I spend my early afternoon in Comiso, strolling to the center of town and touring the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Stelle before grabbing a late lunch at Cantunera. I’m back in the air by four en route to LICC Vincenzo Bellini Airport. The landscape turns green with grassy fields and pastures along the way.
As I draw nearer, the towering volcanic peak of Mount Etna looms dark against the horizon.
The airport leads right out to sea, nestled in the city.
I get my approach wrong, coming in too high, and need to do a flyover of the airport. I make left pattern traffic and loop around, setting down cleanly. From the apron, Etna dominates my view.
I only have two hours here, so I visit Piazza Duomo and ask a bystander to snap a picture of me in front of the elephant fountain. After grabbing a snack from a street vendor, I’m back in the air again as the sun grows weary. The sky is a volcanic red as I skirt past Etna.
The sun sets behind Sicily’s rolling mountains to my left.
The transit across the Strait of Messina from Sicily to continental Italy is short, with both shores visible at all times. LICR Reggio di Calabria "Tito Minniti" Airport is also along the coast, its lights a welcome beacon,
The sky is awash in gold as I glide in for a touch down.
I head on over to Buono Calabria for dinner. I’ve worked up an appetite from all of the travel, and my mouth is watering at the thought of some pasta.