grocery shopping in Catania

Last week my dear friend Becca invited me along to Catania.  Lena and I are [pretty much] always game for an adventure, especially when it involves being chauffeured in a minivan filled with Lena's friends.  We piled in with Becca's three kids and her brother, who is visiting for a few weeks.  And we took off for the Big City: nearby Catania, about 25 minutes away.

Catania's streets are full of fresh produce, meats, and cheeses for sale.  We could choose from...

... fresh fish in the fish market,

 

local cheeses, wines, and olive oil, 

lots of nuts (Elise liked these!),

 

and plenty of fresh meat.  I'll spare you photos of hanging goats and chickens!

 

Becca bought veggies and fruit for her crew,

 we both stocked up on Parmesan Reggiano,

 

and we bought fresh pasta for that night.  She made pasta di pistachi (pistachio pasta, a local winter favorite) while I bought some fresh local shrimp and turned our dinner into shrimp scampi with pasta. 

We also stopped at a cafe for lunch and admired all the beautiful gelato (can't wait till the weather is warmer!)

and studied all the children's costumes with fascination.  Carnevale was in full swing and all the Italian boys and girls were transformed into Medieval knights and princesses (and some Snow Whites and Spidermans, too) for the occasion.

These guys are a fun crowd to hang with.  Thanks for having us along!