Taormina- Exploring by Foot.

Shores of Taormina

Taormina, the Sicilian town of eleven thousand, is famed as a popular summer retreat for celebrities and dignitaries. On days in August, the streets are packed as the town triples in population with tourists hoping to swim the beaches and hang out in the places that writers like D.H. Lawrence or Truman Capote retreated, and celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton anchored a sailboat.

Taormina streets in the rain

In January, the town takes on a quieter appearance as many tourist shops and restaurants close for the off-season. The quieter streets become populated with local residents that now outnumber the tourists, and many shops and boutiques advertise winters sales with 50% all stock. The weather varies greatly during this season, as the winter months bring on the rains and, like Canadian spring, some plants begin the circle of rebirth.

Apartment view

As Beth and Rob arrived late in the evening they could only get a glimpse of a few building structures that peeked out from the hilltop on which the town of Taormina rests, two hundred metres above the train station. The drizzly nighttime arrival and the steep hillside slopes made walking with luggage an unappealing option. They accepted the 15€ fare for a taxi ride and watched nervously as the car quickly wound its way back and forth, up to the town’s ancient walls and passed through the northern gate Porto Messina.

Taormina, as it was constructed on the slopes of seaside hills, is layered giving it an extra dimension that most North American cities lack. The lowest level is seaside and is lined with seasonal beach houses and resorts that in January were closed. Apart from the cars driving on the main highway and the trains going by on the railway line there was not much other activity in this seaside layer.

The middle layers include the old town proper, which draws tourists to the panache of its marble-lined squares, medieval churches, and old buildings with architectural styles ranging from ancient Greek to Byzantine.

Toarmina viewed near
Madonna della Rocca

On the highest level of Taormina stands an ancient church complete with a fortress and the town of Castelmola, which remained hidden from sight by low lying clouds on the first day of the couple’s stay.

Castelmola hidden in the Clouds

When skies cleared on their third day in Taormina, Beth and Rob set out on the first of three days of exploring the area by foot to the Sanctuary of Madonna dell Rocca. The climb was the shortest of the three and took them up a set of beach stone cobbled stairs that twisted from right to left up a steep rock slope for 140 meters. At each corner of the climb there was a sculpture depicting scenes from Christ’s crucifixion, giving them the feeling that they had under taken a pilgrimage walk. The fog that rolled in off the Ionian Sea only added to the mystical sensation they felt each time they turned to photograph the main town of Taormina below.

At the summit they were treated to a breath taking view that not only included Taormina, but also the scenic coastline resort town of Giardini, and the mountaintop town of Castelmola that also gained a mystical aura from the rolling fog.

The Sanctuary of Madonna dell Rocca, which sits alone atop the trail, was built into the stone outcrop and contains a unique ceiling and walls composed of exposed rock.

Taormina Castle

On the next day Beth suggested a trip down the hill in hopes that they would be able to enjoy the bright sunny afternoon at the seaside. Rob, who studied the map, selected a route that lead them two kilometres down an elevation drop of 210 metres to the isolated beach containing the beautiful island outcrop Isola Bella.

Madonna dell Rocca

Beth, who had worn the new boots she’d purchased in Rome with Lori, was unprepared for such a hike. Rob, who at times is oblivious, was told by Beth that he should be more clear about the nature of the hike before they left the apartment.

“I thought we were just walking the road we did on the first day”, exclaimed Beth who's toes were screaming by the time they reached the beach.

Isola Bella Right, Resort on the Left

“I thought you said you’d like to go to the water for the day?”, replied Rob.

“If I’d known you’d be taking me on that trail I'd have worn different shoes. I thought we were walking to that other town nearby."

“But isn’t this nice?” Rob questioned.

They walked the stony beach and soaked up the sun they’d seen so little of over the past few days. When the wind calmed they peeled off their coats only to put them back on when it picked up once more.

Countryside and distant Mt Etna
viewed from Castelmola

Old donkey trail to Castelmola

On the third day, they made plans to hike up to Taormina’s highest point, the town of Castelmola. Beth, who put on running shoes for her now tender feet, was prepared to climb the equivalent of 1800 Canadian regulation stairs to enjoy the panoramic view the fortress town offered.

The trail they followed, an old donkey passage, was shaded, cool, and overgrown with natural flora, and appeared to be rarely used since the advent of automotive traffic. At the start of the hike Beth and Rob needed their jackets zipped tightly against the crisp morning, but with the increasing exposure to sun along the rock face stairs, they were able to peel down to a single shirt layer.

Volcano Mt Etna

Washing hands at
Turrisi Trattoria

At the summit, they enjoyed the 360° panorama that the town offered. In the south they gazed upon the peak of Mount Etna that emitted smoke from its caldera -a reminder of volcanic activity that occurred the week prior. To the east they looked down upon the town and castle peak of Taormina. The west offered splendid views of the interior mountain ranges that dominate most of Sicily. And finally, to the north the small towns that speckle the beach coast.

Afterwards they walked around the quiet town to find the only restaurant that appeared open that day, ‘The Turrisi Trattoria’. They were amused at the owner's choice of using the male phallic symbol as a theme to decorate its settings. Apparently the town was historically known for hedonism and thought it fun to play on that theme. Through the afternoon they sipped wine on the restaurant's rooftop patio and relished the heat as they soaked up the afternoon sun. Before they left, Rob was obliged to contribute some Canadiana into its table place mats.