And now in Sicily
The excitement with Nestum lasted only the first day.
It’s always like that; everyone needs time to get acquainted, a bit confusing actually, but by the next day, Marta and Nestum had grown accustomed to each other, though they still kept a safe and necessary distance.
Meanwhile, Indie continued to play her role as protector with enthusiasm. The days passed, and Marta got used to the Portuguese routines.
In August, she went to the beach several times, met many people, and visited the castle in Santa Maria da Feira, the town located 40 kilometers from Porto, where Sandra lives.
She even tasted grilled sardines, a dish the Portuguese can’t avoid during summer. They grill them over charcoal, serving them with grilled peppers and "broa," a bread made from cornmeal.
A true delicacy, confirms Marta. Monty was the first Portuguese cat Marta met.
He lives in Matosinhos, a city right next to Porto, just a few steps from the sea, in an apartment with a terrace full of plants. Monty is of a respectable age – 15 years old, turning 16 in January. He was friendly with Marta, though perhaps she had hoped for more enthusiasm.
We’ll see how things go when she meets Nenuco, Camila, or Citroën – three cats who have already “booked” a visit with Marta. At the beginning of September, Marta received good news from Sandra. – Since you’ve been so good, you’re coming with us to Sicily.
Marta was beside herself with joy. She loves Italy, having been to Venice with Tanya, and the idea of returning to this enchanting country filled her with excitement.
Now the days seemed longer. Then, one Sunday, Sandra, Luís, and Marta landed in Trapani, a city on the west side of the largest island in the Mediterranean. On the very first evening, they tasted one of the city’s most famous dishes, fish couscous, though Marta didn’t care for it much and even shared the meal with a cat living near the restaurant.
In the following days, Marta traveled to the island’s capital, Palermo, where she visited an anti-Mafia memorial (the criminal organization that controlled Sicily for decades), the charming medieval village of Erice, where she learned that kissing is mandatory; and the Archaeological Park of Segesta, founded in the 5th century BC by the Elymians.
But what Marta liked the most were the Sicilian beaches.
She visited several: San Vito lo Capo, Castellammare del Golfo, Scopello, Calazza.
But her favorite was undoubtedly the Santa Margherita bay in Macari.
It was there that she had the most refreshing swims of the entire trip.
And thanks to those days by the sea, Marta returned to Portugal a little more tanned.
Not sunburned either, as Sandra is experienced in taking care of northerners and has a stock of sunscreen with SPF 150.
