A lot of snow melt from Mt. Etna has gone through the Alcantra Gorge since the last posting a few days ago. We know because we visited the gorge and had a picnic by the ice cold river.
But that was after our visit to Taormina--a hill-top town on Monte Tauro above the Ionian coast. After finding out the hard way that there is virtually no parking in the village, we went back to the lower level parking garage and took the free shuttle bus to the village. Taormina's claim to fame is that it was a stop on the grand tour, it has favorable climate, good views of the sea, and it has a reputation of the dolce vita.
We then drove to the north side of Mt. Etna--on the opposite side of the lava flows. At the Alcantra gorge, we stopped for lunch, but we had to earn it. We had to walk down 242 steps... And back up after lunch.
Mt. Etna usually is giving off steam, but hasn't erupted since 2002, but the eruptions of 1381 and 1669 caused lava to flow to Catania, about 25 miles away. All around the Etna area, the most common building material seems to be volcanic rock. Black volcanic rock fences delineate the fields, and the soil is apparently rich as many crops grow on the slopes of the mountain. The peak, at 10,000 feet, was in our view for hours as we wound our way north towards Cefalù on the coast.
Our brief visit to Cefalù was worthwhile. Narrow streets lead up to the Norman Cathedral built in the 12 th century by Roger II (Ruggero in Italian). The interior's gold mosaics are not as grand as those of the Monreale Cathedral, but since 12th century gold religious mosaics are rare, they were worthwhile to see.
Cefalù Cathedral--mosaic interior
Signing off...hoping to get in one last posting from Palermo. Ciao, David
Child rivers, white sand beaches, and volcanos. What a mix!
ReplyDeleteYour travels continue to sound far more exotic than ours. Perhaps it's just because we are becoming so much at home on the Adriatic coast. We're now in out third walled city in the days, none of which have active volcanos or Doric columns. But the seafood looks good in both places.
ReplyDelete...and we also found a few capitals of the Ionic and Corinthian variety! What was really special about Sicily was the mixing/merging of cultutres. I think that Spain woulsolace been at the crossroads of Islamic and Christian architecture, but what I've seen in places like Cordoba was the two styles side-by-side...not a melange as in Sicily. More to learn here. I have to catch up with your blog...haven't checked in for a few days.
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