Today I visit Catania, an ancient port city on Sicily’s east coast. It sits at the foot of Mt. Etna so on route I got to see her (yes her) through the bus window. It had snowed the previous night so I was actually able to get photos of the volcano, topped with snow.
In the bustling city of Catania, we visited the beautiful piazzas and all the historic buildings. Another city rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, so lots of Baroque style buildings.
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Mt. Etna seen from Catania
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The bustling market was a sight with the main attraction being the large quantity of fish for sale. Everyone goes early to get the best catch of the day.
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Fish Market
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Fresh Seafood
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Market Street
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Fresh local fruit
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Market Street
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Orange trees provide fruit 4 times a year in Sicily
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Fresh Produce
In addition to the market, I made my way through alley ways and streets and found some great photo opportunities and a wonderful pastry shop for my morning sugar fix.
Later in the afternoon, I visited Mount Etna and I can honestly say that this was the highlight of my trip to Sicily. “La Mamma”, as the Sicilians call her, is always a danger and yet it has provided the people with the richest of soils. It is the most active volcano in the world and, at 600 million years, it is also the youngest.
The different colours and rock textures made it seem like you’re on an alien planet. I had great fun walking into one of the craters that an eruption had carved out of the landscape. It was cold and windy and all the snow from the morning had mostly melted. The “fuoco dell”Etna” drink that they let us try was 140 proof and helped chase the chill away but it definitely wasn’t something I wanted to drink again. I took many photos of the volcano and the landscape and I can’t wait to turn them into digital art when I get back home.
And so ends the tour of Sicily. I have 4 extra nights booked at the last hotel of the tour since it is on the beach so next few days will be for relaxing, with a stop in Taormina for some sight seeing.