “And you will be like us.”

Well, after such grim greetings, we walked around and delighted in the beautiful homes, the fresh sea air, the sun-filled day.

 

We see the artist Fiore’s beautiful work everywhere!  His signature works of art are on the walls of shops, restaurants, on table tops, and on planters filled with geraniums.  His colors are vivid and he really captures an essence of Ortigia and Sicily. And today, while walking around, we met him!  He was in his atelier, door flung open to the sea.  He was intense, focused, and busy at creating another masterpiece.

Greek Sicily enthralls me.  The next two photos are from Apollo’s Temple. The columns are Doric style. The temple was built in the 6th century B.C. You can see the temple embedded into the nearby homes (see the second photo below). At one time, the space between the temple pillars were filled in to construct the walls of a mosque and later a church. Today, the temple stands near the lively outdoor fish and vegetable market.

And I have to include photos of Cat Lady.  Cat Lady, the woman in the photo below, stepped outside her open door and asked me to take a photo of her and the cats so I took a few photos. Believe it or not, that’s a “smile” on her face because I had just given her some money for cat food.

Using dramatic hand gestures and a passionate voice, she told me her story. “I don’t know why, but I keep finding kittens outside my door!  And what am I supposed to do?  They come to me! So I have to take them in.  They love me. I love them. I feed them. Sometimes I eat less so they can eat more.  They are wonderful! Would you like to come in? Would you like to take a photo or two?  Would you like to pet them? They love to be pet!  They don’t like to go outside. They love my home.”

And let me tell you.  I have never seen so many cats in my life. I asked her how many cats she had and she promptly said, “Eleven.”  I’d say take her number and multiply by 5. Maybe more. And, oh, did the place stink!  I took the photos by standing in the doorway.  There was no way I was going to cross the threshold.  I don’t know how the woman could still be alive inhaling that stink.  Her house was all mottled and filled with pictures of Jesus, the pope (with head bowed, praying), angels, and Mother Mary.  Maybe Cat Lady is protected by the pope’s prayers?

And we will move away from cats and end this blog with a sunset.