May 25, 2004

Taormina's streets retain much of their medieval flavor, as do several of the churches and villas. There are also some pretty Baroque structures scattered throughout the town. The castle (Castelmola) overlooks the city. There has been a strong British and American presence here for many years. The only place we saw American tourists on our trip was in Taormina. Many of them only stop in Taormina as part of larger Italy tours.

We packed our bags after which I wheeled them down to the garage park around the corner. I met up with my family at the hotel and we walked next door to an Internet café where I checked my email and caught up on what I was missing at my office. Breakfast was next on our minds so we stopped at a nearby café. We then did a bit of shopping on Via Teatro Greco. Emily was fascinated with the marzipan there. This almond shaped paste is molded to look like fruits and vegetables and just about everything else - even cars and buildings. Each food shop in Taormina tries to outdo the other by putting up elaborate displays of the candies. After seeing one particularly enticing display that resembled various types of fruit, Emily reached for a marzipan banana. We tried to tell her that it was candy but she would not believe us. We couldn’t stop laughing as we watched her reaction when she put it in her mouth.

We continued along Via Teatro Greco. At the end of this we arrived at the Greek Theater. The Greek amphitheatre was built in the 3rd century BC, and was expanded by the Romans, who enlarged the stage and added a partial roof (now destroyed). Reserved seating existed even in Greek times; a seat still bears the inscription of the name of “Philistide”. The view of Mount Etna and the sea beyond the theatre was amazing. The theatre is the site now of Taormina Arte, an international festival of the performance arts that happens each summer. We spent a couple hours there consulting the Michelin guide for history of the theater, walking all the steps and taking pictures. At the back of the theater, there was an excellent view of the Straits of Messina and mainland Italy. Mt. Etna was clearly visible behind the theater although it was obscured somewhat by clouds.

A full roll of film later, we walked next door to the Grand Hotel Timeo, a venerable hotel in the “European” grand style (in other words a “swanky” place). Stephanie donned her sunglasses and did her best movie star impression. I had lost my sunglasses earlier in the trip so I took Emily’s Hello Kitty plastic sunglasses and did my best to not look like a movie star. Stephanie ordered a prosecco and I smoked a Romeo y Julieta cigar that I bought off one of the waiters in the hotel bar (who sells Cubans from his own personal humidor). The sun was bright and strong and we lazily lounged on the verandah as Emily slept in her stroller. Quick tip: be sure to visit the bathrooms next to the main hotel front desk – they’re “swanky”.

View image of View from Grand Hotel Timeo

Stephanie and I then spent the next few hours walking and shopping. I wanted to listen to music on our long drive across the island later so I stopped into a music shop and bought a music mix tape. Stephanie bought some small toys for Emily. We returned to Granduca Pizzeria again for lunch because their pizzas were just so damn good. We both had wine. By the end of the pizza and wine, we were practically sleeping. We needed something invigorating so we walked a short way to the “Giardini di Villa Comunale”. These gardens are planted with a huge variety of flowering plants and shrubs. Also inside the gardens was a great children’s park, which unfortunately was undergoing refurbishment - like the rest of Sicily!! There was a slide nearby and Emily happily spent some time on it.

We returned to our car, which was parked conveniently at the garage, which was located across the street from the gardens. We then prepared ourselves for the long drive on the A19, the main thoroughfare that connects Catania with Palermo. Emily slept for most of the ride. The A19 was amazing. The road was two lanes in each direction and in perfect shape (save for a couple of stretches that were being repaired). The scenery along the way was mostly dull fields; however, Mt. Etna was in view for about half the trip, a testament to its massive size. Owing to the smooth driving conditions, we arrived in Cefalú in just over 2 hours (as opposed to the 4 that I had initially estimated).

We drove into Cefalú proper and found a great parking space at the Piazza San Francisco. I immediately headed to a bathroom while Emily went to investigate a cat that she had seen while she was waiting with Stephanie. We then walked to Piazza Garibaldi where we sat for a nice Diet Coke in front of the square’s fountain. From there, we looked in on the very nice shops on Corso Ruggero, a street that reminded us a little of the Corso in Taormina. We quickly decided that we really enjoyed the Cefalu “vibe” and decided to stay for the night there instead of in Palermo.

After about an hour of window-shopping, we arrived at the Piazza del Duomo. This Piazza was probably our favorite in all of Sicily. We liked it because it was small and intimate. There were a couple cafes with tables on the square; kids were playing; old men were chatting on nearby benches. What certainly added most to its appeal was the gorgeous duomo. What made this church so striking was its starkness. The church was built at a time of hostility so it looked more like a fortress than a church. We let Emily play on the steps of the church for an hour while we relaxed on a nearby bench. We arrived at dusk and the light magically lit the square in a red and orange hue.

We continued on with our walking tour down the Corso Ruggero until at last we reached the end of the road at Via Bordonaro. Here, we took a left and noticed all of the upscale, pricey restaurants along the shore. Seeing this reminded us of the description of Cefalu in our Lonely Planet: “If Taormina’s is Sicily’s ultimate resort town, then Cefalu is its eager, younger sibling. This attractive beachside town is now the premiere destination on the Tyrrhennian coast. Its popularity is noted in its near-exorbitant prices. Still, the town’s location on the sea, backed up by the towering mass of a crag known as La Rocca, plus its relatively unspoiled medieval streets and historic sights, make this a wonderful place to spend a few days”.

Continuing past the restaurants, we arrived at “the old marina”, a quaint, small inlet. At night, the view was fantastic – the lights on the coast twinkled and off to the side was a great view of the tightly packed buildings of Old Town Cefalu. While I admired the view, Emily ran off with Stephanie to climb into small fishing boats that were lying on the beach.

It was time for dinner so we backtracked to a restaurant that Stephanie had seen. The place was not only mentioned in all 3 of our guidebooks but had been recommended on a travel website. “La Botte” is located just off the Corso at Via Veterani 6 (closed Mondays). The pasta con le sarde had been highly recommended (pasta with sardines, anchovies and fennel) and since I hadn’t eaten this traditional Sicilian dish yet, I decided to order it. While waiting for our food, I went next door and booked a room at La Giara Hotel. The hotel was fairly basic and simple but the location couldn’t be beat. I then had to go pick up the car where we had parked it in order to move it to the hotel’s overnight parking. The drive from Piazza San Francisco to the hotel necessitated that I drive in a big loop all the way around the famed “La Rocca”, the towering mass of rock overlooking the city. It was necessary to do this because the only direct route to the hotel would have been the wrong way down a one-way street.

After I parked the car and returned to the restaurant, I dug into my food. It was fantastic. I highly recommend this restaurant. Next time we will have to eat at one of the seaside restaurants on Via Bordonaro (Al Porticciolo got a very good review in the Michelin Guide). After dinner, we returned to the Piazza del Duomo where we got a gelato at Bar Duomo.