Looking back at our stay in Catania I want to review three areas, The Property, The Place, The People.
The Property
We have travelled to many places, stayed in many hotels, apartments, homes and other dwellings. This apartment was stunning and one of the best places we have ever stayed. It is light, roomy, homely, beautifully furnished and was beyond our expectations as a 25th Wedding Anniversary stay, having waited nearly 3 years to celebrate that milestone.
We wanted for nothing.
The differentiating factor is the view from the balcony onto the Teatro Antico. The pictures of this do not do it justice, it was sublime. On the first three nights of our stay there were live performances in the Amphitheatre which we were able to enjoy sat on the balcony like a couple of dignitaries, enjoying local wine, cheese, meats and bread - it is hard not to get emotional at this moment as it was simply heavenly.
Breakfast purchased from the local vendors sat watching the sun bless the Teatro stones and the terracotta buildings opposite, a perfect start to any day.
A welcoming cool down at the end of a fascinating day visiting local attractions with the splendid air conditioned apartment and cooling showers to reinvigorate us for the evenings dinner.
Simply Stunning!
The Place
Catania is a lovely city, with much to explore, a heart of the Duomo and the life blood of the central district, the fish market. This is a paradise for pescatarians. Walk through the market, choose a new seafood variant to try, find a place that has it on the menu, and enjoy. We made every effort to try local produce exclusively, and this was not a constraint on variety in any way. Whether your idea of Elysium is fine dining, local family run restaurants, or street food, you will not be disappointed.
Catania and the surrounding areas of Sicily must be explored. Of course Etna is a must see. We went on an evening tour allowing us to see the sunsetting over the mountain and the coastal view below, which was both informative and enchanting in equal measure.
We are also oenophiles and went on an all day private three winery tour of the most excellent Etna DOC region just a short distance away by car. We have visit vineyards in the heart of France and this experience was comparable, with the passion of the micro vineyard owners a blessing as we experienced the love of the grape, and the devotion of those that bring it to the glass.
Further afield but worth the journey we also visited the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento and the mosaics at the Roman Villa del Casale. This gave us both a connection with Sicilys' past and the triumvirate of influences from Greek, African and Roman culture. We simply didn't expect to fall in love so deep so quickly, but Sicily and Catania have our hearts.
The People
Whether it is the warm sun, the cooling influence of the Mediterranean or the mix of cultures on the island, the people of Catania are so joyous.
The key to this for us were the winners of the AirBnB hosts of this year, and any year for us, Angela and Giuseppe.
They made this trip and our acclamation to Sicilian life seamless and an absolute pleasure.
Words are not enough, and my Italian not adequate, to thank them for making the celebration of our 25th year of marriage a truly special time we will never forget.
"Vi amiamo entrambi!"