Sicily Day 7 - Catania 5/18/17

Lots of pictures and a couple videos of the market insanity HERE.

3:15pm: sitting enjoying a Lemon Soda waiting for my 4pm of a monastery in Catania. Woke up crazy early and packed up. The sweet lady at my b&b in Ragusa has prepared breakfast for me early and called the driver who had originally picked me up. Then on my way out she gave me a hug and the double cheek kiss. Where else in the world would someone do you a favor then hug and kiss you and thank you?! Italy, that is where. As an aside I think I forgot to mention seeing a LOT of properties for sale in Ragusa.... just saying.... 

The bus to Catania actually arrived a little early and I got off at the right place, before the end of the line but right near my b&b there is a pretty big bus area so that was rather convenient. I may be able to catch my bus to my next stop from there too, which would be so convenient. This b&b is more like an apartment split between a few rooms. I love these kinds of places although it is a bit old and the bathroom sort of smells. My room wasn't quite ready yet when I arrived, so I left my bag and wandered. The difference between Ragusa and here is as if you were fast asleep and then a million roosters woke you up suddenly. People and activity everywhere! The fish market is right behind the Duomo and it's block after block of insanity. I can't even describe it, please look at my pictures, which don't really do it justice either. I bought some cherries and olives and meandered back to the b&b since the room was now ready. On the way, I got a chocolate-lined pistachio cream filled cannolo. Because that's what one does at 11:30am in Sicily.

Checked out the room quickly and then set out again. Bought some more olives and some strawberries at the market and found a random restaurant for lunch. It was nothing special but they had a nice antipasto bar of veggies. I ordered a foccacia thinking it'd be spongy bread with toppings, but no. It was almost like a pizza with the top cut off and toppings, including a mountain of French fries(?!) on it. When he brought it to me I literally initially told him I didn't order that because I thought for sure it was the wrong thing. And I only ate about a quarter of it, it was so huge. 

Set out to the monastery and bought my 4pm ticket then went back to the ancient Greek-roman theatre. It's so randomly just squished into the middle of the modem city, completely wild!!

6:30pm: back at the b&b for a bit of a pre-dinner rest since I had a packed afternoon. I also took a lot of pictures today and want to get a jump on the uploading. The monastery was great. It's now used as a major university building so it's like a library in ruins from the old part and a dining hall used as an auditorium, etc. Completely wild.

9:45pm: in for the night a bit early, which is good because I was up early and had a long day. Before, I wandered around a little and then had an early dinner at La Canonica, which is very close to my b&b. It is decorated in all kinds of tchochkes, hysterical. I went to the antipasto buffet, which seems to be a big deal here, and had all kinds of delicious veggies and olives, then had artichoke ravioli. Quite delicious though a little pricey all-told. I ennded up leaing 30 euros so as to not mess with getting change. Then I went to a place called Cioccolato & Gelato. Do they rent rooms there? I would like to move in. I had a dark chocolate and something called "ottoveil" with pistacchio. It was pistachio gelato with various chocolate things mixed in.

Time for an early night so I can have a full day of sight-seeing in crazy Catania tomorrow! 24, 337 steps and 9.68 miles today.