So, here I am sharing Catania and our bittersweet last few days in Italy.

While I was sad to leave Italy and all it’s beauty, I couldn’t wait to get home to a large shower that drains, my puppies and In-N-Out. Normally, I‘m not a huge fan of In-N-Out, but I was madly craving a burger or Mexican food by the end our of trip! YUM! I have had enough pizza and pasta to last awhile…well, until my next trip…because I am for sure going back to Italy. (Anybody fancy an Italian wedding?)

Things I am going to miss about Italy: amazing coffee, croissants, delicious food and the beauty of all the places we have been, with the exception of Naples. That is one place I am never visiting again! It was so dirty and I have never gripped my purse so tightly and I’ve walked skid row at 2am in the morning after hitting the clubs. YIKES! Thankfully, it was just a day trip in-between Pompeii and Catania. The pizza was pretty darn good, so at least there was that.

We took an overnight train from Naples to Catania to try and get the most of our day. Eek…was that ever a mistake. We thought it would be fun and time saving…well, now I’ve been there and done that and am happy to say I will NOT be doing it again. Haha! The train was HOT, cramped, noisy and rocked the whole time. It’s not something I would recommend, but at least I can say I tried it and survived.

Once we arrived to Catania it was so nice to finally be able to take a day and relax after so many days of sight-seeing. Our room was so cute!! The balcony doors opened up to a view of the town and a little slice of the Ionian Sea. It was absolutely perfect and so relaxing. Our last two days were right back to sight seeing tours! We had a wonderful end to an amazing trip.

Syracuse was delightful and so charming. I will be going back there for sure to stay there for a few days – one day just isn’t enough! Would you just look at that stunning turquoise ocean and the adorable little streets and shops! Walking through the market was one of my favorite things there – and of course seeing so much more history in the buildings around town. Those Italians sure know how to build stuff to last.

We ended our trip with a hike up Mt. Etna, a wine tasting and a honey tasting. It was a splendid last day, taking in all of Italy, the history, sights, views, wines, foods and the delicious honey. I love seeing all the lava rocks and learning about geology of the area was just as alluring as learning about the history. Who knew you could tell how old lava is based on its color and plant growth? I didn’t…how crazy and fascinating Mother Nature is!

That wraps up our adventures in Italy. I hope you enjoyed all the beauty of Italy as we toured through. I can’t wait to go back and photograph tons and tons of weddings in all the beautiful places of Italy. Now back to our beautiful weddings, baby showers, maternity shoots, and everything else wonderful! At least until our next adventure, of course!

I just can’t get over how majestic the sea is. It was totally calling my name even in the rain.

I can’t believe that there are villages that thrived in the middle of the lava flows and still do.

And a little slice of Syracuse and the ruins. The green plants growing among the ruins make for some of the most beautiful photos.

I think I have a new fascination with stairs. How cool are these stairs leading us outside the lava tube.