I woke up in Syracuse on Wednesday to bright sunshine and hoped to visit the archeological park. But my running shoes (which I had purchased in Manila in 2023 and had plenty of miles on them) were still soaked from the torrential rains of the night before and I could not bring myself to put them on. I had ballet flats, but walking more than 100 metres in them gives me blisters.
I searched Google for a Skechers store and found one at a mall in Catalina, on my way to Taormina. So the archeological park was scrapped and I hit the road.
Shoes purchased, I decided to see Mount Etna, highest peak in the Mediterranean which is also an active volcano.
Mount Etna is a major tourist attraction, and I could see the ropes that would cordon the crowds during the summer months. But, this being November, I was able to walk straight onto the gondola and many of the cars that passed in the opposite direction on the way up were empty.
At the top of the lift, I got on a bus with about 20 other passengers and we drove up the snow-covered peak to about 2600 metres. A guide then offered to walk us further up the snowy hill ahead of us to some of the lower craters.
It was a super slippery climb (in my new shoes) and, after about 100 feet I had had enough. I had visions of tumbling like a snowball all the way to the bottom, and my knees were saying no. A woman named Linda from Seattle who is about my age also tapped out at the same point and we wisely decided to head back to the bus.
By that time, the clouds had really set in and we could not see much. But still it was a fantastic experience.
Back down the hill, I got in my car to head to Taormina, a beautiful coastal village that has become a tourist mecca. The trip down the mountain was a bit of a nail biter - multiple switchbacks through the thickest fog I have ever seen. I emerged from it to find the sun had been replaced by drizzle.
No matter, I got to the garage halfway up the hill to the Taormina and took the free shuttle that dropped me off by the B&B Porta del Rei, my stay for the night. The owner, Emanuele, got me settled in, and suggested places I had to see. I headed out for a very late (4pm) lunch of lasagna at a nearby cafe.
And then it started to pour. This was the view from my B&B window.
I hid out in the B&B for a couple hours. But eventually I braved a walk to another bar for bruschetta and a glass of wine.
Then I went to Opera Italiano. This is not real opera but songs from multiple operas sung by a soprano and a baritone. It was a fun way to spend the night and the three rows of German women with sensible haircuts who sat ahead of me all seemed to be having a great time.
The next day I strolled around Taormina. I had a coffee at one of the many restaurants. And let me just repeat a rant from a previous post. The Italians simply cannot make a good cup of coffee. They can do espresso. But that is not my favorite. And everything else is lukewarm dreck.
Taormina is very touristy, even in the off season. If you are a fan of kitch, this is your place. The tourist influx has definitely changed the nature of the town, and some of the locals resent it. But, as Emanuele explained, 95 percent of the jobs are in tourism, so it is a love/hate relationship.
I did visit the Ancient Greek theatre overlooking the cliff which was opened in the third century BC then taken over by the Romans. I sat in the stone seats and imagined what it would be like to watch a play, or a gladiatorial contest, against the backdrop of the massive stone pillars and the sea in the distance.
The climb to the top of the theatre also convinced me that I have to get my knees fixed.
I collected my bag at the B&B and then took the shuttle back to my car and, after a scary few minutes of not being able to find it where I thought I had left it (I had the wrong floor), I started the 2.5 hour drive back to Josie’s where I was greeted with good food, good wine, and good company.
I didn’t have plans for Saturday so I stayed around the villa most of the morning. Then I got in the car and drove to Monreale, the massive Norman cathedral that was opened in 1182 on the outskirts of Palermo.
I stopped for lunch of penne with mushrooms and sausage at an outdoor cafe. It was ok.
Then I went inside the cathedral and, wow, it was fabulous.
Back at the villa, Josie’s neice Sandra and her husband Stewart had returned from their own travels. We had wine and then walked to the pizzeria for dinner.
Two more nights and I will be headed home, via a one-night stay in Zurich.
Ciao.
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