Reading books in Sicily - a rare passtime
On my way to the biblioteca I stop for a coffee and cornetto alla crema at the café down the road. It is such a gorgeous day, sun splitting the skies, a light breeze lifting the fronds of the palm trees down at the port, that I sit outside. An elderly man is sitting at the other table with his book in hand, a most unusual sight here. In fact, a man has stopped to say just this to him: ‘It’s a great pity that it is such a rare sight to see someone reading; they prefer to be at home watching the rubbish that is on TV – di Filippo (trashy entertainment show) or Grande Fratello (Big Brother).’ He is right next to me so I join in, agreeing, and I add that in Ireland it is fairly common for people to read the papers or books in cafés. I get a broad smile. And how come you are here signorina? It turns out his brother, ‘siciliano come me’ – a good Sicilian like himself, is married to an American lady and they now live in Seattle. I said we’d probably give Ireland a go too. Ah yes, he said, I...