Thank god for Google Translate

So writing has been very much off the cards since I arrived in Cefalu, Sicily on Friday but it seems to have taken this long to get into a groove here. The approach to life is so refreshingly relaxed compared to England as the surly disapproval of London's shopkeepers is replaced by genuine enthusiasm, although as David Mitchell pointed out on Would I Lie To You, that might not be such a good thing. 

The wedding we came here for has taken place slightly later in the year than when I usually visit Italy, meaning the seering heat I'd been looking forward to had already disappeared but it has still been hot enough to enjoy an ice cold lemon granita after finishing a long though somewhat disappointing breakfast of tinned fruit, on an island where they fucking grow oranges by the bucketload, before trundling out of the hotel.

It was particularly satisfying to wake up this morning to the news that Alitalia are once again on the brink of bankruptcy. The national Italian airline, which would have gone bust in 2009 had Air France not helped themselves to a quarter of its shares, must now raise €100million to convince ENI, their fuel supplier, to continue working with them. Having once flown with them and experienced their temperamental workforce inexplicably land and strike, leaving us stranded for the night at our own expense, I was very glad to have used EasyJet this year, even if they should change their name to ScreamingBabiesJet.

But maybe I'm being unfair - turns out it's only British kids I hate. Italian ragazzi are actually quite pleasant to be around. It's not that they make an effort to behave themselves, they just aren't in a constant battle with a resentful parent (almost certainly a man) who makes them behave for a rush of power and the stability of consistent control.

Italian families are naturally very close, which may have rubbed off on me during the past few days and because children here don't make utter twonks of themselves in public (I say this as someone who made the devilchild look positively angelic when I was a kid), dining out is much more enjoyable. While each restaurant's menu is almost identical and has a similarly overpriced selection of dishes, a favourite of ours has to be Al Gabbiano's. 

Though the terrace can get cold later in the evening due to all the open windows, the pizza both crumbles and melts at the same time and the staff are incredibly friendly, saying hi every time we walk past.


University work definitely seems a world away for the moment and I haven't been so relaxed in ages. I'd absolutely recommend having at least one structureless week per year.