MT ETNA TOUR

Today is "bring your friend to work" day! I am going along with Seby as he takes a group of Brits and Ex-pats to Mt Etna. We get up and leave early to meet his driver and the van that will take us up to Mt Etna. We meet his driver who is right on time with a new and clean van that seats 19.We grab a quick caffe`e cornetto...at the bar, not american style in the car! Pick up the group of 13 at their Agritourismo where there is a huge olympic pool in the middle of an olive orchard ...as they climb in then run back to collect sweatshirts, ipods, etc..I think "who are these people"..apparentlty retired US military folks with their kids staying for just 3 days in Sicily to attend a swim meet at the local US Naval base - Sigonella. All in all a nice group, a bit needy as they all cried for coffee as soon as we took off. Seby tortrued them by stopping about 1/2hour later at Zafferana - a small town at the foot of the Southern side of Mt Enta.Everyone clambers off for their coffee and sweets. As always Seby is assured I am taken care of and a beautiful cappucino for me. (see photo) Ok, up to the volcano and I am enjoying the scenery, listening to Seby as he entertains and educates the group on volcanoes and lava flows...stayed around an hour, at the visitor center then back in the bus and back down to Zafferana where we stopped at a honey farm for honey tasting and a bit of wine tasting. A short walk to the restaurant where the group had to yell "uncle" before Seby would stop ordering the food..Seriously they were in pain! Then he asks "OK, are you ready for lunch?" It was small plate after small plate but never ending with wine and dessert. About an hour drive back to the agritourismo and then Seby and I back to his car and to Taormina. It was a really nice day and a pleasure to see Sig Alibrandi in action..at work....I was so tired when we arrived back at his house, I layed down and took a nap...z z z z z z z z z z..

MISHAP - TAORMINA

Waking to the sound of birds chirping in the courtyard below my room....a slow start and relaxing morning, fresh fruit, yogurt, capucchino in the sunny breakfast room on the top floor with view to Mt Etna and sea...Today is sunny and quite warm. I left the hotel around 11:30 decided to go lay on the beach for the afternoon and read. Stopped at a bookstore, did some window shopping and made a hair appointment for later that afternoon. Bought a parejo to use as a beach towel and took the Funivia (cars suspended from cable-see photo) down to the beach. After paying for the letto (bed) that has a built in adjustable shade that can cover your head/shoulder and getting settled in with my books, music, water, snack.. I spend a few hours doing absolutley nothing except dozing and listening to snippets of conversations, italian, english, german,...perfect for reflecting on the first part of my trip and mentally planning the next. Everything was going really smoothly was enjoying the connection with Seby and soaking up the Sicilian sun in Taormina. life is good - what more could I want? Nothing - totally satisfied, lacking absolutley nothing, a whole week left to enjoy this ...z z z z z z z ...back to town via the Funivia going up, up up...and a walk along the corso..my appoinment at Benessere e Bellezza is 4pm. I have time to shower, change and check in with Francesco. I arrive at my hotel about 3pm and approach the desk to get the key..Fabio tells me "There is a problem"...me: "Una problema? Che problema?" Well to make a long story short..I left the hotel without telling them I wanted to stay and apparently they were totally booked!!!! I had no room for that night or ever for right now !!.MINCHIA!!.When I gave the key to the clerk that morning, she neve mentioned they were booked. I am standing in the tiny lobby with my bathing suit under my clothes, hair a mess and have no where to go!! Fabio took me to the linen room where my suitcases were. Anything that was not packed was put into plastic bags. I was able to change put my bags back together and pull myself together a bit...think! think! think! what to do now? Ok, I do have at least 1 knight in shining armor somewhere in this city...call to Seby goes like this.A.Hi, Seby, how are you? how is your day? S. Ciao Bella, come stai? What did you do today? A -Oh I went to the beach and spent the afternoon sulla pancia (on my belly) and did nothing. It was a very nice day except...I GOT KICKED OUT OF MY HOTEL!!!! S. Cosa??? What happened? Why? I told him what happened and he asked if I wanted to stay at his house...I accepted with much gratitude...we arranged to meet to Porta Cataania around 6pm. So, I am saved! Now off to my hair appointment, a bit of internet time, shopping and some cafe..3 hours went by quickly and when I met up with Seby I was looking quite presentable! So to his house and dump my stuff in his living room (poor guy!) We just hung out, he made dinner and we had some wine then went to sleep because the next day is the tour to Mt Etna!!

TAORMINA

CEFALU' to TAORMINA- Thursday morning after the wonderful walk to La Rocca. Taxi to the train. Train to Messina chugging along the Northern coast, a beautiful calm sea, lemon groves, and the mountain range to the South. Arrived Messina and dragged my now extra-heavy bags down the stairs and then back up to Binario Numero 10. Finally the train arrived and we zipped past the straits of Messina (thinking of Alberto's "swimming crossing" there)...along and down the rugged East coast to (be still my beating heart!) Taormina and Sig Alibrandi. Feeling deliciously anxious with butterflies in my stomach.. I arrived and he was just walking in to the station as I was walking out...to his beautiful new big black Mercedes-Benz...which slowly climbed the hill to Taormina proper and Hotel Del Corso at Porta Catania -where I like to stay while in Taormina (see photo - a view from my room) After checking in, running to the store to buy S a beautiful bottle of Venezuelan Rhum, a quick shower, and costume change .. Seby was there at Porta Catania waiting for me with a costume change of his own! Now we're both wearing white. Down in the big black MB to Giardinia Naxos for a walk along the lungomare. Giardini Naxos is the location of the first landing of the Greeks to Sicily. A nice little town with a statue of Nike - we took pics beneath the statue that had a handful of the "lovers locks" which by now are seen on every landmark in Italy...we had a nice quiet dinner at a most elegant pizzaria (white table cloths and crystal wine goblets and the traditional "couples cloth" . I have only seen this in Sicily and when dining in nicer restaurants. A smaller tablecloth is place to top of the regular cloth just for the couple..its quite charming and makes a simple meal somehow "significant". In any case the pizza was delicios -I made up a new combo..pistacchio and artichoke heart..yum! Seby had a traditional margarita I think...after dinner back up the hill to Taromina and a visit to Casa del'Alibrandi ;-)
recently restored to a level any architect or interior designer would appreciate with lighting for every mood and warm colors, soft textures and extra special touches like the rain shower head, jacuzzi tub. It was nice to relax at his place and listening to music and getting to know each other again ... yada yada yada and back to my hotel with plans for tomorrow.