And another of Sicily's gems--Taormina

view of Taormina from Castelmoro

As you drive north from Siracusa towards Messina, on the NE coast of Sicily, you eventually see a village way up on top of a mountain, with another village still higher up on another peak.  These are Taormina and Castelmoro, former Greek cities perched on top of the world with gorgeous views of the Sicilian coastline, the mainland coast of Italy 12 miles to the north across the Mediterranean, and Mt. Etna to the south.  The only ancient road between Messina and Siracusa climbed up the mountain and through Taormina, letting the city collect a tariff on all the goods that passed through.

Mt. Etna smoking in the distance

We reached our hotel in Taormina, overlooking the sea far below, in time for a walk down to the beach hundreds of feet and steps down the mountainside.  The little cove on the water is rocky rather than sandy, with perfectly clear turquoise water.  Nearby is a tiny island that you can reach by walking through the water for about 50 feet at low tide.  At high tide, you can still walk, but the water is waist deep.  An Englishwoman who was in love with one of Queen Victoria’s sons owned the island and moved to Taormina after the queen banished her from England.  She didn't mope for long, however, as she married the town’s nobleman mayor.

Englishwoman's island below Taormina

Sunset from our balcony was lovely as we watched a glowing white cruise ship glide into the bay in the setting sun.  Taormina is a major tourist attraction, very popular with cruise passengers, and everyone else who travels to Sicily.

Today we had a wonderful guide in Taormina, which was unsurprisingly filled with busloads of tourists from the cruise ship.  But, she showed us fascinating ruins and homes and piazzas off the tourist track.  Taormina is small, but is geared to tourists, with dozens of shops selling everything from junk to Italian high fashion.

Byzantine mosaic under an archway

In small piazzas and courtyards, families have created their personal decorations, many welcoming symbols, like the pine cone.  Others show the heads of a Moorish man or woman with a Spanish woman or man to demonstrate the importance of tolerance among different cultures.  This must have been the sentiment before the Inquisition, but it seems to be back.

this family likes cats

The highlight of the town’s past is the Greek theater, later modified by the Romans.  The Greeks actually cut their theaters in Sicily out of the limestone, carving the seats rather than building them with stones from the quarry.  The Romans tried to add another side to the theater to make a coliseum, but didn’t have enough room, so they added a wall on the sea side and raised the seats about 20 feet higher.

welcoming pine cone and masks of Moorish man and

Spanish woman, a sign of tolerance of other cultures

While the Greeks carved their stones to fit against one another perfectly, the Romans learned to make cement with volcanic ash and lime.  They also made bricks in kilns.  So, they added to the size of the theater with bricks, set in place with cement and then lined with marble.  Virtually no marble remains today, cannibalized by the Normans and Spanish for their own buildings. Taormina’s theater also has spectacular views to the Mediterranean, stretching far to the south along the rugged Sicilian coastline.

Greek theater with Roman additions

Castelmoro, high above Taorminia

After our tour, Don and I climbed to Castelmoro, about 1400 feet above Taormina, up very steep steps and pathways.  It took about an hour up and 35 minutes down and helped to make up for the pasta lunch we enjoyed.