The Warmth of Catania

It’s a wonderful feeling to have been able to escape the drastic winter in Sweden this time. It was -16°C when we left yesterday at dawn;  freezing cold, wasn’t it? Hubby’s idea to celebrate New Year here in Catania, Sicily has by far been worthwhile. After three flights from Gothenburg, here we are now enjoying the warmth of Catania. If it’s -16°C in our place, here it’s +16°C, hahaa! It gets cold in the evening but it feels like the cold in the early fall. We don’t need our winter down jackets nor the bonnets or gloves.

view from the Grand Hotel Baia Verde

Catania is a city on the east of Sicily, Italy and it’s one of Unesco’s World Heritage Sites. We haven’t started looking around here yet but the view we have from the hotel is quite astounding. That part of Mediterranean Sea is beautiful especially in the morning when the sun grins through it. Summer is relatively the high season for visitors here but it’s quite a suitable place to escape from the cold of the winter.

part of the Mediterranean sea - view

When we arrived at the hotel last night, we were so hungry and went to the restaurant but it would open at 8:00 PM. It would be an hour and a half before that time so we sat at the bar instead and took sandwiches and drinks while waiting. It’s the same system when we were in Rimini, Italy a long time ago. Lunch at 1:00 -2:30 PM and dinner at 8:00-10:00 PM. You can’t find any restaurant open before or after the aforementioned time, lol! Nonetheless, they have lots of delectable delicacies to enjoy while the restaurants are close.

Enjoying the warmth of Catania

Though we woke up late today, the sun was still beaming gladly at around 1:00 PM. It gets cold eventually in the late afternoon but it’s favorable for a walk outside. We went out to stroll along the street and grabbed a bite at the Sheraton Hotel’s bar. It was raining when we went back to our hotel. I’m looking forward to another sunny day tomorrow here in Catania.