Catania, revisited

A drizzly morning, the first morning of our second trip to Catania. Looking through old pictures made me nostalgic. It made me think of not just revisiting Catania in pictures, not just in spirit, but I want to revisit in person. When? I don't know. There's not much in Catania but if you are flying in, most likely you will Catania airport, it is the main airport on the island of Sicily. It makes a good base to see some of the nearby towns. Then you can venture out into the interior, to Agrigento, to Palermo and to the west side of the island to Trapani. The 1674 (I think) earthquake demolished much of the eastern portion of the island, Catania included and most of the towns in the eastern portion was rebuilt in the baroque style. So baroque buildings abound on the eastern side, Catania included. It rains in Spring, Fall and Winter. I'm glad but even so they do not have enough water, some towns have water tanks that have to be filled by city trucks that bring in water. One needs only to read blog, www.sicilyscene.blogspot.com to know this. She lives in Modica, quite close to Catania, she posts about the city trucks having to bring in water. Her last post mentioned the water situation being pretty dire in Agrigento. I've been to Agrigento, a really lovely place, the valley of the temples has one of the biggest collection of ancient Greek temples outside of Greece.

Outside the train station.

Sophie

Catania sits right next to the sea, the winds are particularly strong especially when it rains.

The train tracks where we've been on so many times, north to Taormina, south to Siracusa, inland to Enna and Palermo. I love Catania, I wish to be back soon. There are trains that go to Rome, even night trains, they go as far north on the mainland as Milan, taking Sicilians to work on the mainland. At the water between Sicily and Reggio, they break up and get ferried across, one can remain on the train when they do that and then the train is reassembled and placed on the tracks. I've not done this yet but it certainly is something I will do in the near future.

Via Vittorio Emmanuele, we've been up and down this street too many times, we stayed in a hostel pretty close to where this was taken. I can still hear our luggage rolling over those cobbled stones.

The cathedral in Catania, a very impressive place.

Palazzo Biscari, another gorgeous baroque place, the interiors are supposed to be really sumptuous. I have yet to go in to visit but I will. It is now a hotel.

A baroque church on via Cruciferi

A side street from via Cruciferi looking down on via Etenea.

A baroque courtyard, this place is now a University. It is so gorgeous.

A new stand

Remains of an ancient Roman site.

There's a fancy hotel in this building across from the cathedral. I had a reservation here but because I came in too late that night, they sold my room and said they never received my reservation. I even have an email confirmation from them. Pity, it was a very pretty place, we went to another less stellar place up the street.

Doesn't all this makes you want to visit Catania? It does me, I want to visit again.