I find that Catania is very similar to Rome minus the huge tourist attractions like the Colosseum and such. She has a mixture of everything – ancient ruins, a huge outdoor flea market, the fish/vegetable/fruit market, mass public transportation, supermercati, tattoo shops (a plus in my book) and something Rome does not have…

1. Mt Etna: While we didn’t make the walk all the way down Via Etnea to get close, we saw her from afar. She was tipped with snow, even though it was about 65 degrees outside. I did manage to get a few nice shots from the train:

Check out the abandoned castle in the foreground!

Not too shabby for train shots, eh?

2. “Everyone’s an actor,” as they say of Rome. In Piazza del Duomo, Catania’s most famous square, we saw Superman, leaping from the Duomo into the square.

He was looking for money so I told him if he could fly that I would give him some. No such luck.

3. The Esoteric Bookshop: I found one, to my surprise and delight, off of Via Etnea, (Catania’s main shopping street) and wished that I had an extensive Italian vocabulary in order to understand their content.

4. Souvenirs: Catania also has a well-rounded selection.

5. Interesting Architectural Adornments: These guys adorn the Post Office building

6. Lava Stone Buildings

7. My favorite scent, Dolce & Gabbana for men (the one with the navy blue cap) wafts freely through the streets, adding to my enjoyment of this wonderful city. I have no photo to go with this, but ladies, let us close our eyes and imagine that wonderful smell wafting throughout our nasal passages!

And last but certainly not least…

8. Dolci – The Sweets!

9. Dolci

10. And more Dolci!

Yes, it’s true: Even though my time here was short, I am one of the people who absolutely fell in love with Catania.

Now, torniamo a Ortigia! (Let’s return to Ortigia!)