A Quick Change in Plans - Catania, Sicily, Italy

Mt. Etna and Greek Amphitheater, Taormina, Sicily, Italy

Our Sicilian visit did not happen as planned! Yesterday the Captain made an announcement in the morning telling us that the visit to Syracusa, Sicily was necessarily being changed to the port of Catania because the projected wind gusts for Wednesday afternoon were to be high enough to prevent anchoring off Syracusa.  We were under the impression that we probably could have disembarked guests in the morning but may not have been able to get everyone back on the tenders for a return to the ship in the afternoon.  Thus, to avoid having to skip Sicily altogether, there was space in the port in Catania for us to dock there and still allow people who had excursions to Syracusa and elsewhere to do their trips although the drive time would be much greater as Syracusa is about 40 kilometers or 25 miles from Catania.

Having done a shore excursion in Syracusa when we docked in Catania in 2008, I had decided that I would explore that beautiful city on my own and had looked forward to doing that.  Of course I have an affinity for Syracusa as a result of the fact that Syracuse University is my alma mater.  But I acknowledge that I would rather dock in Catania than miss Sicily altogether.  Once the decision was made, Shore Excursions added a couple more new ones including a transfer to Taormina, a small town of about 10,000 people in the coastal mountains.  We had heard it was an exquisitely great city and it was fun to walk the streets, visit the shops, enjoy the tasty cannoli, perhaps visit the well preserved Greek Amphitheater there, and of course admire the spectacular scenery which included the imposing Mt. Etna in the distance.  As a result, I decided to go to Taormina since I had the day and I had heard nothing but good about it.

When I went to pick up my sticker (which identified the bus I would be on), I was greeted by people who said the port was requiring my passport.  The only other port of the cruise so far that required that was Barcelona, so I had to obtain that from our stateroom.  Since it affected everyone, it put us a bit behind in departure but the tour guide informed us that the 2½ hours at Taormina would begin when we arrived so we would lose no time there.  A few people who were making return visits commented that there was too much to do there in just 2½ hours so asked if there was a possibility of getting it changed to give us 3 hours.  The guide called her supervisor who agreed to allow us the extra half hour.  It was much appreciated as no extra charges were made and of course the driver’s and guide’s times were involved.  As we rode toward Taormina, the guide gave us information about her native Sicily.

Sicily, as most know, is the largest island in the entire Mediterranean and is a part of Italy. In fact, Sicily is so close to the mainland at one point in the Straits of Messina that there has been decades-long conversation about building a bridge to connect Sicily and mainland Italy but to date, that has not materialized.  Catania is the second largest city in Sicily, surpassed in population only by the island’s capital, Palermo.  Most people without personal knowledge of Sicily think first of “The Godfather” and the Mafia, much as those not familiar with Chicago often mention Al Capone or Michael Jordan.  However it’s best to think of Sicily as an island of great beauty, largely because of its rich volcanic soil that is conducive to growing citrus fruits, most notably oranges and lemons in addition to olive trees and of course the vineyards that produce the Sicilian wines.  Almost everyplace one visits in this area, Mt. Etna is seen in the distance.  Even now in mid-April, the top of Etna is snow covered and makes for an amazing sight.  When we were in Sicily two years ago, we took an excursion to Mt. Etna and had the good fortune of seeing Mt. Etna spewing volcanic ash.  Today, Etna seemed to be a bit quieter.

We arrived in Taormina at 10 AM and our guide indicated we were on our own (after giving some recommendations as to what we might like to see and do) until 1 PM when we needed to be back at the bus.  We had climbed hairpin turns to reach Taormina which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.  In one direction is “the” sea and in the other direction is “the” mountain. Almost immediately after leaving the bus, one reaches the city gate, an old stone archway to a pedestrian street filled with shops from typical tourist ones that sell the usual fridge magnets and tee shirts, to upscale ones with fine glass, clothing, and jewelry.  I didn’t to make any purchases yet as I would be carrying them until we returned to the bus.  It gave me a chance to see what other shops were available as well.

Unfortunately as we arrived, a big black cloud hung over Taormina and as soon as we stepped off the bus, the rain came.  There had been no hint of that in Catania so absolutely no one was prepared.  In fact, quite a few didn’t even have a jacket and at first it was rather cool in Taormina.  Our guide said not to worry as with the first raindrops, enterprising merchants hauled out umbrellas to sell to unprepared tourists.  Just what I would have needed – another umbrella to lose!  As I passed a church, they were preparing a colorful Easter display outside the church and a bit farther, lines of children with adult supervision came down the street, most with small spring plants which they left at the church for the display.

I continued to walk, noticing the attractive window displays from ceramics, to baked goods, especially Easter bunny cakes and cannolis, and even a full display of refrigerator magnets that was the nicest display of that that I have ever seen.  I decided to buy a ticket to enter an exceptionally well preserved ancient Greek Amphitheater which friends had recommended to a first time visitor to Taormina.  We had visited a similar site in Syracusa in 2008.  It’s hard to recall a comparison from six years ago, but I think the one there was somewhat larger but it’s possible I am incorrect.  The views from the Taormina Amphitheater were picturesque to say the least; looking in one direction, there were the theater ruins in the foreground, with a modern town between the amphitheater and the snow capped Mt. Etna which was highlighted by the now blue skies; looking in the other direction was the vast expanse of the striking blue Mediterranean.

One might wonder why the references to the Greek Amphitheaters in Italian Taormina and Syracusa, but in ancient times, the Spartans had expanded their empire to include much of Sicily.  Archeologists continue to uncover sites from when the Spartans held this area. 

By the time I visited the amphitheater, it was time to begin walking back in the direction of our bus but I took time (with one eye on my watch) to check several of the shops and make a few purchases.  Back on the bus, the guide took a count and surprisingly everyone was there so no time was wasted waiting for stragglers.  It’s possible that with the gesture of giving us the extra half hour that some had requested, no one wanted to be responsible for holding up the departure.

Though we expected to head directly back to the ship, the guide and driver took us through the historic part of Catania.  The city had been devastated by a major earthquake in 1693 which destroyed all but a few structures in the city. Thus many buildings date from the early 18^th century and are in the Baroque style of architecture.  A lot of stone and lava stone were used for buildings and roads.  I found Catania to be a more attractive city than I had expected.  The day went well and while I was sorry not to be able to revisit Syracusa, it was probably not to be because of the windy weather conditions.  Having the unexpected opportunity to see the amazing town of Taormina made for an enjoyable and productive day.  We will now have a day at sea as we cross below the boot of Italy and make our way north into the Adriatic Sea.

CT