Our itinerary for the second day in Sicily is:

Syracuse--120KM---Mount Etna-36KM-Catania

Morning: Head to Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Take the cable car to an altitude of 2500 meters, then switch to a specialized off-road jeep to tour the scenic area at 3000 meters. You can see numerous craters and the natural chimney that is nearly 3400 meters high (the height of the main peak). The tour of the volcano park takes about 2.5-3 hours.

In the afternoon, head to Catania, the most vibrant city in Sicily, to visit the Elephant Fountain, Catania Castle, and in the evening, explore the famous seafood market.

After breakfast that day, we put on all the thickest clothes from our suitcase because the temperature at the top of the volcano is relatively low. The guide required us to wear more layers and also to bring masks, as volcanic ash and strong winds can easily be inhaled through the nose and mouth.

Around ten in the morning, after we arrived at the parking lot of the volcano scenic area, we took the cable car to Sicily's most famous scenic spot, Mount Etna.

The majestic Mount Etna attracts a large number of tourists every year to explore the volcano park.

The playtime usually takes about three hours.

To reach the volcano, you must first take the cable car from the base to an altitude of 2500 meters.

The scenery along the way up the mountain is limitless, with various terrains and landforms from volcanic eruptions, and I filmed quite a bit of video.

Captured various landscapes of the volcano park while on the cable car.

After taking the cable car to an altitude of 2500 meters, we switched to an off-road jeep to reach 3300 meters.

These off-road vehicles are specially made Iveco and Mercedes. While riding, it didn't feel like much, just very bumpy. When we reached the top and got off the vehicle, looking back at the cars climbing up the winding and rugged path, they looked like ants.

At this moment, it felt as if I had ascended to Mars and the Moon, surrounded by the barren landscape of the volcano, with its black and peculiar landforms.

After getting off the off-road vehicle, the temperature was only 7-8 degrees, and the strong wind made it hard to stand. I estimated it to be around level fourteen or fifteen; standing in such a place, you feel small, as if you could be blown down the mountain at any moment.

Originally, we planned to continue walking closer to the main peak of the volcano, but the wind was too strong. Not to mention walking, even standing there to take photos felt like we might be blown away, so we only stayed for a few minutes to take some pictures.

The weather at the summit is harsh, but the volcanic scenery is magnificent, with clouds drifting past us at the mountainside.

At this moment, we were amazed by the wonders and beauty of nature.

Mount Etna has an altitude of 3323 meters and has erupted more than 200 times since about 600,000 years ago, making it the most active volcano in the world. The last eruption was in September 2004, and it is the highest and largest volcano in Europe, as well as one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

I have traveled to some volcanoes both domestically and internationally, but none have conditions as harsh and climates as severe as Mount Etna.

While taking the cable car down the mountain, I continued to film videos and suddenly noticed two small craters in the distance. I discovered this unintentionally while filming; more than twenty people traveling with me did not see this scenery. I captured videos and photos from different heights and angles with my phone.

This was also a significant unexpected gain.

After leaving the volcano park, we drove to Catania to continue our tour.

Many churches in Sicily are world cultural heritage sites, serving as places for religious activities, weddings, and funerals. The churches are also popular spots for tourists to check in.

While visiting the Catania Cathedral, we happened to encounter a local funeral.

Unlike in our country, there is no luxury or noise; what is presented is the family affection and emotions of parting.

Catania Cathedral and the Cathedral Square are masterpieces of Baroque architecture and are listed as world cultural heritage sites.

After a brief stop here, we headed to another important destination for that day, not far away.

Passing the Elephant Fountain, we walked down a step to a place just 100 meters from the square, where the famous Catania seafood market is located.

Catania is the second-largest city in Sicily and a very important tourist city. In its city center, there is a famous fish market, ranked 14th in the global fish market. It is also a place for tourists to visit and eat seafood.

This market still uses the ancient trading methods that have been in place for over a hundred years.

What caught my eye was a vendor preparing raw seafood on-site, including oysters, shrimp, and tuna, made fresh and sold immediately.

The market is large, with a wide variety of seafood, reportedly exceeding the fish market in Hamburg, Germany.

Over the years, every time we travel abroad, we love to visit local markets where residents buy vegetables, meat, and fish, as these markets allow us to directly experience the local lifestyle.

After wandering around the fish market, it was time for lunch, so we decided to eat seafood near the market. You can't go wrong eating here, so let's have seafood here.

We had lunch nearby, and the gathering was delightful.

After leaving the fish market, the area was filled with food vendors and dining places, a favorite spot for both tourists and locals.

I also saw vendors selling various cheeses; the variety was truly impressive.

Let's eat here; some friends in our group have already been here, and they are also at this place.

Eating seafood must be accompanied by white wine; that's the standard.

While ordering seafood, we also ordered a bottle of locally produced white wine.

Sicily is the second-largest wine-producing region in Italy, especially known for its distinctive white wines from vineyards near Mount Etna.

We originally planned to order three glasses of white wine, but each glass was 8 euros. Later, the waiter told us that we could buy a bottle for 26 euros, so we bought a bottle. This is a white wine from the Mount Etna region, which locals often drink.

I began to savor this bottle of white wine carefully.

The waiter opened the bottle, let me confirm, and then poured a little into my glass for me to taste. My process is to observe, smell, and sip; that process is correct.

If I didn't confirm, he would have to replace it, which is the rule in European restaurants regarding wine.

Haha. The seafood we ordered also arrived at the table: a large seafood platter, seafood pasta, and fried Mediterranean fish and squid caught that day...

Eating seafood near the seafood market was really cheap; our meal only cost 82 euros, including the 26-euro bottle of wine, which was much cheaper than the previous day in Syracuse.

After eating and drinking to our fill, we strolled over to the cathedral to take a car back to the hotel to rest.

(To be continued)