Our final day here was another day with perfect blue skies and warm weather. It has gotten considerably warmer in the past 3 weeks so again we’re thankful we came earlier this year or it would have been too hot, fa caldo!
We spent the morning getting our things repacked and reorganized for the flight home. We left it all at the hotel for the day and set out for more exploring. Unfortunately it is a Monday so many things are closed but we were able to explore inside a Benedictine monastery originally from the 5th century but repurposed many times since. It was almost completely destroyed first by an eruption of Mt. Etna in the early 1600’s then by an earthquake in 1693. It is currently being used as a university.
After our last pizza and caprese salad lunch in an outdoor pizzeria watching the Italian drivers break as many driving and parking rules as possible we found a gelateria and enjoyed an ice cream cone strolling down Via Etnea. We then had a look inside the Cattedrale di Santa Agata on the main piazza where Bellini’s remains are.
There are many interesting and beautiful things to see in Catania but still I felt that the city has a long way to go to improve it’s appearance. It is scruffy looking as soon as you leave the main tourist areas and even the monuments look as if they need a good scrub. Other parts of Sicily were also this way but some were immaculate. But overall we thoroughly enjoyed our giro of Sicily, maybe we’ll return again in another 30 years?
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