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: “Oh Sicilia, You’re Breaking My Heart - Shaking My Confidence Daily”
Seems like flying Easy Jet is excellent preparation for driving in Sicily. Push, shove, roll over, squeeze and gesture frantically….all that before boarding. On board the plane there is more pushing until, miraculously all the people find seats. Glad I put my Canadian politeness behind or we would probably still be in the waiting area.
Gratefully the rain didn’t follow us to Sicily. Cloudy and warm as we landed near Palermo. Rough rugged coastline with a narrow strip of flat land before craggy cliffs scream impossibly straight up. Once we were in the tiny little Lancia (having taken pictures of all the scratches and scrapes) it seemed we had arrived. Thinking it would only be a short drive to Cefalu where we would have no problem finding a place for the night.
Wrong!
There is no such thing as a short drive in Sicily. The distance might be short but the roads and the drivers combine to make the experience seem like a lifetime. Going through Palermo at rush hour was nothing short of a nightmare! They have intimate knowledge of where the four corners of their cars are at all times. They must have or they would not cut in front of you with less than two inches to spare. Four of five cars lined up at the lights (two lanes!?) and a free for all when it turns green. It was fitting as both Shane and I were green by the time we got to the outskirts. Then we had to account for the road construction, road destruction (from sloughing or earthquakes) and lack or signage. Glad PG (our GPS) was working.
So, after about two and a half hours we made the 110km trip to a town that decided to have a celebration and close some of the streets. PG didn’t know that and tried to take us down streets closed to pedestrians. Oh, and another thing we found out is that very few hotels seem to have parking. So up and up we went to the top of the cliff then down and down to the waterfront then around, back up, u turn and finally… get to a hotel at the waterfront where, thankfully, they have room and parking….plus a stunning view.
That was just the first day! We wandered around the town that evening and again in the morning before taking off towards Taormina. Very charming town founded in the 4th century BC. It was a sleepy fishing village which has been reborn with fancy resorts. Still very quaint in the old city. Loved the cobblestone streets and the beautiful mosaics in the cathedral.
Now we’re in the country, so to speak, so we figure the driving should be better. And it was for much of the morning. We wandered along the waterfront enjoying the vistas, olive groves, vineyards and little towns. At Capo d’Orlando we headed inland towards Taormina on the scenic route. Now let me tell you how tough it is to get through a twisty road hill town on market day! The half hour detour took us along roads a donkey would shy from. Just a note for anyone traveling to Tortorici. Saturday is market day!
After that experience we were pleased to stop for a picnic lunch then head off for our first glimpse of snow covered Mt Etna shining in the sun. Continuing on the scenic route we ended up at Fiumefreddo di Sicilia then headed north to Taormina.
Can’t imagine what it is like here in the summer. Apparently the tourist season is just starting. That may be the case but the tourist information office is not open on Saturday as we found out to our dismay. While I was trying to copy information off the map in their window Shane was taking a picture only to find that while his back was turned he was getting a parking ticket. Now in this country people park sideways, backwards, in the middle of the street etc. etc. The guy beside Shane whose car was half in the roadway blocking a tourist bus did not get a ticket but Shane did.
So armed with a ticket and no information about accommodation we headed towards town. As luck would have it (or we prefer to say our angels had to help us out) we came across a very nice hotel not far from the main center of town with covered parking and a view of the sea and Mt Etna…. For a good price!
So the car is parked and we stayed here for two nights.
Whew!
Taormina has a magnificent theater built by the Greeks in 300BC and then redecorated by the Romans so they could kill animals and watch gladiators fight…. None of this namby pamby Greek theater for them! I am always amazed at the acoustics in a theater such as this. We have seen a few in our travels but none with the stunning backdrop of Mt Etna and the sea. The Greeks built it here so they could use the backdrop for their theater. Stunning.
Took a bus up to Castlemola (medieval castle/village above the city) then walked down a steep path back to our hotel.
I have to say we have had some wonderful food here. We found a little restaurant on Via Giardinazzo in Taormina called Ristorante Le Naumachie. We had the most delicious meal…fish, asparagus, soup and fish made to order…but by far the eggplant parmesan was the best! Wouldn’t give me his secret but I’ll work on it.
Tomorrow we head south to Syracuse….tonight we will try to find internet and just wander along the Corso Umberto where most everyone finds themselves for at least part of the day. Locals and visitors alike.
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