Behind this cloud lies the largest active volcano in Europe, currently standing 3,329 metres (10,922 ft) high, though this varies with summit eruptions. This is frequently all one sees of Etna.

Everywhere you turn in Catania there is another church.

Chiesa di San Biagio was built in the eighteenth century after the terrible earthquake of 1693.

Basilica della Collegiata.

The convent church of San Placido.

Chiesa della Badia di Sant’ Agata.

Saint Francis of Assisi at the Immaculate.

On the street of the churches, Via Crociferi, we have the Badia Grande

Another photograph of the Duomo

and of the elephant fountain in the square in front of it.

A series of architectural shots.

The fountain outside the main railway station.

Two photographs of the Uinversity buildings facing each other across the square.

A Lavoir beside the fish market.

The castle of course.

There are many of these trees planted around Catania and they certainly brighten the place up.

I could almost have labelled this one ‘Ancient and (fairly) Modern’!

The first is a photograph of the Anfiteatro Romano at Piazza di Borsa, built in the second century.

Whilst the second is the Bellini Theatre, opened in 1890.

Like most Italian villages/towns/cities, there is always at least one open-air market once a week. In the case of Catania, the general market, as shown in the first photograph, is weekly, but the fish market, in the second and third photographs, is open every weekday morning.

Our first stopping point in Sicily was at Catania, a somewhat forbidding looking city as it is mainly built of the black lava from Etna. We stayed for 3 nights in the Hotel Villa Romeo (to be recommended).

It was still daylight when we arrived and I took this photograph of the Duomo from the square.

Somewhat later in the evening this was the view of the University building from the square in front of it.

Followed by an evening shot of the Duomo froma slightly different angle.

The boat train crosses from Villa St. Giovanni on the Italian mainland to Messina on Sicily.

The first photograph looks forward from the ferry towards Messina.

The second photograph looks back from the ferry towards Villa St. Giovanni and Réggio di Calabria.

The rest of the photographs are closer views as we approached Messina.

Back in Italy again, this time to the Island of Sicily. We flew to Rome and then travelled by train to Catania on Sicily. Yes, I said we went to an island by a train; not through a tunnel, not over a bridge, but on a boat. That was one of the reasons to go by train – the carriages were actually rolled onto a boat train with us in them.