Best. Food. Ever.

Well obviously I made it to Catania. I arrived last night, immediately made a friend (her name was charly) and we went out to dinner at this wonderful incredible place on this little side street in the heart of the old part of Catania. The food was amazing I had no idea pasta could taste so delicious. For my second course I had octopus salad, amazing again the seafood here is so fresh everything was pulled out of the water that day. After dinner we wandered back to the hostel and went to bed.

Today I wandered out of the hostile at around 10 and headed down to the Piazza Duomo

then went up via Etna to the Bellini gardens where I stopped and had THE BEST arancini at a place called Saria (prosciutto and cheese).

My hunger sated, I wandered around the gardens

 then headed back down via Etna to the outdoor market. The market wound down multiple streets in every direction. Anything and everything you might need ever you will find here in this market. I bought a butt load of cherries for 2 euro and a pair of pants for 3 euro.

After the market I went to see the roman theater off of via Vittorio Emanuel II. This place was soooo cool! Admission was 5 euro but I talked the guy down to 2 euro. The pix speak for themselves. From what I gathered in the guides and listening g to other people. The Teatro Antico e Odèon was built with volcanic rock in the second century. Catania has been burried by lava a total of 7 times in recorded history. The first inhabitants were Greek then roman and now present day.

 After exploring the theater I went back to the hostel and had a shower. I went back out around 5 and found that the police had taken over Piazza Duomo, apparently they were doing a dress rehearsal to tomorrows "police party" as it was explained to me by a local. They march around to music and stuff.

 Then I went to grab a beer at a cafe at the Palazzo Degli Elefanti. The waitress was very friendly and spoke a little English, we talked about New Orleans and Catania and Taormina and she gave me some tips on where the best beaches were. Then she gave me my beer for half price! BONUS! After my beer I wandered back up to Saria  for more arancini, this time I got a ragu filled one, so good. On the way back to Duomo I got some tiramisu galato, it was OK. I think that the north might have one up on the gelato side over the south, so far at least. Ah and dad, I finally found a cigar shop with partagas, cohiba, and Romeo y Juliet all Cubans. Unfortunately their credit card machine was broken so I'll try back tomorrow, though I have a feeling their CC machine may never have worked (aka its mafia run and they only want cash) who knows. Once I got back to the Duomo I found the guy I had spoken to earlier, he was trying to sell me tourist train tickets (like the duck tours in Boston, yes Pitts it reminded me of you) but he was very friendly, but not overly friendly. After talking for a little while and watching the police dance around with their machine guns he let me go on the tour for free. It was around 730, last one of the day, and the lighting was very nice. I had already walked to all of the destinations the tour went by but it was nice to see them while sitting down and in the evening.

After the tour we parted ways and I headed back to the hostel. And here I am, in the common room about to make some tea and hangout. Unfortunately charly left this morning and there are only my 2 Asian dude roommates here right now and the staff who are friendly. The Asian dudes though are very inconsiderate and annoying. But whatever.
Tomorrow I am going to climb Mount Etna. I'm so excited!

these are some of the other places I went to during the day.

Via Etna

the old Monastary







churches