Patricia and I began the day very early by visiting the big fish market near the Duomo. They were just beginning to get set up. It was fun to watch one man filet a fish for an old lady who was a very early customer.
After breakfast we began walking with our group through a large local market that is a few blocks from our hotel. Everything is sold there. I particularly liked the beautiful vegetables. The cauliflower are easily twice the size of what you find in the US. Mama Aetna is credited with giving extremely fertile soil. We also had the opportunity to try prickly pear cactus fruits. The juice was tastier than the fruit itself. We also sampled raw fava beans. I prefer them cooked. So many beautiful foods were tantalizingly displayed .
We met our bus to take the trip to Taormina. The trip took us close to the straits of Messina where the toe of the boot of Italy is close by and visible. This area was well described in the Odyssey as the 2 women, Scylla and Charybdis who threatened the passage of sailors. Apparently there has been much talk and planning to build a bridge between the 2 land areas. Consideration of earthquakes, strong currents, winds and tremendous expense have made the plan stall for many years. It may never happen but tons of money has been spent in the planning.
We climbed the winding road to reach the town of Taormina. Our local guide met us at the city gate which was a short walk uphill from the bus area. We walked up the street towards the main attraction which is the mostly preserved or restored Greco-Roman theater. It is acoustically excellent and it overlooks a beautiful valley. The theater is still being used now for music and plays and occasional movies. It seats several thousand people on hard stone benches or plastic chairs. The view to the stage is open from every angle. The Romans increased the size of the theater adding bricks to the limestone work. It doesn’t much matter. The place is impressive.
We left the theater to have time on our own. Patricia and I found a lively restaurant that served a delicious salad nicoise. OK it’s not Italian but it was really delicious.
We returned to Catania for an afternoon of free wandering. We visited a botanical garden where many plants looked to be ignored. There was a nice area of cactus that seemed quite healthy. We went back to our hotel before going out to a rather offbeat place for dinner. It was an early quiet night.
Tomorrow we go to visit MAMA AETNA!! I am excited no matter what. It may rain or snow but being on the slope of the volcano will be a great treat. Can’t wait.
The Adventures of Anne 