Welcome to Catania!
Catania was the first town on our trip where we really didn’t have any itinerary. We found that not having much of a plan or list of things to do can be quite rewarding. After spending the day wandering the gorgeous streets of Catania, we uncovered a very interesting city and left quite impressed.
When you’re finished, drive south to the ancient Greek city of Siracusa and it’s tiny island, Ortigia.
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- On the drive into Catania stopping at a gas station. Mount Etna in the background
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- A square in front of our hotel
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- The view from our hotel room in Catania
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- Mount Etna coming into view on the horizon. And holy crap… there’s smoke from the volcano!
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- Mmmm…. delicious Sicilian pizza for dinner with a Birra Moretti to drink
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- Spidi Pizza?!?!? ¡Ándele! ¡Ándele! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba! ¡Epa! ¡Epa! ¡Epa! Yeehaw!
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- In the morning looking out of our hotel room. A market down in the square in front of our hotel.
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- A little park we came across walking around Catania
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- Looking down a Catanian street
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- Walking up to the Villa Bellini Gardens in the heart of Catania
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- A field for soccer in the center of the gardens
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- Inside the gardens, looking down to the entrance of the park
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- Walking up to a church in the middle of Catania that has some amazing ancient Roman ruins in front of it
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- The ancient ruins in the foreground with the modern city in the background. It was incredibly striking seeing this because it’s right in the middle of the city… the modern city is built around it. Quite the contrast.
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- Fireworks celebrating June 2nd, Festa della Repubblica day in all of Italy
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- At a plaza with a newspaper stand in the corner
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- A university in Piazza Duomo
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- The elephant – Symbol of the town since the 1200’s. Legend goes that this animal became the city symbol because in ancient times pigmy elephants lived in this place, that protected the city’s inhabitants by chasing away fierce animals.
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- Piazza Duomo, the heart of Catania
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- In Piazza Duomo, with the elephant fountain in the center
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- Help, they chopped my head!
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- Close-up of the elephant statue and fountain
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- The Chapel of Sant’Agata in the Piazza Duomo
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- In case you didn’t know what a WC was…
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- A small fountain near the Piazza
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- Poster for a live show in Catania
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- Inside the Greek-Roman Theatre
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- The bottom of the theatre flooded a bit
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- Walking down steps in the theatre to lower levels
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- Steps of the theatre. Wonder if the steps are a little crooked due to earthquakes over the years.
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- Looking up from inside the theatre…
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- Alright Mr. Cat, lead the way!
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- What, why are you stopping Mr. Cat?
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- So, how are things?
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- Walking down a street
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- Castello Ursino, a castle built, circa from 1239 to 1250, as one of the royal castles of Emperor Frederick II, King of Sicily
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- Back in the car, heading out of Catania
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- A poster we saw in Catania with the two Sicilian heroes, Paolo Borsellino and Giovanni Falcone.