Taormina - A Night Out

The Triskelion- Symbol of Sicily

Veronica, their host was Romanian by birth but had been living in Taormina with her daughter for eight years and both said that Sicily now felt like home. They owned two buildings – one they rented out as an apartment and the other private rooms with a shared bath, kitchen, and rooftop terrace. Although it was a lot of work maintaining them, they agreed it was financially profitable.

Beth with Dior.
Veronica's dog

"What are you doing Saturday night?" Veronica asked. "Would you like to join me and my friends? We will have pizza on the terrace."

Of course Rob and Beth agreed but only if they could bring the wine.

"It is decided."

After spending the day exploring the winding, climbing streets of Taormina they returned to the apartment in the evening to find Veronica's daughter dressed to kill. However, Veronica assured Beth that she didn't need to change from her jeans. Her daughter was going to the disco with some friends and would not be joining them that evening.

Beth in the open apartment window.

"Come sit and eat." invited Veronica. "My friends are typical Sicilians and will be late. You must be hungry."

As it was already 9 p.m. Beth and Rob joined Veronica and her daughter in the minuscule kitchen and ate cream cheese on sour dough bread topped with fresh salmon. The ingredients were simple but tasted delicious, possibly enhanced by the later hour at which they ate.

Piero and Girlfriend

Despite the chill brought on by the late evening, Veronica's friends all headed to the rooftop terrace with the beautiful view for pizza and wine when they arrived. On the terrace they chatted about travelling, occupations, future plans - typical of conversations for when people first meet. Piero inquired about work in Canada and whether as a photographer he would have much opportunity. He was a fashion photographer and, when pressed, acknowledged that he had done photo shoots for magazines such as Glamour and Vogue, as well as photographed models including the likes of Claudia Shaeffer.

The Square 'May 8th' along Corso Umberto I

After a while it started to sprinkle, and as there was no room large enough to gather in the apartment, they headed off as a group to stroll down the main street, Corso Umberto I. The street was well suited for walking as it was for pedestrians only, was wide enough to accommodate the group, and had beautiful displays for window shopping as they conversed and strolled. Soon enough, however, they turned down a narrow street and into Deja Vu, a popular night club in Taormina.

 

"In summer this place would be packed and we would have to wait to get in."

Street view

Although Victoria's friends were dressed for a night out, Victoria once again reassured Beth that her jeans were fine. "Look at me... I'm not dressed up and I haven't done anything with my hair."

They ordered drinks at a cost equivalent to one of their typical meals and settled in. It looked like a regular dance club with its dark interior and strategic lights, with the notable exception that it lacked a dance floor. When the mood hit, people just pushed the modular black tables out of the way and danced in the aisles. It seems that even in dance clubs in Europe space was at a premium.

Dancing Gangnam Style

The music that played was similar to that played in dance bars in Canada. About every two songs were English, and, not surprisingly ‘Gangnam Style’ soon blasted out of the speakers much to everyone's collective amusement.

At 2:30 am, Rob and Beth called it a night and bid ‘ciao’ to their companions. As they walked home, they agreed that one of the best parts of travelling was meeting new people and sharing new experiences… And was probably the only way to get them into a disco on a Saturday night.