Catania was described to me as “a city in the raw”. Agreed. Sicily‘s second largest city has a lot of scruffy visual riches from a vibrant fish market to ancient structures. People make the place, and Catanese fall in the category of “REAL!” While searching for a restaurant, we came to a pasta establishment where the friendly waitress offered an outdoor table. Was there a towel to clean? No! But thankfully her arm with her hand and a were enough to clean off the crumbs followed by a “Prego”. Admittedly, the Pistachio Pasta was tasty enough to warrant a return.
What struck me about the 8th century Greek settlement was the potential of the Southern Italian metropolis. While walking around noticeably a number of buildings needed a lot of elbow grease. One had to wonder how these treasures would look if fully restored.
For a stroll around the city, start in the main square Piazzo Duomo, then head north on Via Giuseppe Garibaldi to the gate.
