CATANIA, SICILY

On our first approach to Catania airport (yes ... first approach) the plane almost touched down, leaned a little unsettlingly to the left before the pilot aborted the landing. Engines in full throttle we were skyward again circling back out to sea.  The mood was jovial with only a few white knuckles gripping the backs of the seats on our second approach.  We could see the tarmac, we were almost there; “Not again” exclaimed some passengers as the pilot decided it was still too windy and up we went again.  Another 20 minutes later and the runway was in sight. “Third time lucky” I said. A bit rocky but there were cheers, applause and sighs of relief when the wheels thumped to Catanese ground.  

We have chosen three photos of our day in Catania. The first shows the main street, the main square and the third the interior of the opera house.  

We found Catania, the second largest city in Sicily, to be a survivor.  It has a rough, sometimes abandoned exterior, a myriad of streets with all facets of life on show and the interior we saw hinted of a rich past and suggested hope of a better future. I’m still thinking of the stranger I shook hands with after our successful landing in Catania.