Taormina - Sicily

Trip Start Sep 15, 2007
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Trip End Oct 17, 2007


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Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Today's mission was to get from Syracuse to Catania, the next stop on my Sicily journey. As fate would have it there was to be a little twist today, but one I am so grateful to have occurred. A good friend of mine, Alex, SMSed me last night to say that she had stayed in a town called Taormina on the east coast of Sicily years ago and she said it was incredible and she loved it. I looked up the town in my guide book and indeed it raved about it, claiming it was the most picturesque town in all of Sicily. Now my main aim was to see the volcano Etna and I was under the impression that Catania was the city to be in to see it. However AFTER buying my train ticket and boarding the train to Catania I discovered that Etna was in fact equidistant from both Taormina and Catania! Well I was in a quandary. Catania was more or less a big city with not a lot of tourist attractions and Taormina sounded like paradise.

Well up to this point I was feeling that the Sicilians I had met were not very helpful however the train conductor on my train was a legend Taxi drop off to Taormina.
Taxi drop off to Taormina.
 . See the train I was on was eventually going to reach Taormina after passing through Catania but it was a good 60 kms past it. I explained my situation to him regarding my incorrect train ticket and he winks and says "leave it to me". The train pulls into Catania station, he gets out with me, tells the driver there is an emergency, buys another ticket for me and then gets me back on the train. It was cool and there were high 5s all round.

I have to say that snap decision to change my plans was an incredibly fortuitous one. I don't want to cast any aspersions on Malta or anything I have ever done in my life but Taormina is perhaps the most beautiful town I have ever seen. It is a sleepy town nestled amongst the pines and crevices of a huge mountain. The views are breathtaking in every direction. The streets are like walking in a movie set, I cannot state it enough, if any of you are anywhere near this place in the future do yourself a favour and pay it a visit. Thanks for the tip Alex!

First thing I did was book an all day trip to Mount Etna for tomorrow. I paid extra for the final leg of the journey where I get off the bus and into a 4wd that will take me to the summit, 3000 metres above sea level! Man that is going to the best. I also booked accommodation in a quaint hotel on the main street, it cost more but I wanted to enjoy my time here to the max Entry gates to Taormina.
Entry gates to Taormina.
 . I step out of my room and I am in the heart of Taormina, heaven.

I gave the town the iPod treatment and walked around for most of the afternoon taking in all the sites outlined in my travel book. I thought Syracuse was amazing and it was but this place surpassed it. I have taken a lot of photos, hopefully they will capture it enough for you to get an idea of what I mean with this place. The main historical feature is a huge Greek amphitheatre that sits on the highest point of the town.

Whilst walking around the town I couldn't help but notice another village at the summit of the mountain (mount Taoro) where Taormina was situated (half way up). I soon discovered there was a steep 3 km staircase that meandered up the mountain to its summit. I loved that walk, the views all the way up were breathtaking only to be beaten by the 360 degree views at the top. It was exhilarating. On my way down I decided there was only one thing to do, I wanted to run up the mountain! I got back to my hotel, put on my running gear and was pumped. The guy in the hotel foyer asked what I was doing and I told him. He said I was mental. I had done similar training runs during my football days, I was confident I could do this.

Well I have to say it was extremely taxing on my body and tiring but that feeling when I reached the top was amazing. I was so high up and so relieved that I did not have a heart attack! :) I managed to scale it without stopping but man my legs were heavy the last 50 metres or so. What a feeling! The run back down was great and upon returning to the hotel received a high five from the dude at the counter Taormina street.
Taormina street.
 . He was impressed! So was I, that was 2 high fives in the one day!

I showered and then stepped out to get a few things for tomorrow. The bus was leaving at 7am which meant I would miss breakfast in the hotel so I bought a few bananas and oranges. The travel agency where I bought my Etna ticket also said that it could get very cold at the top so I should take a jumper or jacket. I did not pack one from Malta so I bought a sports type jacket with "Sicilia" on the front and an Italian flag on the side. What a wog!

For dinner I was determined to have something other than Pizza or Pasta so I ordered a steak with mushroom and cream sauce. A glass of Sicilian wine and I was set. After dinner I wandered to the main square, took a seat and just observed. There were couples walking around, families with children running and playing in the square, old Sicilian men sitting on benches chatting. It was a serene setting and I had a wonderful time sitting there. I could not help but smile and be content. What a great day.
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