Taormina and Mount Etna Sicily

As I love to travel I thought I'd begin a series of travel blogs for my adventures abroad and what has inspired me to include in my The Beyond Series Of Books.

I love Italy and I think Italians are amazing friendly people so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to visit Sicily. Taormina is a quaint city in the mountains close to mount Etna. Lost of windy roads to the top of the town. It reminds me of Venice, but without the canals and water ways. Oldie worldy and very quaint.

There is a beautiful Roman Amphitheatre that is still used today for shows. 

A town square where locals gather for coffee and ice cream and leisurely sit around gossiping in the sun and listening to the street musicians. I went to the café that Liz Taylor and …… Famously met regularly for illicit liaisons, so I’ve heard. It was very expensive, but I felt a film star for a couple of hours.
A live band was playing one evening as we sat out enjoying the atmosphere of the square. I could have sworn the lead singer was chatting us up over the Microphone, I couldn't tell what he was saying as it was in Italian, but he did sing Lady in Red whilst winking at me... (I was in a red dress).

I had my portrait drawn whilst there and although my neck was stiff as a board after fifty minutes stuck in one position the results were very impressive. It is something I’ve always wanted and now it hangs pride of place on my living room wall.

One excursion I will never forget though was a trip up Mount Etna… WOW! As a Health and Safety freak you can only imagine my fear of the damn thing erupting whilst I’m taking pictures of an unfortunate hostelry that didn’t survive the last eruption. I can’t believe people are mad enough to go on skiing trips there. Yes, there is a ski village there a few hundred feet from the top where the ground still steams!!! Crazy!! The bus ride was cool, like moon buggies and the tires are so huge to cut through the ash to the top. Barron, but beautiful.

 This was the view from our Apartment Balcony. Stunningly lovely, but there's always that worry in the back of your mind that one may have to escape the island at a moments notice. I barely unpacked anything from my case and lived out of my suitcase for the entire holiday!

As I was heading back to the Cable car ride back to the ski village I looked back to see huge plumes of sulphur smoke billow over the horizon. I Said to someone sitting next to me, “you don’t think that’s and eruption do you?” To which all other passengers turned to look a tad alarmed. And yes when I returned home I confirmed that Etna had indeed erupted again. It was cool to say I have been on a live volcano, but I seriously doubt I will dabble with fate and try that again!



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