Chapter 8 - Catania & Post-Tour
DAY
10 & 11
Last Stop - Catania
Day 10 - November 21, 2024
Che bellezza!
(How beautiful!)
I went up to the rooftop at 6:30 a.m. to take sunrise pictures before departing Taormina. Jim, from our group, had the same idea and we both got some astonishing pictures with the crazy clouds that seemed to settle over this location.
Final photos in Taormina at sunrise.
View from Hotel Continental rooftop at sunrise.
View from Hotel Continental rooftop at sunrise.
View from Hotel Continental rooftop at sunrise.
View from Hotel Continental rooftop at sunrise.
WOW!
Captivating Catania
Catania was founded by the Greeks in the 8th century BC. It has endured a number of natural disasters over the centuries, including catastrophic damage from strong earthquakes in 1169 and 1693. Also, a magnificent eruption from Mt. Etna overwhelmed the city with lava flow in 1669. Hundreds of mild tremors still happen yearly in Catania.
We left Taormina in the morning and traveled to Catania, our final tour destination. Catania is the second largest city in Sicily, after Palermo. It faces the Ionian Sea on the east coast of the island and the "old town" section we stayed in is populated with late Baroque architecture. We walked into the Piazza del Duomo through the gate of the Diocesan Museum (Museo Diocesano Catania.) The first group activity was to climb to the rooftop terrace of the Church of the Abbey of Saint Agatha (Chiesa della Badia di Sant'Agata). Our luck held out this entire trip allowing us to get distant views under blue, sunlit skies. The wispy clouds today added contrast and interest. We also had additional views of Mt. Etna!
Free time in Catania
There was free time to check out other Catania sites so we took off down Via Giuseppe Garibaldi. We walked until we came to the Porta Garibaldi, a monumental arch built in 1768. We zigzagged our way back to the Piazza del Duomo, stopping for a brioche con gelato. Oh my! Mine was pistachio, of course, and we shouldn't have waited until the end of our trip to try this traditional Sicilian dessert.
Looking toward Diocesan Museum from Piazza del Duomo.
Walking through the market
Fontana dell'Amenano which separates the fish market from the square.
Looking toward Diocesan Museum from Piazza del Duomo.
A War History Lesson - 1943
The group had a 1:00 p.m. appointment at the Historical Museum of the Landing in Sicily (Museo Storico dello Sbarco in Sicilia - 1943). The museum is in the Cinema Museum of Catania complex and provides a comprehensive and moving experience of Sicily's and Italy's World War II involvement before and during the Allied landing. Kevin is a WWII history buff, but I was as impacted by the exhibits as he was.
Making the museum experience even more poignant was the inclusion of the permanent Phil Stern exhibit. If you aren't familiar with Phil Stern and his war experience and photography, check out the link above. I'm sure you have seen his work even if you don't recognize his name. He photographed many Hollywood stars in addition to his war photojournalism. The stories he told in pictures still tugs at my heartstrings.
WOW!
Our Final Evening in Sicily
We got checked into our room at the more modern Hotel Romano House and then took a short orientation walk with the group. Kevin and I then walked down Via Etna until it was time to get ready for our farewell group dinner. We saw the Roman Amphitheatre (Anfiteatro Romano) in the Piazza Stesicoro, peeked inside the Cathedral of Sant’Agata, and relaxed in the Piazza Universita' as dusk turned to nightfall.
Sanctuary of the Cathedral of Sant'Agata.
Sanctuary of the Cathedral of Catania.
Fountain near the Roman Amphitheatre
Sanctuary of the Cathedral of Sant'Agata.
Addio amici miei!
(Farewell my friends!)
15,600 Steps
Let's meet together for one last time!
Me
Cumpari Turiddu
Il Ristro
Siciliano
The group farewell dinner is always somewhat bittersweet. Friendships have been forged and wonderful memories made, but now is the final time we will all be together. Stephanie made sure we went out in comfortable style. The meal at Me Cumpari Turiddu was delicious and somewhat homey, much like the atmosphere of this trattoria. You were immediately made to feel welcome and were seated at doily covered tables. The meal was served on dishware that could have been my grandmother's. Stanley Tucci featured this place on his series, "Searching for Italy." It really fits the vibe of a Rick Steves' tour and is easy to see why it was chosen for our final dinner together.
Time to go home
Catania to Rome - Post Tour
Day 11 - November 22, 2024
Salute!
(Bless you!)
We added an extra night in Rome to our itinerary and were able to share a taxi to the airport with another group member. Stephanie was helpful in coordinating rides for our group, as were the guides on previous tours.
Arrivederci Sicilia!
11,175 Steps
We arrived in Rome before noon and waited for a bus to take us to Ostia, where we stayed for the night. We chose Ostia because it is close to the airport and along the coast. We had visited Ostia Antica on our very first Rick Steves' tour and were intrigued by the area. We knew we could relax and unwind a bit before flying home to Eureka the following morning. We watched the sunset outside our hotel and had a wonderful dining experience at Mit Bistrot.
Back in our room, I reminisced of our amazing time in Sicily before drifting off to sleep. Surely new travel stories were to be written in my dreams! How about you? What story do you dream of telling?
