For an absorbing insight into Sicilian life, it’s hard to beat half an hour’s people-watching at the
pescheria in Catania, the ancient port city on the island’s east coast. The fishermen set up shop in an 18th-century sunken piazza from 7am, so it pays to arrive early if you want to bag a prized spot on the upper balustrade. There’s an unashamedly male atmosphere, with rubber-booted traders, sometimes in oilskins, often firmly attached to mobile phones. It’s also a place of continuous motion, an earthy din and a decidedly fishy aroma. Stocks are replenished from large blue buckets, scooped out with a net like an adapted lacrosse stick. All in all, it’s quite an experience.
Which holiday? Enjoy the spectacle on our rail journey,
Baroque Riches of Sicily, or by
adding Catania to any of our Sicilian holidays.