We received quite a warm welcome in to the Sicilian capital of Catania, which is to say, everything was on fire…

I’ll tell you, if this is what happens every time a poorly thrown cigarette is combined with a warm wind, it’s a wonder this place is still populated.

The marina didn’t seem all that concerned, despite the helicopters regularly getting water nearby, and we uneventfully moored there. It wasn’t the most picturesque of capitals, even with Mt Etna in the background, so we didn’t stay long, only to supply in the morning.

We continued up the coast of Sicily until you could see the mainland, to a place called Messina. This place wasn’t too interesting, but for one attraction, supposedly the oldest working clock in the world:

After visiting a few other cathedrals, we went to the boat and, the next day, left for a series of islands; the Aeolian islands.