the haves and the have nots....

things you will not find in Sicily:

  Medium sized teaspoons...the are large spoons (tablespoons) and small spoons for espresso, but no regular teaspoons...anywhere !  We were in a kitchen store, and the sets of silverware are sold with forks, knives, and large and small spoons...very different

Washcloths...there are large towels and medium sized face towels and kitchen towels, but there are no washcloths...I use one end of a kitchen towel for my face !

Clothes dryers...as I have mentioned before, everyone hangs their clothes out to dry...for days at a time....electricity is so expensive here that a dryer is a true luxury.

Microwave ovens...no need for these, since no one takes leftovers home from a restaurant...it is unheard of (even for the dog !).   I found some microwave popcorn, but have yet to see a microwave...I've taken the contents out of the bag and popped it the old-fashioned way...in a pan...it works great ! (and is yummy with Diet Pepsi)

Toilet seats - yes, really !  We are fortunate to be staying in apartments that have this little convenience, but many restaurant and autostrada bathrooms are, first of all, unisex, and secondly, sans seats...less to clean I guess (squatting for a woman is a very important art to be mastered...oh, and always take your own toilet tissue...you never know...)

Cruise control on the cars...according to my guest blogger - Giuseppe - cars here just don't come equiped with this feature...maybe because, again, there is no need...most roads are so tiny and twisty that your foot is on and off the gas about a million times a minute.

Paper plates...lots of plastic plates...which is unfortunate because there is a decided lack of recycling here...in fact, there is a decided lack of garbage pick-up in certain areas...so sad in such a beautiful country.

Coffeepots - coffee is made in a Moka on the stovetop...usually enough for one cup (after all, you couldn't reheat the second cup in the microwave anyway !)

Drinkable tap water - everyone drinks bottled water...we're fortunate to have our mountain spring nearby.

Bread and butter plates at dinner...your bread just goes on the table next to your dinner plate...and, absolutely NO butter !  Only foreigners ask for butter !

I really don't miss any of these things because the "haves" totally outweigh the "have nots"...more on that later...

Hugs to all....Chris and her butterless Moka making husband