On Friday we took a “day trip” to Sicily. Our day started when we met the cab in front of the hotel at 5:30 a.m. The taxi took us and several others to the port to meet the high speed catamaran. The boat left at 7:00 a.m. and by 7:15 we were rocking and rolling with some 4-5 foot waves. Randy snoozed and I just sat back and watched all those inflicted with sea sickness. It got really ugly there for awhile. By the time we rolled into Pozzallo, Sicily, approximately 2 ½ hours later, there were a lot of green people on board. I felt good about the fact that neither Randy nor I had a problem with it.
In Pozzallo, we hopped onto a nice double-decker tour bus and drove a few miles to a coffee shop. Cappuccino is the default drink when you just order “coffee,” otherwise, you must specify “American” coffee if you want drip. We were able to get two cappuccinos and two pastries for approximately $5 (€3.50 Euros) – much cheaper than Starbucks!
From Pozzallo, we drove about 2 ½ -3 hours to Taormina. Taormina is a beautiful tourist town that was originally populated by the Greeks when they controlled Sicily before the birth of Christ. We spent about 2 hours there during which time we enjoyed a wonderful pasta lunch in a restaurant that overlooked the sea and did a little shopping.
We then jumped back on the bus and headed up to Mt. Etna. Etna is the largest and most active volcano in Europe. Sicily has had a long, hot summer that has caused most of the plant life to turn brown with the exception of the area around Mt. Etna where the slopes are extremely fertile because of the mineral rich lava that has flowed for over 500,000 years. Once the lava flows, it takes between 20 and 100 years for vegetation to grow again. Because of this, our guide was able to identify the various lava flows as we climbed up the slopes. The area in which vegetation was just beginning to take hold in the black landscape was identified as the 1983 eruption whereas the areas in which there was no sign of vegetation was identified as being part of the 1997 or the 2001 eruptions. The last eruption actually occurred in 2005. The geologists and vulcanologists (sp?) have recently figured out ways to redirect lava flows so that such eruptions are less threatening to populated areas. According to our guide, the locals embrace the mountain and accept its potential volatility as a blessing that brings more fertile soil (eventually).
When we got back to the port to board the catamaran for our return trip, we discovered that it was running late because of the rough seas. We finally got back to our hotel room around 1 a.m. Overall, it was a very long day. I don’t think I would do it again even though Taormina and Mt. Etna were wonderful to see. It felt like too much traveling and not enough time to just enjoy the sights.
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