#phoenixsistercities

If there was one thing I could tell people about my sister city Catania, it would be the ambience that the city holds. I know that it is a very broad generalization about the city, but I couldn’t seem to find a better way to describe it. Catania is such a sublime locus; the city itself has this atmosphere that makes you feel lost in the history that is embedded within it, but it is also the people that help mold that aura into something which you can find nowhere else. The people of Catania, ensure that the city is one of a kind by just being themselves; friendly, lively, hilarious, accepting, and much more. Together, the city remains historically beautiful but it is the people which modernize it and creates its unique beauty and ambience in our world. 

Reyna and the chocolate factory/ museum. 

Although Catania and Phoenix share many similarities- such as the prickly pear cacti and the always sunny weather- there are also several differences that the two have. Three things that Catania has that Phoenix does not are: 1.) Table Tax: Here in Catania there is no "tax" like we have in Phoenix, where we pay (usually) .08 cents on every dollar we spend; anywhere and everywhere. But here the only type of "tax" that has to be paid is for when you go out and eat and decide to sit down at the restaurant. It usually cost anywhere from .50-2 euros. Side note: The napkins here a way different than those we have at home, becuase here in Catania, the napkins have more of a wax paper feel to them which makes them better at absorbing grease and dirt. They also remind me of blotting tissue papers. 2.) Military personal everywhere with Automatic weapons in hand: This should be self explanatory, but it's not that common to see the Army with rifles in the streets of Phoenix. Yet in Catania and Rome, it's an everyday thing. 3.) The sea!

Let me start by stating the obvious: THE FOOD HERE IS AMAZING! I was so excited to try all the different types of food that Catania had to offer, and so far it has not once let me down (some of my favorite dishes I posted pictures of them above). The pasta here is so good, especially the typical pasta dish bucatini all'amatriciana; which is pasta with tomato sauce, eggs, and chunks of prosciutto. Aside from the amazing pasta dishes, there are some wonderful chicken and beef dishes as well. Such as a fillet of beef with a Barolo sauce or chicken marinated in an orange and tomato paste. But one of the foods that surprised me the most was the Italian version of grilled cheese! It is two slices of thick bread with mozzarella inside, and it is dipped into an egg wash and then coated in bread crumbs and fried, and let me tell you I will no longer eat a grill cheese the same way. As for desserts I haven’t really had many except for the typical 7 veil cake. It is a mouse type of cake with crunchy cocoa bits in the center and is coated in dark chocolate. I think the thing that I will miss the most from Catania will be the food. 

We have just came back from a trip to Rome! That has been my favorite experience that I've had becuase I've always been interested about Rome and the history it has. And being able to share this wonderful experience with some amazing friends has been surreal. On Friday we left around 9am and had a very long car ride to Rome. We finally arrived around 6pm and had dinner with Mateo's parents and brothers at a wonderful restaurant were Eric, Beck, and I all had Bucatinni al Amarticiana which is a typical Italian pasta dish. On Saturday we walked all around he heart of Rome, from the Altar to Italy, to the Coliseum, to being able to walk through ancient pathways and ruins that was once the city of Rome. Although it was very tiring at no point did I want to stop, I wanted to keep exploring and taking in all that the city had to offer. On Sunday, we went to Vatican City and had the chance to hear the Pope give a prayer! Since my family is religious, we've sometimes watched the televised version of the Pope giving a Sunday Prayer but this time I was there in the flesh listening to the Pope. After we went inside the church and the entire time I couldn't believe the architecture inside the church. Everything was so carefully painted and chiseled and I couldn't believe that someone with such talent could create something so godly. There was also the marble statute of Mary holding Jesus that Michael Angelo created and it looked so lifelike that if you were to grab out and touch it you might have been able to feel the texture of the robes. Then we decided to climb over 500 flights of stairs to reach the very top of the church and look out over the city. After Vatican City we walked around and visited Nova Plaza and saw the exterior of the Pantheon. We ended the evening with going out to eat at restaurant and seeing a street performer play with fire. Since we had to park a whiles away from where we were we decided to walk back but on the banks of the River where at night it had become almost like a boardwalk that you would find in California. We played some carnival games and after winning some prizes we made it back to our hotel. Today we left, sadly, but on our way back to Catania we stopped at Carlos the III palace. We rode on bikes across his 25 acres estate and had a race to the top of the hill. After our bike ride we went inside his actual home and toured the very delicately designed rooms and made jokes about who's room was who's. I felt that every time we entered a new room that that was the most beautiful. The ceilings were my favorite thing. You would look around and see the gorgeous walls but the real artwork were on the ceilings. I felt like a child in awe when I would look up. I made a goal today that when I would own a home of my own I would have my ceilings as pretty as the ones I saw today.

From the moment I arrived to Catania, Martina and her family have been so extremely kind to me. They have gone the extra mile to make me feel at home and cared for. Martina’s family consisted of her mother, father, younger brother, and younger sister. Her mother speaks English but at times has trouble trying to translate words. Luckily, since I am a native Spanish speaker and Italian is similar to Spanish, we are able to communicate through that aspect. Together we have learned how common the Spanish and Italian language really is, and have taught one another different and new words. Martina’s younger sister Emma, however, has been teaching me only Italian. Since she is still very young, she can’t speak English and rather has made it her duty to teach my Italian, so now I can name several items in Italian with ease. During Dinner, Emma whispers to me across the table different words in English and expects me to say the words in Italian. At dinner I have noticed some similarities and differences as well. Such as they drink water from bottles and have specific cups assigned to the family members (the adults have elegant glasses and the children have smaller painted glasses), but they always make sure to eat dinner as a family. Much like we do in America. 

Overall my experience so far has been incredible and I’ve learned many interesting, surprising things about history and culture in Prague. I look forward to learning and seeing more as my stay progresses.