The Dawn Coast of Europe ~ Taormina Sicily
“On the sixth day, God accomplished His work. And, pleased with all the beauty He had created, He took the earth in His arms and kissed it. There, where He put his lips, that’s Sicily.” An Italian businessman.
From the moment I arrived in Sicily, folks in our group who had been here before raved about Taormina, christened the dawn coast of Europe by D.H. Lawrence for its beauty and clarity of light. I was afraid that it wouldn’t live up to its reputation.
As it happened, we woke up to grey skies and rain. This morning some of us were heading to Mount Etna and then meeting up in Taormina in the afternoon to explore the charming town that is the epitome of what people imagine Sicily to be.
As we made our way to Mount Etna, the rain was at times heavy and at times tapering off but there was nothing to see out of the windows of the coach. Our poor guide did her best trying to romanticize the rain and fog.
We arrived at the viewpoint and disembarked shivering into the cold morning to head into the gift shop and use the facilities. We drank a hot cup of coffee to warm up, and entertained ourselves, taking pictures of the picture post cards since that was going to be our only view of Mount Etna.
Fortunately, the rain eased up some as we got ready to leave and we were able to scramble up and walk into the crater.
Fortunately, the weather improved as we made our way to the beautiful town of Taormina; "Were a man to spend only one day in Sicily and ask, “What must one see?” I would answer him without hesitation, “Taormina” It is only a landscape, but a landscape where you find everything on earth that seems made to seduce the eyes, the mind and the imagination.” - Guy de Maupassant.
So, if there was any disconnect still left between the TV show White Lotus after traveling along the coastline it finally all came together here. This is the beautiful Sicily that I had envisioned and wish I had more time to spend here.
Dug out of the rock of Mount Taurus in the 3rd Century B.C. the Greek Theater in Taormina, was built to accommodate thousands of seated spectators. Built to emphasize the natural scenery particularly the sight of Mt. Etna rising in the background the theater has perfect acoustics and is still used for concerts and such.
Of course, thanks to the clouds thar were still hovering we had to make do with pictures on our guide’s phone of what it looks like with the volcano in the background.
Considered one of the largest and most celebrated ruin in Sicily, this theater is built to stun and awe.
I was feeling well rested this morning particularly as Mount Etna had been such a bust so I made my way up the stairs along the side of the theater to the upper level for these fantastic views.
Once we were done with the Greek Theater, we had the rest of the day to explore at our leisure. I just wandered aimlessly dropping into shops that looked interesting, taking pictures and in general getting lost in the streets and alleys.
Shop windows full of Sicilian Tchotchkes.
Narrow winding lanes, antique buildings, flowers, and surprises around many corners.
Chocolate, pasta and other interesting food items to bring back for friends and family and to experiment in your kitchens once you’re back home.
The requisite cathedral and clock tower and a wonderful lookout to enjoy the sights of the town of Giardini Naxos spread out below.
Boutique hotels with inviting facades to tempt you to venture in. Shops selling the essence of the flowers and custom scents for the home and the person.
High above the town of Taormina, we stopped at a vista point to gawk at the views and take some photos.
Villas and restaurants clinging to the hillside offering an opportunity to dine in the clouds. As it happened these clouds were water bearing clouds and we had ourselves a nice touch of rain as we waved goodbye to Sicily. Ah well! what’s travel without a bit of adventure.
Our last night in Sicily was truly spectacularly special making it hard to say goodbye.
A farewell dinner in a real live Palacio with wandering rights in the grounds and the dining room as we sampled drinks and appetizers. Arrivederci Sicily, hello Malta. I hope to make it back someday as I chart a zig zag path across some of my favorite places in the world.