16th May - Around Catania

"Ah Bernadette - a musical name" says Rosanna the b&b last - "my English not very good" says she.

A continental breakfast - a chat with a pair of Canadian Danes - "been to Hervey Bay" says he - from Victoria island they say - we talk of the Bouchart gardens. 

Bernie is to have a day in - I wander - the immediate area around the b&b is underwhelming - the area immediately outside the ZTL? - busy - car repairs - mechanical and auto electricians all working on the street - shops - a hard working area that bears the scars of heavy daily use. 

100m inside the ZTL - there are wide streets turned over to pedestrians, a few buses and the occasional local - it is tidy - touristy with street cafes everywhere.

Into plaza duomo - it is large - neat - people sit in cafes facing the square - tour groups cluster around their Shepards - couples wander and photograph the duomo and its statues - tour groups sit at the base of the Catanian Elephant in the middle of the square - this is the shot they will use to tell their friends about their tour of Sicily!

I find the little train - I am off on a 40 minute tour of Catania - I sit waiting for departure - I listen to the voices - lots of Italian - some Americian - a few others. 

 

We are away - the train merges with traffic - the driver is beside a very mature Nonna in a tiny fiat - I really do mean mature! - the train driver choses to assume right of way! - she is NOT happy - she applies her hand to her horn and keeps it applied for 10 seconds - everyone in the little train knows she is not happy! - I smile - only in Italy! 

Catania? - it's old city buildings have a sense of history and grandeur about them - they seem to be saying - " Ok tourist I might not be covered in sparkling white paint but I really am something! - look at my ornate door surrounds - look at my pilasters, my balconies, my window surrounds, my huge doors! - I am old but I am happy!" 

"Ok so the bloody kids have been spraying graffiti over the my ground floors but only to the extent that it is annoying rather that unduly damaging. And look I know we could do with a bit of external clean up - perhaps  some high pressure water blasting - perhaps a lick of paint - but overall the people that occupy us seem to be happy enough so that is that! - after all nothing really needs to be perfect to be great!"

I head back to a resting Bernie. 

Together we head out to dine - a fish restaurant - seafood and spaghetti for Bernie and Rigatoni alle Norma for me.

A slow walk home past restaurant after restaurant and bar after bar - everyone out and everyone happy - a great start to our time in Catania - off to Etna tomorrow