Travel Blog – 19/05/2023

After spending some time on the island of Lipari, we took the ferry back to Milazzo, where we’d parked our car and drove south to the town of Taormina on the south-east coast of Sicily.

The road into Taormina wound around the coast in tight turns, rising in altitude until we saw the beautiful town, perched on the slopes of the mountains, over-looking the sea. The road to our hotel was narrow, but relatively easy to navigate and we checked into our room with a balcony overlooking the town and the coast. On the opposite hill lay the ruins of a Greek amphitheatre.

We went into the town for a wander straight away and found it clean, neat and completely charming. The narrow, pedestrian only streets are paved with volcanic stone and, unlike the other towns we had experienced in Sicily, were in excellent condition, as were all of the buildings. Ian and I enjoyed a marzipan fruit each, which is a specialty of Sicily, and they were delicious.

That evening we went to a local Osteria for dinner and the food was fantastic. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals and Ian and I finished off with a digestivo, a local Amaro made from oranges. It was lovely.

The next day we arrived at the ancient Greek amphitheatre early, so as to beat the crowds. There weren’t many people there, which gave us the opportunity to have a relaxing stroll through these ancient ruins, which date back to the 3rd century BC. The views of the amphitheatre with the east coast of Sicily as a backdrop were stunning.

That afternoon, Ian and Carmel decided to climb the 541 steps up to the fort on top of the mountain above Taormina. Lidia and I decided to give that a miss and wandered around the old town, enjoying a traditional arancini ball from a place recommended by our concierge. We then walked along the main street to the end, stopping at the two piazzas that have panoramic views over the coast. We saw the hotel that was used to film season two of “The White Lotus”, which apparently has been booked out for months in advance by U.S. citizens who are crazy about the show. It is so popular that you have to book the restaurant 4 months in advance, and even going there for a cocktail in the bar requires a booking.

I then researched the best place to buy a cannoli in Taormina and we shared one from Roberto’s, where you order and they fill the shell on the spot with sugared ricotta, then dip the ends in crushed pistachios. Their reputation is well-earned.

That evening we gathered in the hotel bar for some pre-dinner drinks. We started with cocktails and then moved to proseccos and reds. Ian must have had a few too many, because he suddenly decided he was going to go for a swim in the pool. The pool was actually closed because it was far too cold for any normal person to contemplate swimming, however Ian managed to find a back way in by taking a series of staff-only corridors and trying a few doors. The pool in our hotel had a glass bottom that overlooks the foyer and we sat in the foyer and took photos of him swimming over us. After his swim, he walked past the staff in the spa, who gave him a double-take, wondering how on earth he found his way in there!

The next day, we were picked up by a local guide, Guiseppe, who took us to Mt Etna. Pepe was very friendly and on the way he drove through his tiny home town on the slopes of Mt Etna. As he was driving through the village he pointed to a house and said “That’s my house”. He then pointed to a dog in the front yard and said “That’s my dog!”

We stopped in the middle of a birch tree forest and got out of the minivan. Pepe took us to a series of caves formed by lava, called lava tubes. Apparently, the locals stored ice in them for centuries and we donned hard hats and descended the steep stone stairs into one of the lava tubes, walking about 100 metres through the cave and ascending at another point.

It was then time to drive up the side of the great volcano herself. We stopped at a certain point and changed vehicles to a giant four-wheel drive bus, which took us up to 3,900 metres above sea level. We got out of the vehicle and hiked up the slope to one of the 300 craters that surround the summit. Mt Etna is so huge, that when it erupts, lava blows from a line of about 25 craters in a row. We drove right up to the peak, where it was covered in snow. Fortunately, there were no eruptions the day we were there!

That evening we went out for dinner to a great restaurant where Ian ordered a scotch and coke. They brought him a large tumbler, three-quarters full of scotch and a separate bottle of coke. There was barely any room in the glass for coke, so Ian splashed a few drops in his glass and then proceeded to demolish it. I’ve never seen anyone go from zero to plastered so quickly and by the end of the meal he was giggling like a school girl in fits of uncontrollable laughter. Fortunately, it was loud in the restaurant and he drew no attention!

Side note: There is a lovely red wine in Sicily called Nero D’Avola. It’s a full-bodied red, much like a shiraz and we have enjoyed quite a few bottles of it together. Unfortunately, Ian’s grasp of the Italian language could use a little improvement, and as I type this, he has walked into the lounge where we are sitting currently. There are other guests sitting around listening as Ian proudly announces that he has been to a wine shop and bought a lovely little bottle of Nero D’Vulva. He may be drinking that one by himself.