Taormina is a picturesque town on the milder east coast of Sicily.
Cobbled streets, piazzas, old churches, a castle and a Greek Amphitheatre (3rd century AD) are some of its main tourist attractions.
Below is the amphitheatre nestled into surrounding hill as seen from the castle.
The old part of town is high up on a rock overlooking several bays and small islands. Unlike some of the other small towns and villages we have been into, this one is opulent, full of hotels. restaurants, tourists and tat shops.
Narrow cobbled streets are packed full with people. We felt claustrophobic at times and anxious to get away from it all.
Our day exploring started with a hike up a path less taken towards a castle in search of more space, more height and good views.
It started off fairly well with a few spaced out steps
This route was recommended by our hostess, but after a while we realised that she has probably not taken this path in years.
Brambles, mudslides/landslides and missing railings all plagued our ascent.
Spot Sarah in the photo below, path finding for Jo.
There is a way up here if you just scramble over the mud, jump across the gap, taking care not to step on these loose rocks.....
This was a challenge with 2 good legs.
Nothing like trying impossible ways before the first cup of coffee or even any sign of a pastry for breakfast to get us going.
Paths are sometimes just as badly kept as the roads! Even in the more well off parts of Sicily.
We started heading for Castelmole (High above us; it looked like it had a castle wall!, before realising that this is a place not a castle
and the Saracen castle we wanted was below and behind us.
There is a castle up there somewhere...
Once again, great views of Etna in sunshine and Giardini Naxos in the distance.
Finally reaching the castle - it was (of course) closed. Not just on Monday but for all of the summer season for renovations. The 12th century church was open complete with rocks and bells.
The views continued to be splendid as we snaked back down past stations of the cross to Taormina’s main streets in search of refreshment/ breakfast.
Warnings/Advice.
Do not expect cheap food and refreshment if you ever visit Taormina unless you shop around. Prices are astronomical here. We usually find an expresso and cappuccino for less than 1 Euro each. Today we paid 4.50 Euro for one small cappuccino. In the (inappropriately named) Wunderbar in the centre we found that a simple pre wrapped panino and proscuitto cost upwards of 11 Euro. One of the waiters was abusing all his clients in German - obviously he was not having a good day! Thankfully, around the corner and down from the main street (off the more beaten track) we found a little hole in the wall where some enterprising mama was making fresh panini rolls for 3.50 Euro.
The driving is a nightmare in Sicily. We thought it might get better as we got into more populated areas but it has just got worse. Sarah has been very patient but has ended up gesticulating and shouting at the other drivers just like an Italian. Fortunately she is still a beginner at driving one handed around corners whilst on the mobile phone. Life is too short to try. She has also not yet perfected the art of driving with one hand clutching the phone to her ear whilst draping the other arm out of the window - thus managing the steering wheel with her knees/ legs….Not sure how Italians change gear in this position!
We have seen more bashed cars here (the norm) and some very ingenious parking (even on a roundabout; later in the day there were 2 cars)
If you hire a car in Sicily take out fully comprehensive insurance, avoid the centres of big towns (better still avoid big towns/cities) and hire something non-showy.
Our little Fiat fits the bill - even if it struggles to get up some of the hills.
Every touristy ceramic shop sells the same sort of thing. Shop around if you really want a souvenir. Some interesting shops are tucked away up and down in the side alleys. Explore! Jo’s favourite shop was the marzipane display (good to look at - shame that neither of us like the taste)
After the morning’s exertions, for once in about 5 years, Jo has spent most of the afternoon sitting by the pool on cushions and reading a book. Sarah has hiked down the hill to the beach for more exercise, to check out the views from there and to see if she can find some tat for Jo's next birthday.
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