Sicily: Catania

6 hours on train (part of which we were on a ferry, in the train.YEP!) we travelled down to Catania, a large city on the east side of Sicily. Our hostel was a funky, colourful joint that would have drug takers climbing up the walls. The staff there were great and let us in on all the towns secrets, arancini's, horse meat and markets those that most pricked up taste buds. So the next morning we headed out into it all. The food markets blew us away. Two weeks we have now been in Italy and still yet we are to see one of the real big markets that you accompany with the country. Wait no more! The Catania food markets were a major shock to the senses. You will see from the photos how colourful and active this place was. Bright coloured fruit and veggies, meat still being carved from the bone and sea creatures still moving in their containers. All this will very very vocal locals trying to sell it all for next to nothing. I was cooking that night so equipped myself with 1 fennel, large bag of cherry tom's, large bag of parsley, 1 lime, 1 lemon, bulk rocket and lettuce and a red onion whilst parting with about 4 aussie dollars.

 The fresh meat brought the spending up a tad but who wouldn't pay money for swordfish staked freshly off the spine? The next day we trekked up north to the beautiful ocean viewing town of Taormina.

Cool little shops on the main street and scenic island resorts on the coast make this little place another summer vacation spot for the financially comfortable. Rhi turned the left over swordie fishy into a nice burger for me and we got a good bunch of shuteye knowing what what coming the following day. We had inquired to the awesome hostel staff at CC-Ly hostel (recommended!) about cooking coerces in the city. There was not any viable, one day options so the hostel went one better. One of the staff organised their talented friend to give us a full day course at $30aud (bargain). Rhi, I and a camera armed chick from China signed up and were out of there at 9am with the chef, her friend and the hostel host. We spent the next couple hours walking around the famous Catania fish markets getting all our ingredients. We returned to the hostel kitchen area at about 11am and cooked all the way through to 3pm when we collapsed around the table covered in 4 different traditional anchovy dishes, a pasta and a caponata (sweet and sour warm veggies). That pretty much did it for Catania. A very cool foodie city.