Taormina and Castelmola

Taormina is located on Monte Tauro. We drove to the base of the mountain and took a bus to the city. Luckily for us, the route to the main street is lined with bars full of cornetti (croissants) and other yummy pastries. We landed in a bar and parked at a table with an assortment of pastries and cappuccino. Brady especially enjoyed the powdered sugar on top of his breakfast! With our tummies filled, we made our way to the main street. The street had souvenir shops one after the other until we reached the end where the Teatro Greco (despite the name, most of the remains are Roman) was located. We had been told this spot was not to be missed because of the magnificent views. We had the option to pay for tickets to visit the theater, however, there was a film festival going on and both the theater and views were obstructed. Opting to miss out on the much talked about theater, we headed down to the garden, which also had great views. The walk took us down streets lined with flower filled balconies and laundry waving high above us. Finally making it to the garden (Giardino Pubblico), the kids were able to run off a little energy. According to The Rough Guide to Sicily, the gardens were endowed by a Scot, Florence Trevelyan, who settled in Taormina in 1899 having been “invited” to leave England in the wake of a romantic liaison with the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII. With lunchtime approaching, it was time to head up to Castelmola. A small family owned restaurant was recommended by another NCIS agent and we wanted to check it out. It was sad to leave Taormina without visiting the theater, but there are constantly events going on there and one day we will check it out!


After driving up winding and narrow roads, we made it to Castelmola. The view was truly breathtaking. High on the mountain, there was a clear view of the crystal blue water, Mt. Etna with its commanding presence, and the coast line. Walking up to the town from the parking lot was a feat! Too much pasta and pizza with no exercise has taken its toll on me! My legs were very angry with me, but once we made it to the restaurant it was worth every second! We sat down, took a look at the menu, gave our order, and then we were told what we were going to eat. We were not disappointed! It is always best to trust mama!

Catania

My first experience with Catania was a week or so after we arrived. My sponsor took me and the kids out for quite the experience! I have previously mentioned the driving around here, and the worst I’ve seen has been in Catania. I’ll spare you the details, but I’m not driving into Catania by myself any time soon. Once we arrived I strapped the kids in the double stroller and off we went, navigating through the city square and streets, ending up at the market. The market was packed with various venders selling everything you can imagine and shoppers. The amount of fruit, vegetables, nuts, shoes, clothes, cheese, meats, and other various items was truly remarkable. In awe, I proceeded to push my kids through the crowd, running over feet left and right. I of course felt bad, but it was impossible to navigate without casualties. The kids were troopers and overall it was a successful trip, a nice way to spend the morning with a new friend.


The second time I went to Catania (the trip where the pictures come from) was with our cultural class during our Indoctrination (INDOC) week. INDOC week is spent in a classroom with people giving presentations about the base and how to get involved, registered, ect. We happened to miss, ok, we just plain didn’t go to several of the classes. However, the classes we were sure not to miss were cultural classes and field trips. The most important part of the field trip was that Greg and I went without any children. We ate a lovely breakfast of Granita at a local bar (bars here serve pastries, gelato, and snacks). Afterwards, went into the cathedral in the square that housed beautiful artwork, organ pipes, and the remains of a beloved Cardinal, toured the fish market where the ground was sopping with water, blood, and I’m sure fish parts, ventured into the ruins of a Roman amphitheater, and made our way through the market before heading to lunch.

So I don’t get it wrong, I’m going to let Robert Andrews and Jules Brown, the authors of The Rough Guide to Sicily, tell you some history about Catania. “Catania is Sicily’s second largest city. Some of the island’s first Greek colonists, probably Chalcidinians from Naxos, settled the site as early as 729 BC… Later, the city was among the first to fall to the Romans, under whom it prospered greatly. Unusually for Sicily, Catania’s surviving ancient relics are all Roman. Etna erupted in 1669, engulfing the city in lava, while the great earthquake of 1693 devastated the whole of southeastern Sicily. Piazza del Duomo is one of Sicily’s most elegant Baroque piazzas... softened by the addition of a fountain, no less than a lava elephant supporting an Egyptian obelisk on its back. The elephant has been the city’s symbol since at least the thirteenth century, a talismanic protection against Etna eruptions, and this one also features an inscription, Agatina MSSHDEPL- an acronym for “The mind of St Agatha is sane and spontaneous, honouring God and liberating the city.” St. Agatha is the patron saint.”

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