Valentine’s Day in Taormina

Mt. Etna

One of the most iconic places in the whole of Sicily, Taormina does not disappoint. Set (surprisingly) high on a hill overlooking the Ionian Sea, with Mount Etna (Europe’s tallest volcano) as a backdrop, it is a town of many charms.

Before heading there we had made a brief stop at Catania’s fish market, where on display were many varieties of freshly caught fish and other types of sea creatures.

Next to the fish market, some stalls were selling meat of all type, ovine, bovine, equine, and swine. Every part of the animal is for sale. Cut meticulously or rolled up into sausages, and it does not contain any type of antibiotics.

Artichokes basted with olive oil cooking in a wood fire.

Somebody did not like this guy

We had Mt. Etna behind us during the entire drive, seeing it from different angles. We inevitably leave our place around mid-morning, and end up at our destinations at the worst possible time for photography. I would love taking some amazing photos, but I do not have the patience to sit and wait for the right conditions. Anyway, the views of the coast from Taormina are amazing, and the town itself is beautiful. So glad we came in the winter; cruise ships season will begin anew in March and you can bet it will be a madhouse.

So many small first millennium churches

The cablecar wires could not be avoided

Above the already elevated Taormina, is a small mountaintop enclave called Castelmola. We drove to it and enjoyed both the stunning views and the picturesque town.

Castelmola is at top

Taormina seen from Castelmola

We had a terrific lunch (Octopus salad, Macaroni alla Norma - a Catanese dish named for Bellini’s opera – , and fritto misto of calamari and prawns), washed down with a glass of Nero D’Avola, and a “limonata” (guess who had what), followed by a cannolo al pistacchio and a lovely caffe’ ristretto. So we were not too hungry for dinner. We did however want to take a stroll in Catania, where we finally had a very good pizza. Never order pizza in the Middle East.

Evening time in Catania

'Hope you are enjoying our little Sicily tour. Tomorrow we’ll go to the North Coast. Happy Valentine’s Day!