Rainy Day

When the rain eased up, we headed out to find a tapas bar for a bite to eat and drink. The place we found was off the main tourist area...very small with a bar and three tables. Spanish jalapeños (not hot) cooked  in olive oil and salt were the highlight of the dishes we chose.

We asked for a large sangria and this is what we got..massive but drinkable!

Second Chance

When we were in Barcelona in August we weren’t that impressed with the city....we tried to visit all the tourist sights with the huge crowds and that put a damper on our impressions of the city.

This time around we are doing what we like to do best and that is just wander and see what happens. We found out more about Barcelona in one rainy morning than we did with three days in August. The crowds are still here, but nothing like Sagrada Familia and the Park (which we never did get into).

This time the crowds are here for La Merce 19 Festival which we saw a bit of on our walk. Different events are taking place in different parts of the city....bands by the harbour front, stick dancing not far from the market and fireworks from who knows where...last night they seemed to be coming from the street but we know that is not right.

We came across the market just off La Rambla and spent a fair amount of time in there....hard to get me away from food markets!  

I think we may be confined to the hotel for awhile as it is pouring out again! After that many days of travelling and walking, the rain might not be a bad thing!

BTW, second impression of Barcelona is much more favourable!!

Great Food

Well, not the best food we have had, but pretty good and the atmosphere was special....Fred had been researching restaurants in Catania and found one that he wanted to try. The owner has been in business since 1962 and she acts like the queen! She certainly is the boss!!

She has a pretty stellar reputation for good Sicilian food...she taught Jamie Oliver some Sicilian recipes. Not Italian recipes, but Sicilian recipes. 

Anne, when you get to Sicily please remember that they don’t always like to be called Italian....they are Sicilian through and through. One example of this pride was on display when our driver to Mount Etna asked if we had been to Sicily before. I replied stating that we have been to Italy but never Sicily. I thought he was going to hug me....said that was the best answer yet.... “Sicily is not Italy”

Something Different

Yesterday we visited Mount Etna to see an active volcano. The excursion made for a long day but we were able to see something we have never seen before. Our driver picked us up at the hotel at 8:30 and we didn’t get back until 6:30! Long day.

Besides visiting the volcano we toured through a lava cave made by the flows years ago. It was a tight entrance but much wider inside.

When we arrived at the base town four of our group chose to hike around there while four of us decided to take the cable car and then Jeep to the highest point a person can go without a trekking guide. At present, no treks are allowed to the summit because the volcano is quite active. 

Once at 3000 metres a guide leads the way for a hike to higher points....this is the one part I didn’t like because small groups like ours were combined to make a huge group lead by one guy. Fred and I eventually headed out on our own...the trail was clearly visible so no danger of getting lost.

The scenery was so stark and barren, like we can imagine a moon scape to be. The day before we got to Mount Etna the volcano was erupting every five minutes, but yesterday when we were there it was putting on quite the show! Eruptions were frequent and loud.

The gases from the eruptions were surprisingly strong and within one minute of arriving at 3000 metres many people were coughing....Fred and I included.

On the way back to Catania we stopped at a seaside resort to spend a couple of hours relaxing in the heat after the chill of  Etna. Taormina is a beautiful little town that has been discovered! It was so crowded that all we could do was walk the main road in the two hours we had.....that and have a cool beer and some shopping!

For Anne

If you are coming to Catania you must stay at this hotel! It is a beauty with all kinds of antiques, sitting rooms and even some modern art thrown in.

Outside of Palermo

This morning we caught the bus to Monreale, 35 minutes outside of Palermo. The town is higher up with some great views of the city of Palermo. 

We found markets galore with some very strange looking stuff! The long green things are zucchini!

The church was beautiful inside and out. We needed tickets to see it all but we are getting cheaper as the trip progresses so we didn’t go up....plus, I am getting churched out and castled out!!

BTW, some guy attempted to pick Fred’s pocket on the bus this morning without much luck. Fred never carries money or credit cards unless we are going separate ways. I carry what we need for the day in my flat purse that tucks into my pants (under my top)....almost invisible to a thief.

Opera

We visited Palermo’s opera house this morning....it is supposed to be the second largest in Italy, behind Florence. It looked impressive to me, but then I have never been in an opera house before.

The only way to see this place was with a guide. Some parts of the opera house require special shoes as to not damage the flooring which is important to the overall sound so they need to control what you see and where you go. 

I’m not sure Fred enjoyed the Italian version of the tour!

More Flying

More of my favourite pastime.....we flew from Rome to Palermo yesterday, a short 50 minute flight. Getting to our hotel was an adventure again. We took the right bus from the airport, but when we got off at the stop the hotel had told us about, we had no idea where to go. The GPS wasn’t working....all we knew was the apartment was in the centre of the no car zone...an eight minute walk she had said!

When in doubt and tired of walking, we do what we often do....ask the police! He had us there in five minutes. This type of wandering and searching reminds me of China with Alice and Jim....only that walk was much, much longer!

Our room is pretty special, huge and the most comfortable bed so far!

When you start posting pictures of your room you know the trip is almost over and you are missing your own bed/kitchen etc!

Our short walk around the core of Palermo shows a much poorer city than its more touristy sister cities. We walked to the bus station to get tickets to Catania later this week and were reminded of most parts of Mexico....garbage on the streets and not much concern for cleaning it up. I guess this is not a fair first opinion as bus depots in many cities are located in the poorer parts of town. We shall see what tomorrow brings.

On the same walk, searching for a grocery store, we saw some beautiful buildings that will require more in depth exploring.

More Places

We had to wash a load of clothes this morning so that we didn’t offend too many people! After we were smelling a little sweeter we headed to the Vatican, not to go into that zoo again but to look around the area.

The first time we were in Rome (years ago) we found ourselves in the square along with what seemed to be 100,000 other people....probably a lot less but when it is unexpected it seems massive. Not being practising Catholics we had no idea what was happening until this man in white garb showed up at the window and gave his blessing to everyone. People were so quiet that it was eerie. The window was one of the ones on the right hand side....we can’t remember which one.

 

We stayed on that Vatican side of the river to see the castle and after getting over the initial shock of the entrance fee, we had a good time. The views

were amazing.

Crowds

Yesterday we just wandered the area around our hotel and a little beyond. The crowds were okay because we stayed away from the big tourist attractions, except for the Spanish Steps. There weren’t very many people on the steps, but lots around. The Italian tourist police kept patrolling the steps not allowing people to sit and eat. 

We walked for hours looking for a place to sit and enjoy a Spritz....twice we had to move because we weren’t eating and once we looked at the price and moved on! Who pays 15 Euros for a drink? Eventually we found a nice outdoor cafe that served Spritz....they also gave us pistachios, chips and mini pizzas just as a bonus. I see I was sampling the food when Fred took this picture...not flattering, but who cares.

We strolled through the back streets finding all kinds of special places and people. Chestnuts, pasta drying in the air and few people.