A Tour Of Castelmola

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Today we opted for a tour of a small town high above Taormina called Castlemola. It was only about 45 minutes from our hotel – a distance of about 6 kilometres. However it was another of this hairpin turns and hang over the edge type rides. There were at least 4 tour groups from cruise ships all visiting at the same time. It seems that everywhere we go we have seen group tours. This town had a different feel

to it than some of the other places we have been. Although a tourist attraction, with the small souvenir shops, it did not feel the same as other places. Our guide took us to several scenic overviews, the Duomo, the main squares as well as the steps to the “castle” which was the highest point of the village. It commanded a wonderful view of the coastline. Any group wanting to attack any of these towns had to be very determined. They could be seen miles away. We stopped at one of the places for a tasting of almond wine in a “risky” glass. The wine was very good and we got to keep the glass!

An interesting souvenir. We were back at the hotel around 1 so we decided to walk back up to Taormina and have lunch in a cafe and watch the tours go by. It was not as busy as a few days ago when we had the guided tour of the place. Tonight we had a farewell cocktail party before our farewell dinner. It was a chance to say “goodbyes” because we leave in the middle of the night for Rome! Etna was covered in clouds today. After the farewell party dinner was a step above what we had tasted in the past. Shrimp, Sicilian style after pasta! great meal with wine and toasts.