The trip across the strait from Villa San Giovanni, Calabria to Messina was eventful. Before the train arrived in Villa San Giovanni a conductor came through the car to say there was a ‘problem’. The train would not be loaded on the ferry as normal then continue across the strait to Messina in Sicily. Evidently the ‘problem’ was a strike, a ‘sciopero’. We were told we could board the ferry on foot then catch a regional train at the other end to our final destination. Or we could wait with the train for the strike to finish.
So we got on the ferry and proceeded to the information window to see when the next regional train was going only to be told we would have to pay for the trip from Messina to Catania. I argued that we had already paid to be taken, and on a higher-priced Intercity train, but the Ferrovia dello Stato officer insisted that we would not be allowed to travel with the tickets we held. In the end we waited for the strike to finish (3 hours total) then rejoined our Intercity train to Catania!
Our little hotel (Hotel Etnea 316) was welcome and Danielle the most helpful of hosts, advising us where we could get a light meal, seeing it was a bit late by the time we freshened up.
IKI Catania - nice salad meal with a packet of scamorza and ham plus wine
Catania seems so familiar but I can’t put my finger on it. It’s a little bit Buenos Aires, a little bit Arequipa, a little bit Madrid (or Barcelona perhaps). But definitely Italian. The seafood is fabulous, the people friendly, the architecture enchanting. Everyone stays up late to talk and eat and laugh. I could stay here a while…
Catania - La Pescheria - Triglia
Catania - La Pescheria on a Saturday morning
Catania - La Pescheria - Close up fish
Catania - La Pescheria - sardines to go from wooden tubs where they are salt-cured
Lunch at Osteria Antica Marina was a delicious affair. The waiter asked if he could make a selections of antipasti for us then rocked up with eight little dishes ranging from roasted capsicum, to raw marinated little prawns to sardines split open, grilled then topped with caramelised onions. Each was unique and tasty with the local white wine. We devoured the next courses forgetting to take photos. The meal was topped of with a champagne flute of lemon sorbet.
Catania - Osteria Antica Marina - various types of fish and vegetable antipasti
Catania - Morning market next to La Pescheria
Catania - Morning market - pomodori
