Catania
A few of us went to Catania on the train the other week. It’s the home of the nearest airport and I’d heard it was an uninteresting and not particularly attractive city, but there was plenty to see and much of it was pretty. People dressed better and more individually than they do in Siracusa, and there was a bustling university town vibe. We found a little truck with rusty images on the back which I later found out were from the 1890 opera, Cavelleria Rusticana. We went to the famous fish market, where men paraded round holding the heads of swordfish. My friend got chatting to a local who recommended a restaurant for what turned out to be a gorgeous lunch. Later we found an atmospheric street café and had the best chocolate cake ever (I am not exaggerating). It was warm and gooey inside and came with white and dark chocolate sauce.
