Catania

After stopping at a nearby café for a light breakfast and a cappuccino, we walked over to the fish market which is only two blocks away from our B&B. I had watched a few videos about this market and it really is remarkable to see it in person. When we lived in Seattle, we frequently brought guests to see Pike Place Market and the one area where the workers famously toss fish back and forth and are quite boisterous.

In this space all of the vendors are trying to catch your attention. They call out in singing voices about their catch of the day. I don't think I've ever seen so many fish varieties in one place. At times, it was a little unnerving to see snails trying to move out of their bins and shrimp that were still moving around. It was a little reminiscent of the "Les Poissons" song from "The Little Mermaid" when Sebastian, the Jamaican-accented crab is trying to avoid being an ingredient in the chef's meal.

On the perimeter of the fish booths many other vendors offered beautiful fresh produce, spices and nuts. Pistachios are grown here and they are a popular ingredient in croissants, cannoli and gelato. The produce vendors were much more sedate in comparison to the fishmongers. It really was fun to watch the interaction of the vendors and customers.

After we returned to our hotel, we prepared for a trip to Siracusa, a coastal town located about 40 minutes south of Catania. The first part of our trip was to visit another ancient Greek ruins site: Parco Archeologico della Neapolis.

This archeological site is a sprawling natural park featuring an ancient Greek theater, church, caves & other Roman relics. In addition to the ruins, it was also inspiring to walk through tranquil green spaces filled with the sweet scents of nearby blooms. The birds were quite vocal, and it really did add to the multi-sensory experience.

We walked into a deep cavern where the acoustics were incredible. When we reached the theater, the song "Everything Old is New Again" came to mind as we watched the integration of the ancient Greek Theater with contemporary seating, sound, lighting and staging. It must be quite remarkable to see a performance here on an ancient theater with the Mediterranean Sea as a not very distant backdrop for those in the "balcony" seats.

We enjoyed the walk around the amphitheater and admired the arches and tunnels in the last part of our walk on the grounds. After a short gelato break, we ventured to the lovely Isola dei Ortigia, a bifurcated section separated only by a narrow channel of water from the rest of Siracusa. One could see why this would have been the desired port of other nations and how central Siciliy is in the Mediterranean.

An online acquaintance recommended Ortigia as a romantic area for a walk. Initially, I tried to find suggested walking guides online, but I kept getting directed to paid tours. We decided instead to just "get lost in this area without an agenda.

It really was a very rewarding lesson that you don't always need a destination to benefit from the journey. Our wandering took us through very narrow alleys where we were the sole pedestrians. We walked past decaying buildings that evoked memories of what must have been, yet still demonstrated a great deal of grace in their aging. It's a good model for my own aging process.

We had a tasty lunch adjacent to a massive cruise ship preparing to leave port. And there were feral cats everywhere. We saw evidence that the local townspeople cared for these beings and it was really quite touching to see a local woman call out to them as they scurried to greet her in anticipation of her care.

We made it back to our B&B in the early evening. I do report with some pride and appreciation, that our daily adventures have increased my walking endurance, We walked about 7 miles today, and it really felt easy. I'm grateful for that benefit and to share it with the man I love at my side. He's a remarkable travel companion, and thank God he's willing to be the confident driver to get us places. My only contribution to the drive has been to use my internal voice when I want to shout "Holy Shit! Watch Out!" It was another lovely day in the island that has been conquered by many nations and yet internalized all of those cultures that we are able to relish in our experience here. Ciao!Read more