Catania Things to Do

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While we were in Catania Mount Etna's lava was flowing as we saw numerous news reports on the subject so we were really pumped about seeing it. We set out for Mount Etna really without a definite route there heading in the general direction thinking that surely there would be many signs pointing us in the right direction.

Well this worked for a while until we started driving through the many small villages on the way. The signs became confusing, so we turned to the satellite navigation system thinking it would lead us to the mountain, but there was not really a destination to enter in coordinates for it to guide us. So we entered something close.

Anyway we eventually made our way toward the volcano but ended up on the Etna Nord side which wasn't the right side to be on to get an upclose view. So we headed back to find Etna Sud.

Etna Sud is the route to take and we eventually weaved are way up the mountain on some serious winding roads with dropoffs. When we reached the area with the cable cars to the volcano everything was closed already and it was getting late probably almost 7pm.

So unfortunately we missed out on seeing the lava. But I have heard that you can get a sample of the lava and they will stamp it with Mt. Etna Catania".

When in Catania we stumbled across what we though was an old cinema in the backstreets, what we discovered was incredibly interesting... It turned out to be a porn cinema, with rent boys hanging around in seek! We strolled in, paid the mafia type owner some money and headed into find out what was hapenin. Basically, its a huge abandoned warehouse with plastic seats set out, with a dilapidated old screen showing early nineties Italian porn. Very strange as when the urge to touch oneself comes over you, you quickly realise you surrounded by 40 old italian guys! Wierd experiance but fun all the same, it will be hard to find but worth a look if you like the sleazier side of life!

You'll hear me say this as a top suggestion whenever you are visiting a new place. There is no better way to experience a new place than on foot. Take a walk around town and take notice of the architecture. If it's one terrific thing I can say about Catania, it's that from many places around town you can also capture Mount Etna in the background of many things you'll want to take pictures of.

If you like street vendors, you'll see plenty of them in Catania. Although many of them sell fresh procude, some sell novelties as well.

Castello Ursino, or Ursino Castle in English, originally stood high above the sea. But as a result of the lava flow caused by the eruption of Mount Etna in 1669, it is now some hundreds of yards from the coast. Ursino Castle is huge. It was built between 1239 and 1250 for strategic reasons. The interior is in a good state of repair and contains a number of works of considerable ancient and medieval artistic interest.

Because of the change in land on which the Castle now rests, it is actually set within what has now become a residential area. Some of the lava from that eruption in 1669 can still be seen.

Although admission to the castle is free, it is only open usually from about 8:30am-1pm (like a lot of other places in Sicily!) However, the castle is illuminated during the evenings, so no matter what time of day it is, you will still be guaranteed a good look at it.

The thing I found fun was sitting in a cafe on a Saturday evening people watching. Saturday evenings must be when everyone comes out all dressed up and parade / strut through the streets.

It is interesting to watch the weird hairs, the fashion and the behaviours

Mount Etna has a substantial hiking trail known as the Giro dell'Etna which is a 70 km route around the volcano and which can take generally 4/ 5 days to complete. Due to its altitude, when its baking hot on the beach, it can be a lot cooler on the hillside and downright cold at night. Visit the Agency for Provincial Tourism offices (APT) at the airport, central train station or in Catania for details of the route and locations of the Rifugio (huts) for overnight stays.
Although the tallest active volcano in Europe at over 3000m, the lava flows throughout history, have caused little destruction or death and amounst the locals it is called "the frieindly giant"
For those who do not wish to break into a sweat hiking on the trials you can alway book a room at the Holiday Palace Hotel in Nicolisi
http://www.holidaypalacenicolosi.com/index.html which have rooms with magnificent views of the mountain especially in the evenings.

Arancini are rice balls filled with a variety of sauces, such as bolognaise sauce, mozzarella and mushrooms. They are a Sicilian delicacy and they are really good. I always have at least one when I'm at Catania.

sicily has ancient roots on different cultures , you can breathe the history just walking in the streets of palermo or watching segesta and selinunte greek temples. In catania you can see lots churches from '700 d.c. Nature is nice and the woods near catania -messina are beatiful places to rest. ( parco del'etna e parco dei nebrodi)
http://www.parks.it/parco.nebrodi/gui.html (on line shop for park guides)

http://www.parcoetna.ct.it/ (etna - volcano)