Tour of Sicily

Arriving in this region by ferry from Calabria to Messina, I continued by car to Scaletta Zanclea, where I stayed in a small hotel a stone's throw from the little beach. The next day, continuing south along the eastern coast and passing through seaside resorts such as Alì Terme and Roccalumera, I reached Taormina. You cannot enter the historic centre of this pretty little town with your own vehicle; you leave it in a large covered car park and then continue by shuttle. Taormina is very characteristic, with its streets lined with little shops where you can find anything, from puppets to tambourines to miniature Sicilian carts. The real highlight of the town is of course the Greek theatre, still used for performances today, from which you enjoy a splendid panorama over the sea and Mount Etna.

Continuing south I made a short stop at Giardini Naxos to look for a young man I had met in Romania, but I did not find him. Shortly afterwards I turned inland to climb the first slopes of Etna and stop at Zafferana Etnea to see an old lava flow that destroyed part of the town's territory. I returned to the coast at Acireale and from here continued to Aci Trezza and Acicastello, then parked at the port of Catania, from where a ship would take me to Malta. On my return from Malta by plane I landed at Catania airport and from there got a lift to the port where I had left the car. The following morning I continued to the historic centre of Catania to hurriedly visit the Piazza del Duomo with the famous elephant fountain, then headed for Syracuse.

Arriving at the city of Archimedes I visited the archaeological excavations of the Greek Neapolis, which present, among other things, a great amphitheatre, the arena and the famous Ear of Dionysius, a recess in the rock in which the voice echoes in a particular way. From here a long transfer into the island's interior, where, after crossing harsh mountains, I spent the night in a motel near Lercara Friddi. The next day, passing near Prizzi, I reached Corleone, a town that presents nothing particular apart from being the seat of the major mafia families. From here, crossing Piana degli Albanesi, set in a truly beautiful environment, I arrived at Monreale to see from outside the famous Cathedral, unfortunately without entering the Moorish cloister.

From here I continued to Palermo, where I went to visit a doctor who had done his military service with me, after which I visited the historic centre with the beautiful Cathedral and the "Quattro Canti", a characteristic street crossing with corners cut by monumental little temples. I did not fail to taste the delicious Sicilian arancini and the cassata, two regional specialities. Leaving Palermo, passing in front of the Teatro Massimo and the seafront, I reached Cefalù in the evening, where I was received by a fellow conscript from my military days. After settling into a fine hotel I was invited by him to a pizzeria to have dinner with his family and some friends. Before going to sleep my friend took me to see the illuminated square of the Cathedral. The next day, again with him, in the historic centre, squeezed between a rocky hill on which a fortress stands and the sea.

Cefalù is very pretty: beautiful is its Norman Cathedral, its alleys, the narrow vaults leading to the picturesque little cove, alternating sand and rocks, where the fishermen's gozzi are moored. I leave Cefalù, which I liked very much, to reach Milazzo, where I leave the car to board the ferry for the Aeolian Islands. I disembark at Lipari and change boat for Stromboli. Arriving on the island I find accommodation in a guest house near the little harbour, then take a path towards the slopes of the volcano. They tell me the road is long, so I limit myself to observing the little islet of Strombolicchio not far from the coast. I return to the village, where the streets are so narrow that a car could not drive along them; the locals get around with small trucks and mopeds. After the night I take the first ferry back to Lipari.

The boat goes around the island and stops in front of Ginostra, Stromboli's other centre, reachable only by sea, but where there is no little harbour, so the ferries anchor offshore and a launch takes the passengers and goods that must disembark. The ferry stops at Panarea and then at Lipari, where we change for Vulcano. This island is fascinating; a stone's throw from the little harbour are the pools of boiling water, and with an hour's hike you reach the top of the volcano and descend into the crater. We return to the little harbour and take the first ferry to Milazzo; here I pick up the car again to reach Messina, where I board for Calabria.

Before this tour I had been to Sicily twice more in the company of a colleague, a cameraman, staying at the Sheraton Hotel in Catania for three days to commentate as a reporter on an international artistic gymnastics competition, and later for a week at Mazara del Vallo for the Italian Fencing Championship. On that last occasion I visited the Greek temples of Selinunte, Segesta and the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento. The Valley of the Temples is in reality a hill on which a series of temples of Magna Graecia are located.