La Fenice Catania

I just checked out my 'stats' section and I'm quite pleased with my little blog and how much people are enjoying reading about my travels. I have over 20 5-star ratings and over 2,000 viewings. That is so incredibly awesome!

Apparently my photos are also not so bad. Travelpod has selected almost a dozen of them to be included in the daily ...

... I let myself behind the reception desk and found a phone. At first I kept thinking, "Josie, you should be nervous. You should be scared. Your wuh-oh alarm should be going off. You should be wanting to leave. You should be thinking about finding other accommodations." But there's something about Sicily that just sets my risk-taking genes on fire. If I had actually felt scared or uncomfortable I would have done any of those things. But I didn't get that sense and so instead I have just ...

... to provide more perfect service.
In its rooms, many with balconies to admire from useful
Etnea street, you get LCD TV, Wi-Fi
telephone
bathroom, air conditioning, safe, and all accompanied by a
abundant and delicious breakfast.
The staff, a warm and unique hospitality, will welcome the
accommodation and room will be on hand to offer the highest
quality of its services.

... br>B&B Massimo, ha una lunga tradizione di
ospitalità e accoglienza, che ha reso la nostra struttura B&B, tra
le più affidabili della città. Veniteci a trovare, per prenotazioni o
maggiori informazioni, compilate il form nella sezione contattaci.
I nostri servizi: Parcheggio e prima colazione
le nostre stanze Ampie, spaziose, dai colori caldi
e gradevoli, parquet ...

... and hopped on the next one going to Taormina. This town feels like it should be perched on a cliff near Napoli on the Amalfi coast. It has just as many tourist but still holds its charm. Once the Byzantine capitol of Sicily it is now a thriving town unlike many others in this region.
We could see the rain clouds blowing in across the face of Mount Etna and decided to call it a day.

Tomorrow we will be in Rome. (Catania to Rome €43.50 each)

... vorallem früchte/gemüse und fisch/fleisch….wobei das fleisch einfach nacktauf dem tisch liegt mit einer art rotor mit papierfezten dran, welcher so die fliegen vertreiben sollte. Das fleisch liegt so wohl den ganzen tag ungekühlt in der hitze.mmmmh. evi kriegte jeweils fast einen brechreiz in der nähe des fischmarkts (mir gefällt das halt all die vielen fische…zb. Ein rieser sägefisch, halb angeschnitten und mit einem eisblock auf dem rücken ...

A lovely quaint very old area. Stayed in a lovely hotel with great attentive staff would recommend it to any couple looking for a romantic break or second honeymoon. Just off the main shopping street of Corso Umberto but found that the shopping was over priced so don't go expecting any bargains.

The people from Florence are described as "changeable and moody".

Mt. Etna is much the same.

Evolution of the volcano is described as:

“destructive periods, collapses, landslides and subsidences alternate with constructive periods (explosive, pyroclastic activity & emission of lava).”

Much like us people. J

Italians ...

... so I finally had to remind our waitress. They brought it out and it was almost like stuffed squid, and in Mike and Lauren's opinion not very good. A big bummer, Mike called it. Greg and Claudio, a fellow wide receiver said they come by to have a drink and met us at the restaurant once we finished. They gave Mike his cell phone, then they took us to a cracking nightspot were we had a beer and talked. They are really nice guys. Mike was ready to fall asleep on ...

... the woman said he was right. So, with the help of the nice ladies in the tourist office at the Catania train station, we found a hotel for the night. A bit more than we'd plan to spend but it was in the middle of town and we could still see Catania and make it to airport without hassle. Off to the Hotel Gresi we went, checked in and out to explore Catania in the fading afternoon of our last day in Sicily. We explored the old Roman theatre, below ...