Dawn breaks on Mount Etna

Woke up this morning to see dawn breaking on Mount Etna from our balcony window in Catania.

First impressions of Sicily: a lot better than expected given our previous experience of southern Italy though there still seemed to be a fair number of beggars around.

Our guide for the day was a young and very competent Sicilian woman. The big surprise of the day is the fantastic food -from the freshly squeezed orange and lemon drinks at street kiosks to the delicious meals everywhere we go.

Visited Noto famous for its baroque architecture and Siracusa 's archaelogical sites including the stunning Greek theatre built 500 BC and seating 5,000.