Catania

Another warm sunny day in Sicily. We didn’t have any particular agenda, other than relaxing, enjoying ourselves, and exploring. We were walking down Etna street and we looked over, and what did we see…

We don’t usually shop when we travel, but the one exception is outdoor markets. It’s great fun to just browse the stalls in the market, and this one went on and on and on, branching to the right and left. It was huge, with many different sections. One area that we especially enjoyed focused on food, including fresh seafood.

And then there were the vegetables. Oh my! We would love to be coming down here every day to pick up fresh vegetables for the day’s meals.

The prices were amazing. These cauliflowers were the size of my head, and only 1 euro each. Mmmm.

The sky was clear blue once again.

The street we were walking along is called Etna, because … wait for it … you can see Mount Etna. Earlier this year Mt Etna was quite active – to the point where flights into Catania were cancelled for several days – but it is relatively quiet now.

When in Rome … I know, we aren’t in Rome, but this was still part of “Rome” … you must see Roman ruins. Okay, okay, I must see Roman ruins. So our next stop was the Teatro Greco-Romano di Catania. The ancient Roman theatre.

A lot of it has been restored, but this picture gives you a feel for what it once looked like, without being a complete restoration. This picture has some sections that are unrestored, some that have been partially restored, and sections that hint at what it originally must have looked like. Zoom in on the marble slabs around the stage to see what I mean.

The buildings around the edge incorporated the old theatre walls into the new structures, so it sits within the existing city.

I find it interesting that the buildings that essentially repurposed the old Roman theatre into their walls, in time, became significant historical buildings in their own right. Here is what an upper-class kitchen looked like in the 18th century. Notice the fancy stove. On your left you can see the kitchen sink. And see how large the space is…

Large sections of the ancient theatre were leveled after earthquakes. With Etna so close, this happened regularly. Later excavations exposed the old walls.

Now that these ruins are being preserved, all sorts of interesting “rubble” is coming to light.

I could look at this stuff for hours, and we did. But eventually we need food … and wine. Fortunately we found a quiet restaurant in an open-air courtyard.

We did a lot of walking today, but not as much as Google wanted us to do. What is it with Google and walking directions? This was absolutely NOT the shortest route. This isn’t the first time this has happened to us. Anyone have any insight to offer?

After lunch we stopped at the grocery store for a few essentials … aka rose wine. We spotted a wine that we enjoyed last year in Abruzzo. Those of you who have developed a taste for this wine will be jealous at the price here.