Catania

Our first stop in Catania was the Centro Storico, or old center. There we found an inviting main square, complete with obligatory fountain and church dedicated to the patron saint of the city. We also found SUN! Below are pictures of the duomo and fountain in the main square.

Lunch was a wonderful experience. A group of us headed into the local fish market, pooled our resources and selected a variety of goods from among the offerings. In truth, the stores around the edge made it more than just a fish market. Fresh fruit, cheese, sausage, etc. made for a delicious repast. There was a huge variety of fishy things available: Squid, swordfish, a live octopus and insect-like crawly things were all spotted along the way.

If you didn’t want fish, how about half a goat – cut laterally right down the middle. Ummm, yummy brains.

There was also a purple cauliflower thing which we were told was really tasty, but we didn’t have any on the trip and carrying one home wasn’t really a viable option.

Finally, we headed a quarter mile down the road to the first of what would be MANY ruins, in this case the remains of a Roman era amphitheater.