Diporto Nautico Etneo
Catania, Sicily
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| Who can't like a city that has a pint-sized smiling lava elephant as it's city centrepiece. |
With a very strong east wind in the forecast and no sheltered harbours on the east coast of Sicily, we opted to damn the expense (110 Euro/night for zero facilities) and snug Milly up to a marina dock deep inside the industrial working port of Catania for two nights until the wind and, more importantly, swell abated. Of course, we left our anchorage departure a little late. The surf and swell were already making me stumble around on deck like a drunken sailor. The anchor was firmly embedded and I pulled up a load full of thick lines from days of yore. Always an adventure in even the most everyday tasks on Milly.
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| We joined the other big guys taking refuge in harbour. Etna always on guard. |
Safely in harbour we had more time to explore the city and with vigour, finally washed the Saharan sand from Milly’s topsides, portlights, canvas and hatches. I’m sure we will continue to find it in crevices for months but, to the eye, Milly is white again.
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| Full on Baroque style cathedral.... |
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| ...and next door palace were plastered with lava sand. Many of the buildings had this striking colouring especially when you consider the dramatic and tragic source. |
Catania had been buried in lava in a massive 1669 Etna eruption. The city was rebuilt in Baroque style. Now, in the old city, largely pedestrianized, there is a view of a palace, church or gate down every street. Many of the buildings and all of the sidewalk and street cobbles were made of lava stone or sand giving them a unique dusty appearance, contrary to the pastel colours in the other Sicilian towns we have seen.
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| He really is having a great time up there! |
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