Taormina, Cannoli, Corso Umberto

Post 2 of . . .

Of the four new places we visited this time, I fell in love with Taormina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taormina) in Sicily. Its hilly terrain with white washed and colorful homes perched at different levels like on a staircase with smoky Mt. Etna towering over at a distance and the Tyrrhenian Sea hugging at the town’s edge is like in a fairy tale. We did not have time to visit its famous Greek Theater. We spent our time checking out the lovely public garden (http://carols-cruise-port-itineraries.com/ITALY-Taormina-VillaComunalePublicGarden.htm) that in the late 19th century was the private garden of the English aristocrat Florence Trevelyan, a woman who was a botany and ornithology lover and walking the town’s meandering streets lined with charming boutiques and other shops filled with fine ceramic items and other well-crafted goods stamped with that world renowned Italian eye for quality and detail. We had also seen several such theaters in Greece on our previous trip and also by the time we were ready to check out the theater, the line was too long.

The busy restaurants lining the stepped streets off the Corso Umberto, the town’s main artery, along with regular grocery stores brimming with local spices and herbs and other items (will post some of these pictures) were also a cornucopia of smells and sights. Taormina was a feast for one’s senses. Our palate was duly rewarded as well thanks to the freshly made cannoli (my choice) and pistachio gelato (B’s choice) from a corner specialty joint. And the history of the place makes the place only more interesting. Here is a site that has lovely photos of Taormina just in case my collection is not as comprehensive. Obviously, I haven’t looked at our pics yet. Also, check out http://www.independenttraveler.com/tripreports/tripreports.cfm?ID=2372.

From the ship docked at Messina, we traveled by tour bus to Taormina and from the bus terminal walked to the center of town and took in its sights, sounds and smells. One interesting thing that caught our attention was how one is let into a building. The door is electronically operated. You press a button and a semi-circular door slides around and you’re in the middle of a small holding circle and then another semi-circular door slides around and you are inside the building. Will post a picture soon. Another aspect that caught my attention was the indifference of the drivers be they motorbikes, cars or any other vehicle toward pedestrians. Luckily no vehicle is allowed between the two gates that bracket the main square and Corso Umberto.

We returned to Sicily on our way back to Barcelona as well--this time to Palermo (unfortunately, couldn’t find a good cannoli place) on the northwest coast. On our way back to the bus, our tour guide said how expensive and prestigious it was to own a place in Taormina. Because I have posted some links, I haven’t described everything in great detail. Why reinvent the wheel?

More later. Next stop Corfu, Greece.

Ciao.