If would like to follow my 15 day cruise then read the previous posts here:
Venice (1)
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Koper (2)
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Sarande (3)
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Split (4)
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When on a cruise, the ship offers various excursions at every stop on the trip. The options tend to hugely commercial and the typical things that everyone would want to see in a town. Unfortunately we find the ship offers seriously pricey, so our alternative is to diligently scour the internet to find out if these cities have a Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus. This was the case in Catania, Sicily.
Sicily is an Italian Island off the South West coast of Italy, the ball that the boot of Italy kicks. It is a short ferry ride from the mainland to the Island and land is visible from either side.
Mt Etna Volcano beyond the city of Catania
On arrival in Catania we headed to the upper deck of the Norwegian Star to take in the view. We were overwhelmingly greeted by Mount Etna. Mount Etna is an active Stratovolcano that fills the horizon beyond the City. Many folk opted for Volcano tours, but we decided to rather spend time in the City exploring.
As soon as we dismbarked we found the stop for the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus. This bus service only had 1 circular route which went from the harbour up the coast to Castello Normanno and then back down towards the city. The bus only made 3 stops, so it wasn't the best value for money this time, but the views from the bus were beautiful and we wouldn't have known to visit the castle if not for the bus.
The streets were buzzing with scooters and bikes and the weather perfect. I would advise any Mediterranean travellers to head over in late April and early May because the weather was exactly what we needed.
First stop was at the Castello Normanno. From the bus we initially spotted a volcanic rock outcrop, but the closer we got we realised it was a fortified castle. Take a walk up the steep steps toward the lookout area and ticket office. For a price you can enter the castle and take in the views from a higher point, but we were quite happy at the Lookout.
Catello Normanno
We headed down to the base of the Castle to take a look at the volcanic rock. We don't have volcanoes in South Africa, so this was a very unique experience for us. The rock was dark and bubbly looking, completely different to our sandstone and granite back home.
I wouldn't advise walking barefoot along the rocks because it seemed quite sharp and jagged in places. I loved the teal clear water of the sea. Some fisherman were taking advantage of the low tide and there were remnants of previous fishermen along the rocks.
To our left in a sea cave we saw a sail boat which must have been pulled high up to avoid the high tide. But it also seemed abandoned along with some other debris.
My husband and I planned to have a coffee and a gelato at every stop on the cruise. Most of the time we preferred to spend our time exploring rather than having a meal and one of the perks of a cruise is that the food is bottomless. We ate far more than we should have on our first couple days and slowly had to learn to hold back. We could definitely afford to skip lunch by this point in the cruise. At least we were doing a lot of walking so that helped.
Mother and Child Stature in front of the Catello Normanno
We did notice that the Mediterranean diet was generally healthy. Fruit Salad in a jar was new to us, and we didn't tend to see any fast food outlets in the streets.
We waited at the bus stop for the next bus and hopped on as a load of tourists got off.
The next part of the ride took us back toward the old town through an area that was dedicated to the local Mafia. Walls were painted with portraits and murals of the legends of the town along with political posters of politicians running for office. Quite the juxtaposition.
Catania Architecture
Old town equals old buildings and I have a huge appreciation for architecture and especially loved the Juliette Balconies on many of the buildings.
We got off the bus on the Main Street and started our walking expedition. One of my favourite accessory stores in Europe is called Parfois and I found one in Catania. I can't help myself in these shops. I always get a pair of earrings to remind me of each town. It better than buying big bulky things and something I can keep forever.
The Markets
We continued up the Main Street in search of the market. We found the Fish Market and the Flee Market and eventually the Food Market with the Umbrella roof! I had been looking forward to this and we found it in a side street off the Main road. The Fish Market was a smelly affair, the Flee Market was BUSY and the Food Market was a dream.
The Roman Ruins on Piazza Stesicoro have been partially excavated to expose the Amphitheater and Roman Baths. The entire site had been submerged in lava during an eruption of Mount Etna. The Amphitheater would apparently seat 30 000 people, but only a small portion of it is visible while the rest is still covered in lava. Get your ticket at the ticket office to have a tour through the ruins, although most of it is visible from the street level above.
The Roman Ruins
We made our way back through the streets and parks and eventually down the pier to our ship, waiting to take us to our next stop in Naples the next morning. Follow along to find out about our day trip of the Italian Riviera on Day 6 of our Cruise.
//:# (!worldmappin 37.50029 lat 15.09156 long Mediterranean Cruise: Catania, Sicily (5) d3scr)
