After almost 15 years, I was finally returning to Sicily. We flew into Catania to explore the eastern side of the island, in search of some sun and beautiful sights. The streets were busy at night and winding, with ancient walls and alleyways mixing with broader thoroughfares. It was a fun city to explore! We visited the Castello Ursino which was a surprising monument in the middle of the city.
We took a day trip up to Taormina, a beautiful town on the ocean cliffs with a amphitheater. In 2008, I had actually stayed in Taormina for a night, coming all of the way by train from Rome (why did I come for such a short time, I don’t really know!). It was so amazing to walk down the same paths that I had walked years before. I took the same dirt path down to the train station and waited at the same station. I will never forget that feeling. This time though, I wasn’t alone and we enjoyed Negronis =)
Also, I should mention that White Lotus was filmed in Sicily – we weren’t obsessed with it, but it was kind of fun to follow in the footsteps of Jennifer Coolidge and Aubrey Plaza.
Throughout our stay here, Mt. Etna loomed overhead, making for beautiful vistas. It was a great start to our stay in Sicily – we were so excited to start heading south.
