Catania, Sicily. – Find Walden

1/28/2020

(Above: A park we visited in Catania, Sicily. Etna can be espied in the background’s center.)

Active Summary: Today I woke up, performed the daily calisthenics, wrote for an hour, and then ventured outdoors with my brother. The ensuing adventure was a four hour walk through the streets of Catania and along the seaside. Throughout that time, I took many pictures, most of which are included in the slides below this post’s commentary section.

(8:59 PM Update:) My brother and I have just returned from our evening out-to-eating at “La Pentolaccia” – a pasta-oriented restaurant less than 9 minutes away. Here is the food that we obtained:

The starter plate that my brother and I ordered. It consisted of grilled vegetation, various cheeses, and some cured meats. All of it was excellent, and we were able to dunk bread in it at the end.
Wine to go with my meal. A single glass would have cost 2.5 euros. 25 cl (1/4 liter) cost 2 euros. Though inexpensive, the taste was sharp, not sweet. This is something I very much appreciate.
The fish of the day. Though delectable, I would have preferred it to have less bones!
The salad that came with my fish. I’m not certain what those onion-like pieces on the top were/are. It may have been fresh palm heart, as it bore a slightly coniferous taste.
My brother’s carbonara. From the small taste he gave me, it was delicious.
Ricotta-based cheese cake. This one was somehow even better than last night’s.

TIL: Today, aside from learning about the differences between Sicilians and French people, I learned that the location of the bus station via which we will be departing for Agrigento is less than 300 meters from our apartment. This will make for a quick and easy journey with our luggage.

Commentary: Catania, Sicily is very reminiscent of Marseille, France in some respects, but in one primary way, it is very different. The similarities include its openness, its old architecture*, and its proximity to the sea. The primary discrepancy is the people. Where the people of Marseille were already more lively than those to be found in Paris, Catania brings that liveliness to a whole new level.

This was exemplified by our trip to last night’s restaurant. There, we ate our food to the sounds of hearty laughter and boisterous conversation being produced by a group of rather robust (quite heavy) individuals. In France, it was rare to hear anything above a ‘buzz’ in a restaurant, and the people were for the most part very health conscious. In that latter respect, I think I’ve seen more overweight/hefty individuals in my first day and evening here in Catania than I observed in the entirety of our travels through France.

To attempt a broad summarization of the disparity between French and Italian (Sicilian) people, I think I would say that the latter are far more relaxed. By relaxed, I do not mean they are lazy, I mean they are freer with their… everything… than the French were. Be it emotion, thought, religion, and expression of all of them, there is simply more to be found here. For better or for worse**.

My brother’s bed, desk, and the entrance to the apartment.
The kitchen.
Stairs up to my bed.
Upstairs bedroom. I got roasted up here last night because we wanted to warm the apartment but did not realize that the only heater was upstairs. Aside from waking up incredibly thirsty, though, I slept well. Perhaps, it is because it is an actual bed!
Bathroom.
A statue to be found at the bus station less than 300 meters away from our current apartment.
Other side of the statue at the bus station.
A typical street in Catania, Sicily.
Both my brother and I got an ‘Arancini’ for breakfast. It was a fried ball of rice surrounding a core of mozzarella, tomato sauce, and roasted beef. Delicious.
A roundabout near the sea.
A broader look at that roundabout.
A marble statue near the sea.
An ancient hermitage atop the hill near the coastal Mary statue (next picture).
Despite the graffiti to be seen on this statue’s pedestal, it is still a place of reverence for some. I witnessed a jogger stop by this statue for a good minute or so and pray.
A sunny day at a rocky shore.
Basalt rock formations – the right adorned by a lone fisherman.
A small patch of sand can be seen at the center of this image. On this shore, there were many people laying fully clothed in the sand, enjoying the warm sun. It actually got up to 69 degrees Fahrenheit today.
Our first view of Etna.
Lantana blooms in Catania.
Cacti trees.
A close-up of those cacti trees.
New apartments to be found along the coast in Catania.
A somewhat frightening statue found outside of a Catholic church.
A split in the road.
Palazzo delle Scienze (Department of Economics and Business – Science Building).
Another old piece of architecture in Catania.
A closer look. I had to take a picture of this one through the front gates.
There is far more greenery in this city than any we visited in France.
Palazzo di Giustizia (Palace of Justice) – a seat of the Sicilian Judiciary.
Statue of a man holding two other men – one each of his palms. A physical representation of weighing one man against another, perhaps?
A bustling street leading to downtown Catania.
Caserma Vincenzo Giustino (a barracks building that is over 205 years old).
A tiled avenue.
One of many catholic churches to be found in Catania.
Green netting is used to prevent old, crumbling crenelations from pelting unwary pedestrians.
Pigeons in flight while walking up to the park.
Impressive pebble-work consisting of small, rounded pebbles bound together with grout (now mossy).
Plaza in front of the central park in Catania, Sicily.
More impressive pebble-work.
A street divergence marked by a bronze statue.
A tidy little brick alley.
Post-market chaos. We did not find the market in time to see it at its full splendor, but we were able to see the ‘clean-up chaos’ where all shop-owners were packing up their carts and piling up all the waste-produce (fish / meat vegetables / fruit).
Another statue found in the center of a plaza.
A street very reminiscent to that found in Marseille, France.
A large cathedral building – image hastily taken whilst crossing a street because I could not get a good picture right in front of it… The building was too tall.
Side-view of the Opera House.
A description of the Teatro Bellini.
Bellini Square’s central fountain with the Teatro Massimo Bellini behind it.

Final Note: Tomorrow I think the only things on the travel-agenda are: visiting the Elephant Fountain and getting packed for Agrigento.

*Both cities have Ancient Greek and Roman influences.

** Perhaps this is why Catania is filled with luxuriant architecture, landscaping, and massive food markets, while simultaneously possessing large amounts of scattered refuse (particularly along the shore), graffiti (similar to cities in France… not as many ‘peni’ here though), and feral cats. On a similar note, the larger portions of food here may also be part of the reason why the people are not as healthy as those to be found in France.

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