Chapter 7 - Mt. Etna, Taormina
DAY
8 & 9
Mt. Etna & Taormina
Day 8 - November 19, 2024
Dove si trova...?
(Where does one find...?)
We woke early and went outside our hotel to take some sunrise pictures before breakfast and our departure from Ortigia. One of the hotel staff allowed us to take a look inside the convent chapel which seemed unassuming on the exterior. It was, however, amazingly grand on the inside! I'm still trying to wrap my head around the beauty of Syracuse and the Isle of Ortigia!
Final photos in Ortigia at sunrise.
On Our Way to a Volcano!
On our way to Mt. Etna, we stopped in the town of Nicolosi. There is a nice cafe there called Dolce Vita and next door was another church. I took a peek inside the Church of the Holy Spirit (Chiesa Madre dello Spirito Santo) and again was taken aback by the beautiful, ornate interior in contradiction to the unadorned exterior.
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The Silvestri Craters are also known as the Silvestri Mountains. They are located at 1,900 meters above sea level and are named after the volcanologist Orazio Silvestri. The craters were formed in the 1892 eruption, which lasted 173 days and the destruction went almost as far as Nicolosi, which is about 7 km away.
Alessandro drove our bus up the curvy roads on the south side of Mt. Etna. We were spoiled again on this new day by the clear blue skies and relatively calm winds. Our group spent about an hour walking in and around the Silvestri Craters of the Etna volcano. The lower crater is easily accessible from the parking area and we spent our time walking into it and up along the ridge. We did not attempt to climb the steep slope to the upper crater but a couple of our friends did. I'm sure it provided some amazing views!
Down the mountain to our next stop...
A structured buried in lava
Parking area at Silvestri Craters
Kevin in the cinder and ash of the lower crater area.
A structured buried in lava
WOW!
Giuseppe Benanti was instrumental in the resurgence of Etnean wine-making. He originally worked in pharmaceuticals but had a passion for making good wine. He opened his winery in 1988. We learned that Etna DOC wines can only use local grapes and North America buys over half of their wines.
Estate of Giuseppe Benanti
At the foot of Monte Serra in Viagrande sits the Benanti Winery, which was our lunchtime destination. We felt most welcome and enjoyed our vineyard tour, wine tasting and delicious lunch.
Destination...Taormina
We arrived in Taormina, which is a small, ancient municipality in the Metropolitan City of Messina, late in the afternoon. We quickly settled into our room at the Hotel Continental Taormina. This hotel has very comfortable rooms and a lovely garden area. The rooftop terrace and attached dining room where breakfast is served has stunning views of Mt. Etna.
Our group was treated to a fascinating presentation on Mt. Etna by volcanologist Boris Behncke. His enthusiasm for his work was infectious. He said his data that afternoon showed increased seismic activity from the morning but he couldn't predict any impending eruption! His presentation includes video and sound recordings of actual Etna eruptions so we had a sense of experiencing one nonetheless. It was both intriguing and terrifying!
After a short orientation walk, Kevin and I got a pasta dinner at the small tavern, Osteria II Vicoletto, and then had gelato (pistachio for me) from Pasticceria d'Amore, that Stephanie recommended. It was all very good and reasonably priced.
11,250 Steps
Treasures of Taormina
Taormina
Day 9 - November 20, 2024
Un tavolo per cinque per favore
(A table for 5 please)
Taormina has always been a popular destination for foreign travelers, especially the British. In the 18th century, the aristocracy would travel on "The Grand Tour." As tourists, they would visit all of continental Europe and bring back fine artwork and antiques. Glamorous Taormina was a "must see" on their journey, just as it
is today!
Today's breakfast was the best so far, and definitely one with the best views! Afterwards, we met the group at the nearby Fontana di Piazza Duomo. Our local guide for the day, Franco, took us on a city tour, first to a small Roman theater (Odeon of Taormina) then to a larger ancient Greek theater (Teatro Antico di Taormina) with outstanding views. Later we toured the public gardens built by English gardener, Florence Trevelyn.
WOW!
After the tour, Kevin and I walked around taking in more of Taormina's intriguing beauty. The stories these small old towns tell holds more interest to us than most big cities. We ran into Stephanie, Mojca and group member Susan at a lunch place serving a variety of delicious arancini's.
We found the post office as I needed an airmail stamp to send a postcard to our grandkids. There was a queue and I sensed immediately that I was going to have difficulty placing my order in English. I received help from the lady in front of me who was Dutch, living in Taormina. She waited long after she finished her business to translate my request to the postal worker. The universal hospitality Miriam showed me is another reason why we love to visit small towns like Taormina!
We ventured down side alley's and lingered in the Piazza IX Aprile. There we could people-watch and listen to street musicians. Then we mustered up the energy to tackle the 500 or so steps up to the Chiesa Madonna della Rocca and got a close up view of the large white cross we've been looking at throughout our visit. We ran into other members of our group who took taxi's to the top. Either way, the views are worth the effort!
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Oscar Wilde spent time in Taormina and was enchanted by its beauty. This statue in the Piazza IX Aprile pays tribute to this Irish poet and playwrght.
View from Piazza IX Aprile
You can tell this is an artist's residence!
An ominous cloud creating intrigue at dusk.
View from Piazza IX Aprile
Tonight's dinner was another fun group experience. Our meal at La Napoletana included a pizza-making demonstration highlighted by the participation of some of our tour members. Dave turned out to be a dough-tossing pro!
No one seemed in a hurry to leave the restaurant. It was a glorious day that we hated to see wind down.
The following morning, I would get one more Taormina photo shoot before leaving one of our favorite spots on this trip. My sunrise pictures follow in the next chapter.
20,419 Steps
Pizza! Pizza!
Day
&
Night in Taormina
