Catania (Sicily), Italia – 1-3 June 2018

Finally Friday 1 June has arrived - Europe here I come! This trip started to be planned while I was in Mauritius in August last year so it’s been awhile in the making.

I do the standard airport express check-in at Kowloon Station. Takes all of 3 minutes - love the convenience and ease! Off to work I head.

I take my time leaving the office, which is very unlike me when I’m flying out after work. My flight isn’t too 00.40am so I have loads of time.

When you have time to spare you get through security and immigration without any issues. I head straight to the Qantas lounge which in typical Friday night fashion it’s basically chocka block. Aperol spritz ordered - seat located. And relax.



After a few hours I’m starting to fade so decide to go and have a shower.

One of my colleagues is leaving HK today and flying to London. We had planned earlier to meet up so feeling fresh and in comfortable clothes I leave the comfort of the Qantas lounge and meet Ellie in pizza express. Seems odd having a pizza before getting on the plane to Rome but hey ho.....it doesn’t disappoint.

After saying goodbye I decide to head to the Cathay lounge that is the closest to my gate. I have a good hour before we are supposed to start boarding. Must stay awake!!! On entering it becomes very clear I’m not the only one looking for a seat. This place is a zoo. If only the Qantas lounge was closer.

I decide to leave the lounge before the boarding announcement happens - otherwise I’m going to fall asleep!

The 12.5 hour flight passes relatively quickly - down to the fact sleep was needed!

As we descend into Rome, on Saturday 2 June, the countryside is changing from night into day. 

We land 10 minutes late and unfortunately at a parking bay. Thankfully it’s a quick journey to the airport where there is a ridiculous LOOOOOOOONG line at immigration! Thank goodness I have two and a half hours to my next flight - I think I’m going to need it all!

After joining the line an airport walker walks by with a couple of passengers and advised the lines can take 1 to 1.5 hours. Ooh dear! On the positive side my bag should be ready for me when I exit.

Thankfully the line takes 30 minutes - time passes quickly as I end up speaking to the lady behind me. At the immigration counter I’m asked how long I’m here for, passport is then stamped and I’m in! Clearly the bags take as long if not longer than the immigration line as my bag isn’t out when I arrive. Annoying! Just under two hours to my next flight.....

I notice a few people from my flight walking around the corner and coming back with bags so I decide to do the same. Bingo my bag is sitting nicely waiting for me. Right now to find terminal 2 for check-in.

After a false start I’m back into the terminal and asking someone for directions. Seems easy. On getting upstairs I ask an airport worker where terminal 2 is.....she advises it’s closed. Umm ok. Asks me who I’m flying then gives me the desk number to check in.

Now for another line - this time just for bag drop. Just over an hour and a half to my plane so I have time.

The couple in front of me have an awful time at the check-in desk - the lady is informing them they didn’t pay for luggage. I certainly hope that doesn’t apply to me! They are given instructions on where to go to pay for the bags - now it’s my turn.

Thankfully no issues at all for me, bag dropped and I’m off through boarding pass check and security. I’d researched where the priority pass lounge was and was happy when I got my boarding pass that the gate is 5 gates from the lounge. I was thinking I’d need to walk back and forth but alas no.

It’s a beautiful blue sky day, such a shame the windows aren’t clean as it would make a great photo! I decide a real coffee is required, it’s an hour to I depart so time to go off exploring. Am looking forward to getting on that plane and having a wee nap. Been a busy morning already!!

Coffee was a fail as I notice my flight has started to board - never mind there will be many opportunities for one later on.

Walking on the plane it’s hotter than hell! Have you not heard of a/c Ryan Air??!! I’m glad I left it to the last minute to board. Let’s hope we depart on time.

The views of Mt Etna as we start to descend are impressive.

  

We land into Catania 10 minutes early at 11.50am Italian time......it’s been a long journey. Finally my holiday officially begins.  As happened earlier this morning in Rome we are met by buses and taken to the terminal.

The luggage takes bloody ages to arrive! Honestly ridiculous as it’s not a big airport and they aren’t that busy. Finally it arrives!

The luggage belt is directly next to the exit so it’s a quick hop, step and jump to get out.

I have a few minutes waiting for Susan and Andrew to arrive.

We head back to their apartment for me to drop my bags and shower. Susan makes me a mozzarella and tomato salad – super tasty!

Feeling slightly more normal we head out to explore. Susan and Andrew had a plan of where we were going – I was enjoying staring out the window trying to take it all in. We drove through numerous small towns, man I LOVE being back in Italia!, as well as back roads surrounded by citrus and olive trees. Aah this is the life.

Susan was using maps.me app to get us to Gole dell’Alcantara. It was working perfectly fine until we start to drive down more of a farm road, driving over a small river where the farm road turns into a stone road. Definitely a massage road……in a tiny car made for lots of laughs! We get to a point that there really is no option other than turn around. I decide to get out of the car while Andrew does a number of turns to turn the car around. When we finally get back onto the road we all breathe a sigh of relief. And of course after driving about 200 meters we are on a big back road which takes us to exactly where we want to go. A drive we won’t forget in a hurry!!



Gole dell’Alcantara is a gorge towards the end of the Alcantara (river) where locals and tourists go to swim.

We have a snack sitting in the courtyard – I go for the arancini balls.

We take the down lift down to the gorge, not entirely sure why you can’t walk but hey ho!

Putting my toes in the water it’s beyond freezing! I’d actually call it froze-bite material. I let Andrew and Susan wander down the cave without me. I happily people watch while listening to them chitter chatter in Italia.

 

When we return to the courtyard Susan and Andrew have a gelato, I go for an arancini ball. Definitely more of a savoury person than a sweet person.

Back to the hot car we go – maps.me tells us it’s a 35 minute drive to Aci Trezza, a town located on the coast of the Ionian Sea. After the froze bite water at Gole dell’Alcantara there is no way I’ll be trying the water! One and a half hours later we finally arrive! The countryside sights keep us occupied. Car park located, we have a quick wander around the small town.

 

Back onto the road we head, this time just a couple of kilometers down the road to Aci Castello.

We park in car park where there are “watchers”. When we ask how much it will cost, he says we pay what we like when we leave. Interesting concept.  Let’s hope the car will be here when we return.

We wander around the small town and along the boardwalk. As day starts to turn into night more people come out to play / walk / watch / drink / eat and who knows what else.

    


We select a restaurant for dinner that overlooks the sea - lovely end to my first day in Italia.

  

I struggle to keep my eyes open on the journey back to Catania - sleep is needed.

Sunday 3 June I wake at 5.20am - my normal time - thanks but too early to get up. I manage to doze for a bit and finally get up just after 7am. After mucking about for what seems like forever I head out for a run.

On exiting the building I have a small conversation with a local woman, nearly said good morning in Cantonese. Whoops. She informs me it’s hot. Si si it is but thankfully next to no humidity like Hong Kong.

For the first time ever on a run I have a few stops to take photos. Love being back in Italia!

   

Basically next door to the apartment is a supermarket so I head in - nice to cool off a bit :) and of course to look around.



Andrew cooks us breakfast - such a nice treat! After packing up we leave the apartment and head to the car. Interesting trying to get all 3 bags in, finally all sorted and we are off.

Like yesterday we drive through lots of small towns. Honestly you could spend months in Sicily and still not visit every single one. One we drive through has a great Duomo façade. If only we had time to stop and go in.



We stop at Acireale, this time no “watchers”. Given its Sunday it must be their day off. We locate a patisserie which also has gelato. I remember when I was in Sicily back in April 2003 having a cannoli which was super tasty so decide to try one again. While it’s not awful I don’t need to have another one The others have gelato.

 

We have a quick walk around before heading back to the car.

 

Susan and I fly out at 3.40pm to Malta, with Andrew’s flight being a few hours later so while we have time we aren’t entirely sure how long it will take us to get to the airport and drop off the car.

We manage to get onto the autostrada without too many issues - Catania airport here we come!

Dropping off the car isn’t as smooth as getting onto the autostrada. After a few drive by’s (to read the signs) we head off in what we believe is the right direction. They certainly don’t make the car returning process easy!

Finally we see the car rental name - now to find a park. I sort the luggage out while Andrew and Susan do the paperwork side.

It’s a short 5 minutes’ walk to the terminal - boy it’s hot!!

Thankfully the bag drop line at Ryanair moves at a fastest pace that it did yesterday. I had taken some items for Susan as we both had a strict 20 kgs - we are both underweight, perfect. 

We are in no rush to go through to the passenger only part so hang out a bit with Andrew. His flight is not to around 5pm and unfortunately he can’t check his bag in until 2 hours before his flight.  We head outside for one more look at Mt Etna. 



My 27 hours in Sicily has come to an end. It’s been great!  Grazie Mille Sicily - one day I hope to return.