Goodbye Sicily

After the last 16 days it was time to say goodbye! We were up before 2 in the morning as we had a 6 am flight from Messina to Rome. Our incredible driver was right on time at 3am with the luggage loaded and ready for the 1 hour drive. Over the last few weeks we have come to appreciate what an excellent driver we had. Walter seemed to be able to navigate the tightest turns and the never ending switchbacks as we moved around to island. There are dual lane highways but once off the beaten path the streets narrow with tight turns. Since we travelled around the coast of Sicily we needed to go through many small towns not designed for the “modern” automobile. Many in our group commented that they would not drive here. Take a tour! and let experienced drivers like Walter and the excellent guides do the rest!

The flight to Rome was about an hour. Etna did pop up into view as we left. We did have an extended stay in Rome (about 5 hours) while we waited for our Air Canada Flight to Toronto. 10 hours in the middle seats of the airplane were made tolerable by the fact that we were going home.

With Senior Discovery tours, we got exactly what was advertised. All tours and guides were part of the package except for the 2 optional tours that we decided to take. Our tour “manager” always had a surprise for us. Gelato, chocolate, cocktails, good stories etc. all made the trip truly a wonderful experience. Having at least 2 meals – breakfast and dinner - a day with the 24 other people enhanced the experience as we chatted about everything. And who can forget the wine with dinners! Sicily is an island with a multicultural past. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans all have left their imprint on the culture and structures to be seen here. Endless areas of vineyards, citrus groves and olive trees can be seen. Thanks to Helen our Tour Manager who counted and recounted the group so that no one was “left” be

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.

A Visit To Syracuse

Syracuse was the most important Greek city from the 5th to 3rd century B.C. It remained a powerful city until it was

defeated by the Romans in the 2nd century B.C. This was the last scheduled tour of this trip. Although it took about 2 hours form our base here to reach the city, we had a good view of Mt. Etna that seemed to be throwing up extra plums of smoke this morning. Our first stop was the Archaeological Park Necropolis. It was quite impressive a site which was evident as soon as we moved into it. We walked into the original quarry where slave worked to remove the limestone blocks which were used to build the city. There were massive “caves” where the blocks were removed by hammer a chisel. How they could even do it without modern equipment is amazing. The Ear of Dionysus is the most famous of these quarried caves. The Greek Teatro is very large and was hewing out of solid limestone. It is very impressive. The Romans also built an amphitheatre but it was small in comparison. There were many other sites in the park but we did not have time to visit them.

The second part of the tour was to the island of Ortigia. A short bride connects it to the mainland. Immediately after crossing the bridge we encountered the Temple of Apollo. There are many remaining parts of the structure. The main square has a large Duomo and buildings. We walked the “island” which is the oldest part of the city. It was the end of a long weekend, it was bright and sunny and all the restaurants were very crowded.

We had lunch along the waterfront and treated ourselves to another gelato. On the way back out of the city, we stopped at a cemetery where allied solders were buried. The grounds were impeccable. We did not have time enough to find the graves of Canadians who landed in this area in 1943.That ended the last included tour of this trip.Tomorrow we are taking another optional tour before preparing for our departure.