Posted by cynthia on Saturday, May 13, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

It’s been about a week since I first arrived in Cefalu, and already I’ve had many little memorable moments here interacting with the people.  This picture is of my roommate Rita and I having Sicilian lunch (beginning at 1:30PM- later than my usually 12PM lunch) at a ristorante across the boardwalk.  We actually didn’t want to eat at this place.  Rita was looking at the menu when a really bubbly and persuasive Sicilian waiter opened up his arms, gestured vigorously at us, and used rapid Italian to get us to eat there.  I kept saying, “Non parle italiano” (I don’t speak Italian).  But he didn’t care.  He was so nice and convincing that we ended up eating there.  Proof that I didn’t know how to say no.

The meal arrived pretty quickly to our surprise since we were prepared to travel at the pace of “Italian time”: everyone here seems to take their time and enjoy things instead of rushing through tasks.  Our waiter was very kind, and he even brought me a side of marinara sauce for my calzone because there was no sauce in it (perhaps sauce in calzone is only an American thing).  However, at the end of the meal, Rita and I couldn’t figure out how to pay for our meal.  The waiter walked back and forth and I kept making friendly eye contact with him until it started feeling awkward.  Apparently, just eye contact does not call waiters to you like it does in most American restaurants.  Then I tried calling with a scusi (excuse me), which worked because he came over; we asked for the check, and he made a writing motion so we knew that there was mutual understanding here.  But he didn’t bring the check.  In fact, the people next to us who arrived after us paid and left before we did!  So we tried again.  And again.  And each time, he would do the writing motion and we would say si.  Finally, maybe on the sixth or seventh try, he brought the bill on a plate. The ristorante was pretty busy, so maybe he just kept forgetting to bring us the bill, and we ended up having a nice long (in American standards) two hour lunch.

For dinner, all of the girls got together.  I sat with Izzy at the far end and we ordered this antipasta (appetizer) called prosciutto e melone (prosciutto and melon); however, they ran out of melon and replaced it with pineapple.  It was kind of strange to me because I generally keep my meats and fruits separated, but the prosciutto and pineapple were delicious nonetheless.  Something I find interesting while eating at these restaurants is the coperto that appears on the receipts.  A coperto is like a cover fee; according to my research (aka Google), it is usually 1.50 to 2 Euros per person and it covers the cost of “using a table”.  Most restaurants that cater to tourists (like most of the restaurants in Cefalu) have it.  And it’s not a trick: restaurants must put the coperto on their menu (usually in fine print at the beginning or end of the menu).

Another interesting aspect about eating out in Cefalu that I noticed is the lack of tipping. Sicilians don’t tip, while it is pretty much expected in America to tip around 15%.  According to Google, this is because waiters have a decent wage (though there are probably more reasons behind this).  This lack of tipping culture didn’t completely surprise me though because I had also encountered this in Russia and Japan.  In Japan’s case, tipping isn’t allowed because good service is expected as part of a restaurant experience.

I was impressed by the casual orange trees growing along the streets.  I’ve never seen an orange tree, being raised in Boston my whole life, so it was exciting to see citrus fruit growing in real life.  In this picture, I wanted to pose with the fruit, but as I was posing, the man walking by in the background called out to me, “No good!  Don’t eat! Be careful!”  That was a good laugh xD  People here are just generally jolly and have the best of intentions.

Walking along the small streets these past few days, I wondered how the cobblestone was constructed and repaired. I imagine that the roads are too narrow and busy for construction vehicles to maneuver and work efficiently in; plus, what kind of machinery could produce cobblestone roads like these?  It turns out that an ordinary workman brings a bucket of stones and a bucket of tools to remove the damaged road and fill in the uneven potholes by hand.  This kind of manual work reminds me of how charmingly old-fashioned Cefalu is- it seems like the way things are done here haven’t changed for decades.

So here is my take on these experiences so far: sometimes the Sicilian vendors seem aggressive (more so than American vendors), but tourism is their way of life.  The important part is that they are friendly, easygoing, and happy to talk to foreigners.  Honestly, the vibe I get from being around them is acceptance; it’s as if they’ve accepted me as part of their little seaside community, even though I look out of place and can barely speak a phrase of Italian.  Sure, the culture is different (for example, the restaurant etiquette), but of years past and for years to come, Cefalu will continue to be a convivial place to visit and interact with interesting people.