Taormina

This morning I bussed to Taormina, 35 miles up the coast from Catania. On our left was Mount Etna, with lower cloud than I've seen, and on our right were fine wisps of cloud hanging low in the air. This hillside town above the sea, once a highlight of the Grand Tour, is exceptionally well-known, self-consciously pretty and expensive. It caters to the wealthy (I was told that Jeff Bezos's yacht is sometimes moored near Isola Bella, the pretty little island reached at low tide by a narrow strip of pebble beach) and it's also a package holiday destination. Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton are both within eyeshot as I write this half-listening to a schmaltzy (e g. It's Amore) guitar/accordion duo on Piazza IX Aprile overlooking the sea, and next to me is one of many tat-stalls for those who can't afford to parade the big names on their clothing. It's taken me a while to find my place - almost literally after my bag-laden mile-long trudge uphill from the bus station to my 'cheap' room.

I poked my nose into the cathedral but it was the vast 'Greek Theatre' (brick rather than stone, so actually most of what remains is Roman, not Greek) that won me over. It has been impressively restored and it was very hard not to wonder how theatre-goers weren't (aren't - it's still in use) distracted by the backdrop of Etna (extra 1).

I walked through the gardens created in the 19th century by Lady Florence Trevelyan, a very wealthy Scottish woman. (Isn't 'created by' an interesting expression when we mean 'funded by'? No way did she herself make all those brick and pebble paths and steps and 'arabesque' follies.) A lovely place, though.

What possessed me to climb to the tiny church of Chiesa Madonna della Rocca 'on my way' (mega detour in three dimensions) back to my room? Shortly after I started, but when I was already having doubts, I came across a sculpture of the Second Station of the Cross. I hadn't spotted the first but knew there were another 12 to go. I became both more doubtful and more determined as the way got harder and the views over the prickly pears to Taormina (extra 2), the coast, then upwards to the mountain-top settlements became more impressive.

At the top is a very small church, cut into the rock (extra 3). And the views were stunning.


Extras (these are all postcards)
- Etna from the Greek theatre
- Taormina from well above
- Chiesa Madonna della Rocca