Monday 10th October
I’ve decided on a rest day.
I had lunch at the recommended restaurant La Bocca, on the menu was seafood ravioli in black sauce. This was followed by Tiramisu plus bonus biscotti with marsala – delicious. I then went on foot to Catania station Borgo, start point of the Trans Etna railway. I had dinner at nearby pizza restaurant.
Tuesday 11th October
I walked over to the Museo Storica dello sbarco in Sicilia 1943, there was a vivid recreation of the bombing of Catania. It displays comprehensive details of the allied invasion in July, 1943. I was unable to find details of where Grandad Day’s Royal Engineers landed. I think it was near the Primasol bridge by the Simeto Oasis now a nature reserve, a few miles south of Catania
Afternoon excursion to Mount Etna as part of an organised group – it’s tricky to do independently!. Although the weather was closing in, I managed to take the cable car to 3000 metres, but by this time it was raining heavily. I had lunch at the cable car station watching soaking walkers returning from the summit. Came back down to 2500 metres, walked around the Silvestri Crater. Here I picked up some lava samples for my grandson, Oscar and one to take home.
Wednesday 12th October
Warm day, decided to visit Taormina, always seen as a high end resort in the travel industry. The station was built luxuriously for royalty with frescos on the ceiling and a special 1st class waiting room. It has dark green awnings setting it apart from other stations. Now the 21st century has caught up with station as it is a mile steep uphill climb to the town or an erratic bus ride.
Competing private bus operators serve the route irregularly with hair pin bends to an out of town bus terminus 10 minutes on foot from the town centre. The buses have carved up the market for train travel to neighbouring towns as it is so much more convenient.
Taormina is mainly a pedestrian zone with expensive shops, beautiful people and prices to match. The highlight is the Romano-Greek amphitheatre above the town with spectacular views of the coast, North and south.
There was an evening recital of Italian Opera arias at a local Catania church with a leading local baritone and soprano. It was so popular they gave an encore.
Thursday 13th October
My intended trip to Siracusa didn’t happen as the train was cancelled. The alternative bus did not accept my rail ticket so instead tried to reach Messina. But the trains were erratic, the weather uncertain so returned to Catania.
I walked up to.the 1943 museum to see if they had any details where the Royal Engineers landed. I spoke to Gresy who has since got back to me that we should take if further in the UK.
Had an early dinner as I was booked on the 20.26 sleeper to Rome.
Came to like Catania, a typically dirty and graffitied Italian city, the nicer squares clean and attractive, It’s a safe and unpretentious city couldn’t be more different (or cheaper) than Taormina.
