Taormina, Italy (Sicily)

            Little did we know when we got diverted to Messina that it just may have turned out for the good, perhaps best. To make the most of it, and this in spite of threatening weather, Debbie and I book a transfer excursion to Taormina, Italy – to a mountainside village near Mt. Etna. We do this because as we listened carefully to the descriptions of the those who have left us (Taormina was included on their tour to the vineyards during the first cruise), we were disappointed then that we did not go with them. And WOW, were we not disappointed that we made the trip this time!

            The drive there was panoramic; on one side was the sea, and on the other tall mountains and valleys that cut through them in multiple places. Every nook and cranny seems to have been inhabited and improved. The buildings were colorful and the surrounding plants and flowers ubiquitous. Fascinating was the number of tunnels along the route – even more than we experienced in japan. It seemed that we would pass through one and only seconds later be passing through another.

            The only disappointment was finding Mt. Etna to be covered in clouds; we were told there was not only snow at the top, but a red line of lava flowing from the opening freeing it from the depths of the earth. I believe Becky has a picture of it as they were here on a crisp clear blue day; I hope so.          

Although it began raining, but only briefly for perhaps 5 minutes, the rest of our three hours there were spectacular. The community was near the top of a steep mountain cliff dotted by houses surrounded by terraced gardens full of orange, lemon, and only Brian could tell us what other kinds of trees. The hillside was so steep some of the houses were built into the mountain and the terracing rose from the valley often to the top creating 100’s of level spaces (sometimes only 10 feet or less wide). From the bus parking area, we had to take an elevator seven stories to reach the main street of the village.

            Once there we were enchanted by medieval structures and modern ones blended into one. The shops along the main avenue were varied, a bit rich, clean, and inviting. The outdoor restaurants were all upscale. The vistas from several vantage points made you feel like you were in an airplane flying down the coast below. We make our way to the end of the village proper, to the Greek Theater (stadium). There we take what seems like hundreds of pictures and stroll to the top and around and through the still maintained and functional outdoor stadium theater. We are a bit smug about the fact our California cruisers, Angela and Brian, and Becky and Justin, only had 40 minutes here. There is clearly more than three hours of interesting things to experience.

            My legs and cane, and Debbie’s legs as well, prevented us from attempting the steps of many different openings along the main street. Some went up the mountain and others down – all were narrow and reminded us of foreign movies of people running up and down them on motorcycles in harrowing chases. A young couple took a picture of us looking up one of the wider sidewalks.

            The young couple, by the way, was very interesting. They had arrived at Taormina by train, hiked up the mountain to reach the village, all for a grand total of only 8 euros. Thus the round trip will cost them 16 euros or approximately $23 for the two of them compared to our $100 investment. They reminded us of our earlier and more creative days as well. Most striking was our Beijing experience costing us $250 when the ships excursion for the same two days was $1200. It pays to be smart, do your homework, and be willing to strike out on your own. It is often more fun too; it affords the opportunity to touch the shoulders of the locals and experience first-hand their culture. I envied them.

            Becoming very hungry from all the walking, lunch at an outdoor restaurant near the Greek Theater Avenue offered us a view of the main drag with plenty of space for people watching. We ordered lasagna and pizza; the latter was the best lasagna that I have ever tasted. An added bonus was free WiFi that allowed us to catch up on mail and messages. It was there that we decided that this just might be the highlight of all highlights of the European adventure. We are often asked where our favorite destination has been in all our travels. High on the list has always been the Greek islands Santorini, Corfu, Hydra and the Isle of Capri; the historic Italian cities; Athens, and now we must add Taormina to the list. Although I may not be able to return in this lifetime, it is definitely a “come-back-to place.

            I believe I have failed to mention that our camera (brand new and expensive) shot craps only half way through our first cruise. We were crushed about it – there were so many missed opportunities; knowing that Becky had an outstanding camera and was taking equally outstanding pictures, we knew we could transfer her pictures to this and other accounts of the journey. Well, my brilliant and talented information technology expert and wife Debbie somehow solved the problem yesterday evening. Thus we went picture happy in Taormina. It will be difficult indeed to pick the few we will be able to post on this blog.

            When we returned to Messina and the ship it began to pour cats and dogs. The pelting drops on the top of the bus were at times deafening. What luck we had to be on the side of that mountain in-between rainstorms; it was like the sky opened just for us to enjoy our moments there.

            We immediately head for the ship’s indoor spa and enjoy a soothing Jacuzzi. The warm water and bubbles seemed to bring strength back to our bodies. Afterwards Debbie heads for a snack and computer work while I find a quiet niche to make this entry to the blog. My diet coke is only $2.99 (including the exorbitant gratuity that is automatically added); I think the ship finally figured out that people like us would continue to bring sodas from shore when the ship’s price was often nearly $5 for less than 12 ounces – on our transatlantic cruise last May, we brought 48 cans of soft drinks aboard. They just about lasted the entire voyage and saved us considerable expense.

            At dinner we will discover what Ray and Monica have been doing all day – hopefully they were able to leave the ship and explore downtown Messina. It is always fun to share stories and highlights of each day, and this day we may use more minutes doing so, we have a bunch.

            Monica, gifted in cross stich, and blessed with other sewing talents, is able to form her own sewing group on the ship. The others are also sailing on to Galveston, Texas on the transatlantic next cruise, so she has a steady group of friends and kindred souls with whom to share skills. Ray watched one storm system after another move into Messina, drop their loads of water and spread their winds across the coast. He noted three distinct systems and we wonder if one or all of them played a role in our diversion to Sicily.

            Debbie shows pictures of the adventure so far on her iPad, especially the ones with Ray and Monica in them. The quality is excellent, better than the ship photos and I think even Ray and Monica had to admit they looked pretty good in nearly all of them. Intermingled were photos and videos of “Oliver,” our grandson, sent to us from Jessica and Andrew. He is so cute, growing so fast, our smiles stretch across our faces reaching our ears. We can’t wait to see him again.

            After sharing our adventure in Taormina, also with pictures, we settled into a discussion of interest rates, stock strategies (including successes – no one shared their failures), family member accomplishments acknowledged at the time of their death, and more. I am a lucky guy to have Debbie to handle all our finances; I was unaware that interest rates on savings accounts are now less than 1%. So amazed, I plan to check it out.

            After big wins last night in the casino Debbie returns to try her luck while I head for the cabin; I’m very tired. It has been a wonderful day; especially in Taormina. Tomorrow is a sea day – we can sleep late, kick back, read, eat, and be merry.