After eating breakfast and checking out of our rooms in the Hotel Michelangelo, we boarded our bus yet again, this time taking the A3 highway south for the long drive to Reggio Calabria, from where we were to take the ferry from il Continente to Sicilia, Italy's 21st state. On a typical lengthy bus ride, things can get pretty boring pretty fast; but when you're traveling through southern Italy along the Amalfi coast, it's just not possible! We stopped at a highway rest area just above Salerno for photos, but even just when we were driving, the views from our windows were magnificent. The A3 cuts through the southern Apennines, and we were treated to one breathtaking vista after another (in between tunnels, that is...) as we went. Just before reaching Calabria is the village of Scilla, named for the mythical Scylla with its counterpart Charybdis, the twin menaces thought to reside in the Strait of Messina.
Our bus boarded the large ferry, and we then disembarked to walk along the outer decks and enjoy the sea air during the 20-minute ride across the straits to Messina as we waved farewell to mainland Italy. Messina gave us our first glimpse of Sicily's third-largest city, complete with all the typical urban accoutrements - traffic, more traffic, and carabinieri trying to keep it all from devolving into complete chaos! The weather began to turn quickly, and as we drove toward Taormina, the rain began in earnest, veiling our view of the passing countryside. We all got more than a little wet walking from the parking garage to the hotel lobby, but quickly warmed up as we settled into our rooms and enjoyed a little downtime before dinner at the hotel dining room. After dinner the rain had diminished to an occasional drizzle, so some groups ventured out to explore the tiny downtown of Taormina, while others decided to stay in the hotel lobby or their rooms and play cards or connect to the hotel's free (!) wi-fi.
Tomorrow's activity is a tour of the town and its environs, including artifacts from the multiple distinct eras of Sicily's multi-ethnic history - ancient Greeks, Romans, Normans, and others all contributed to the mix of my homeland's varied history, culture, and cuisine. Afterward, there will be an optional tour of Mount Aetna, which I am most definitely attending - it's not every day you get the chance to climb an active volcano!
Salerno, on the Amalfi coast.
Who is this jaunty fellow?
Some of those magnificent views I was talking about.
1 comment:
Absolutely incredible views! Does anyone need a new desktop wallpaper?
Post a Comment