Italy - A Postcard from Taormina, Sicily in February

A short trip to Sicily

Isola Bella

Bit of a 'senior moment' I'm afraid. I thought the plane was leaving at 09:30 so we planned to leave for Luton Airport at 04:45. Plenty of time, no stress. I was just shutting down the computer on leaving when I noticed the calendar was showing Flight departure was at 07:45. Cue Panic! With NO traffic the driving time from Poole is over 2 hours. So not much time to park the car and get through security before the gate closure at 07:15! Thankfully, and remarkably, we had a superb drive up. Don't think I had to apply the brakes once between Bournemouth and Luton. We haven't used Luton Airport for about 10 years. It's not the tidiest of airports. Whereas most are surrounded by green space, Luton Airport is plonked on an industrial estate. The planes look like they are parked on the roadside. Anyway, we spotted  the Long Term Parking in the wintry gloom, quickly found a space, and ran for the Bus Stop. Passports and boarding passes at the ready. We waited, and waited, for the bus.  I thought they came every 7 minutes, but a board unhelpfully indicated it was 20 minutes. After an age a bus crawled towards us. We embarked on one of the slowest journeys in a motorised vehicle we have ever experienced. If we were racing a tortoise we would have lost. The
Driver stopped at every Bus Stop, even when nobody was waiting. He then picked up staff and any other poor soul, waif or stray, waiting en route. Eventually we reached the Terminal and made a dash for Security. The staff took pity on us and helped us to jump the queue when we told them, tearfully, we were very, very late. Then, horror of horrors, my bag was diverted down the inspection channel! Oh no, they must have spotted my porridge. Thankfully not. I had put my bag in the bin on top of TW's second bag of potions, lotions and medications. Happily the Inspector told me he would not have to open my bag. Oh, thank you, thank you Sir. Now to find the Gate. Of course before the departure area we had to negotiate the Duty Free and Restaurant/Retail area. The people who design Duty Free Areas think they are clever. They are not! They make the route through it as hellishly twisty as possible, they install a highly polished floor so that it is difficult to move quickly. They employ attendants to attempt to trip you and spray you with awful smelly stuff. A surfeit of mirrors and the reflecting floor make any body conscious person feel like a turd going on holiday. I hate them. We skated through and hit the Retail Area running or what passes for run for this almost septuagenarian with 'ski'd out' knees. It's really more of a joddle, a cross between a waddle and jog. Gate 32 was pretty close and the board said the Gate was still Open. Miracle of miracles we had made it. The flight was still boarding, Easy Easy, calm down.  We did not bat an eyelid when they told us our cabin bags had to go into the hold. Take 'em, we don't care - we're off to the sun and Sicily for 6 nights.

Mt Etna

We landed in Catania around 3 hours later. A more typical Airport, plenty of space, right on the coast. We were Easy Jetters so we were parked in isolation some way from the Terminal and were bussed to Immigration. Apparently we are Extra Schengen, nice! We were off the bus first and were shot at by a couple of guys in Hazard Suits with white guns. When all you know about Sicily is the Mafia, Inspector Montalbano and Lemons, this is just a bit intimidating. Fortunately they missed - despite pointing their pistols right at our foreheads. They were checking for any hot heads apparently. COVID-19 is, of course, not a laughing matter. The Lemons did come later but sadly we did not meet the astute Inspector on our trip.
We were happily reunited with our bags and we took a 4 Euro bus to the Central Station and then a 5 Euro Train to Taormina Station. Roberto was our friendly taxi driver for our, 4km, 15 Euro ride to our lodgings in Mazzaro by the seaside. There are also buses to Mazzaro at just over a Euro but they are infrequent.

Our breakfast terrace

Mazzaro - our quiet coastal retreat

We arrived at lunchtime, just as the only shop in town was closing. We picked up the essentials, before meeting with Umberto, our host at Appartamento Verde Umberto.
He showed us around the nice modern apartment and revealed his Lemon Tree. Help yourself while you are here! Lemon Tree very pretty but impossible to eat. We liked our Apartment and it was lovely home from home for the next 6 nights. Mazzaro sits by the seaside below Taormina. The areas are  normally linked by a cable car but it was out of order during our visit. Umberto gave us a quick tour and showed us the bus stop for the replacement service and the steps we would need to take to walk up tp Taormina. He also showed us the only Restaurant, Da Giovanni, that was open in Mazzaro in February. Things do not start to open up in mid March.

Our welcome to Sicily was a good lunch, swordfish steaks with veggies and chips. The House wine was very good also, perhaps too good for lunchtime, and only 4.5 Euros for a half litre - hic

 Taormina

Taking Steps for Taormina

It takes about 30 minutes to walk up to Taormina from Mazzaro. I really struggled on this trip with remembering the names of places, they just don't trip off the tongue. It's quite a steep climb to a lookout point with a Cafe and then a flatish 10 minute walk to the City Centre. Some nice views on the way up of Isola Bella and the coastline. Some of the dogs on the way up were very welcoming, well they barked a lot anyway.
Taormina is lovely but touristy. The main street, Corso Umberto, is very smart with lots of narrow streets to left and right. We had a good wander up and down. Imagine it is busy in the season but in February it was very pleasant and relaxed with locals equaling, or outnumbering, tourists. We had been given a couple of recommendations for lunch and we chose a bright and airy place, The Villa Zucarro. It was rightly recommended for it's pizza. Our fellow guests were all Italian, always a good sign.

Great views of Isola Bella on the way Taormina

Food is not cheap in Italy and a multi-course meals adds up to quite a sizeable bill. On our budget we satisfied ourselves with just one course, a drink and a coffee but could still easily spend 35 - 50 Euros. A side of veggies cost 11 Euros.





Visiting the Ancients
Our afternoon was spent in the old ruins. Originally the Amphitheatre was built by the Greeks in the 3rd Century BC but it has been much modified and for the lay person it's impossible to determine which bits are Greek or Roman or recent. We had a good nose round and it certainly is a fabulous setting with great views of Mt Etna and the Sicilian coastline. Well worth the 10 Euro entrance fee. The Amphitheatre is still used for concerts which is nice. We rejected the Audio Tour headphones as we were concerned about Covid. Simple Minds are coming over to play in June, or perhaps they were here today?


 


We were really fortunate with the weather on this trip. The locals want and need rain but after the repeated deluges in the UK just a few days of sunshine were most welcome.

Siracuse and Ortigia

Looking for the Inspector

Siracusa is a fair sized City and Ortigia is a built up island a short bridge away. We spent a delightful morning in Ortigia. To get there we took a bus from Mazzara to the Railway Station then a train to Catania where we changed to another train for Siracusa. It cost about 20 Euros return. Ortigia is a 10 minute walk from the station and is a wander paradise. We had considered staying there before booking at Mazzaro. I think we made the right choice but neither of us would turn down a few days based in the old town. The maize of narrow streets and squares is very pleasant and just what you would hope to find in Sicily. We also found a nice place for a dust-buster 'A Levante' before heading for a lazy lunch with a sea view.  Al Vecchio Lavatoio on Lungomare Alfeo was right on the coast.

 

Ortigia - Very Montalbano kind of view

Relaxing with a beer on Ortigia - not bad for February 14th 

Ortigia on Sea

A four legged friend we met

A special brew

 

Siracuse itself was a  busy modern town. A claim to fame is that it was the birth place of Archimedes! A lot of water has been displaced since he was here last! We had planned to visit the Siracuse Amphitheatre but spent too long over lunch and it was just closing when we arrived. It's lasted a couple of millennia so hopefully will still be here next time we are in Sicily. We were told Siracusa has some nice beaches, another reason to return. Overall it was a super day out.

Taormina Gardenia Station

The trains in Sicily are pretty good and our return destination, Taormina Gardenia Station, is smart. It still has thriving a station Cafe as well. On the way back we talked to a lad from Messina who had been down to Catania for the day, it was Valentines Day. He was visiting his lady friend. Valentines are another thing that Italy gave the world although, ungratefully, the real Saint Valentine lost his head as well as his heart, he was beheaded.

 









Castelmona

 Castelmona - High on a hill

Have no idea why they built Castelmona where they did, it sits right at the top of a rocky outcrop above Taormina. We both took a bus up there and I walked down. Castelmona is lovely village with narrow streets and a few restaurants and shops. Some locals were sitting round in the square, chewing the fat. A very laid back sort of place.

The Restaurant we stumbled into, Bar Turrisi, has an usual theme. Willies! TW found it hilarious. No sign of any Phallus on the outside but, once inside, everything from Taps to Door handles to milk jugs is shaped as a private part. I had a very nice beer, thankfully in a proper glass, and a bowl of Spaghetti. It's a good place to hang out in Castelmona, erhm! The path down was signed as closed because of falling rocks but the tourist office and a local said it was open? It didn't appear dangerous. and was a pleasant enough walk with some good views.

Etna in the background

 

Great Views from Bar Turrisi

I will take my Coffee Black thank you.

Isola Bella in Mazzaro

This small island connected to Mazzaro by a narrow strip of sand has an interesting history. It was purchased by an English Lady, Florence Trevelyan, in the 19th Century. She planted lots of exotic plants that thrived in the warm climate and some still survive today.  A later owner converted the Island into a luxury villa that was integrated into the rock structure.  Part of the island was closed on our visit and it all needs a bit of upkeep and DIY. It made a nice morning excursion. I even took a brief dip in the sea. It was not cold!

Isola Bella - Beautiful Island

A walk towards Messina

Long beaches stretch up the coast towards Messina. Walking along there is not easy as there is no roadside pavement The other obstacle is the railway line between the road and the seashore. There are a lot of Hotels and Resorts along the coast that look in a pretty sad state. Not sure if the dilapidation is permanent or whether some of them suddenly burst into life once the season starts. We started along the coastline but then had to dodge back onto the road to avoid a headland. We found a good lunch in Letojanni, at Antico Borgo Restaurant, one of the coastal villages. It's not really a very pretty area,  it was probably developed in the sixties but the beach is OK and good for a walk on a  sunny Sunday in February.

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Looking North in the direction of Messina

Sicily is certainly a place with a lot going for it. Even in the small corner we visited there are great contrasts ranging from the ultra smart to the downright scruffy. We only drove through Catania on the bus and there were some smart streets but others were unkempt and daubed with graphiti. The Sicilians were friendly. Daytime temperatures were between 16 and 20 C but it cooled down overnight. We were pleased we booked an apartment with heating.
Getting home, we took a bus from Mazzaro to Taormina Station then a Train to Catania. The bus from the Central Station to the Airport took a very weird route. It left the Station, toured through the City, came back to the station and then eventually headed to the airport. Fortunately we had plenty of time! Mind you, we needed plenty as Security and Passport Control took forever. We were almost last in the check-in queue and had to put our bags in the hold yet again.
Incredibly, our passage through Luton Airport in 5 minutes was only 6 days ago. It already felt like a lifetime.
Overall a great break from the wet and windy winter in UK.

Six nights in our Appartamento Verde Umberto cost £403 inc cleaning.
Easy Return Flights for two -  Luton to Catania cost £173
Parking £56

We booked our trip just a week before we set off.

Footnote:

We arrived home on the 18th Feb. We had two trips to Austria booked, on the 29th Feb and 21st March. COVID-19 put paid to both. We, theoretically, could have gone on the first trip but even then we were suspicious that some resorts were covering up their problems. We do not regret cancelling. While we were in Sicily both of us had sore throats and cold symptoms, was it COVID?