Today was our only visit to the city of Messina this season; it was a port stop on the cruise that wasn't, but we obviously hadn't gotten here. We went to breakfast in the Panorama Buffet and did a quick assessment of the weather: mostly sunny and mild. It was a good day to go to Taormina, about 30-40 miles south of Messina on the eastern coast of Sicily, and not quite midway between Messina and Catania (so it can be reached as a day excursion from either port). Paul and Marlene joined us for breakfast and we did a quick Google search for some travel information. There was a 9:15am Trenitalia train from the Messina Centrale station just a 10-15 minute walk from the port, so we left the ship and headed that direction.
It was easy to buy tickets (4,30€ per person) and the station signage was very clear. We knew exactly which platform to go to and our train was waiting when we arrived. We read that there are only six express trains daily between Messina and Taormina and we must have gotten on one of these this morning. The train traveled quickly along the coastline, with limited stops and beautiful views of the sea on one side and the mountains on the other. We arrived at the Taormina-Giardina station in just over 30 minutes. Once there, the bus schedule to Taormina, which sits high on a mountain above the coast, was clearly posted, but a local lady also waiting told us it would be there in just a couple of minutes and that we could buy tickets on the bus. (We frequently rely on the kindness of strangers and did so several times today).
The bus cost 3€ per person round trip, making this an 11,60€ day per person. A taxi wanted 300€ make the round trip drive and the cheapest ship excursion (Taormina on your own) was 60€ per person. The bus wound its way back and forth over several switchbacks, climbing 700 feet above the Bay of Naxos to the bus station on the east side of very walkable Taormina. The views over the coast were spectacular and the town itself, a resort town for centuries, reminded us very much of the Cinque Terre but without all the steps. We saw Roman ruins dating back 2000 years and St. Catarina Cathedral, fairly modest by Italian standards but still far more opulent than most in the US.
The Sicilian coastline below Taormina
Porta Messina, one of the two main entrances to Taormina
In Italy, these kinds of religious shrines are everywhere
Remains of a peristyle temple dating to the 3rd century BC
The Church of Santa Catarina
We walked to the ancient Greek Theater that dates from 3000 BC(!!) but the admission price of 10€ per person seemed a little high after seeing all the artifacts of Pompeii and Herculaneum for free just yesterday. So we backtracked to the main pedestrian street of Corso Umberto where G spotted a very cute cafe selling gelato and cannolis and he asked them to make us gelato cannolis and they obliged and filled each half with a different flavor of gelato so we could share one and each have our favorite. We sat an outdoor table enjoying them and people watching.
Holiday window shopping
We had to make a decision about which bus and train to take back. The bus leaves Taormina at 1:30pm and 1:45pm, but then not again until 3:30pm. The trains to Messina left at roughly 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. We decided to play it safe and take the 1:45pm bus and are glad we did. By the time we bought tickets at a machine (you should have seen the four of us figuring out how to do that!) the 2:02pm train was arriving and it was packed with high school kids and was not an express. It took about 75 minutes to get back to Messina, but we were kept highly entertained by watching the high school kids (very well behaved but demonstrating typical teen behavior). Marlene and Paul had both taught high school in Toledo and they said it brought back memories.
Taormina-Giardina train station
We arrived on the ship just after 3:30pm, well before the on board time of 5:30pm, but showered and met up for hors doerves in the PES Lounge at 5pm. Tonight's special was chips and salsa and, of course, all the usual cheeses and veggies and dips and nibbles and breadsticks were also offered. I had a blended margarita and it went great with the chips and salsa. We had skipped lunch, and the cannoli, as good as it was, didn't go far. We were hungry when we went to dinner and I had a salad and seafood stew (slightly different from cioppino) and watermelon sorbet for dessert.
Comedian Tony Daro performed at 7:45pm and I laughed myself into an asthma attack, something I haven't done since I was a kid. We were walking out of the Cabaret Lounge and I overheard a fellow passenger say she laughed so hard her back hurt. Tony Daro is a funny, funny guy. I so wanted to go to the Casino Lounge to listen to Jere Ring on the piano but was just too tired and hadn't even started this post yet. I will have plenty of relaxing evenings coming up to enjoy Jere's antics.
Today was our final day in Italy this season, and we are leaving with definite mixed feelings. We will miss the exciting ports, the depth of the history and culture, the wonderful food and wine, St. Peter's Basilica and Venice and especially the less populated cities we've visited. We will not miss the traffic and the small motorbikes and scooters and the smokers, trash and graffiti. And, hand to heart, I will especially not miss the toilets. Italian bathrooms aren't as bad as some I experienced in China, but that really shouldn't be considered a point of pride. I had started really limiting liquids just to cut down on having to 1.) find toilets; 2.) pay for toilets; and 3.) use toilets. No, that I won't miss at all.
But memories of Venice, the Cinque Terre, Portofino and Taormina will have us looking for opportunities to return.
Life is good. :-)