Hallelujah. sun-drenched hills covered in vines, lemon and orange groves, olive trees and beautiful almonds. Ancient towns spread against a clear aqua marine sea or perched on hill-tops like storks’ nests.
African, Greek, Italian and even Norman history on every corner.
Food and wine to die for. All under the majestic shadow of Europe’s liveliest volcano.
Yes, this is Sicily, land of all I have said, with the added spice of the Sicilians themselves.
These are the most friendly, helpful people you could imagine, who love nothing more than to show you how beautiful their country is.
Unless, allegedly, you cross them.
Then you could end up sleeping with the fishes.
We flew into Catania, Sicily’s second city. The airport was actually closed when we arrived, due to Mt Etna misbehaving, and were left circling for an hour before landing.
We spent our first night in Catania, which has one of the best preserved Baroque centres in the world. The rest of Catania is, however, a busy industrial city and port and probably not best suited to family holidays.
The next day we headed out to Taormina, which is a Mediterranean gem. Perched on a hill, with the Ionian sea one side and Etna the other, it is a maze of streets, mostly pedestrianised, and littered with cafés, restaurants, bars and enough shops even to keep the present Mrs Lowe happy. There is a cable car down to the beach, which is shingle rather than sand but, that apart, is perfect to swim in, set in a cove with a small island at one end.
The town also boasts an old Greek theatre, built in the Hellenistic age and then rebuilt by the Romans. It became an arena for gladiatorial combat and still hosts somewhat less bloody shows in the summer.
There are trips to Etna, but it is still snow-capped and pretty cold up there, so if you go, plan some warm clothing. We preferred swimming, in the hotel pool, or the sea, with a bit of sight-seeing on foot, between eating some of the best pasta and freshest fish I can remember.
Speaking of the hotel, we stayed at the Dia Dora, a very fine establishment, with lovely gardens tumbling down the hillside.
Up the coast is Messina, another very attractive town, best known for being only a stone’s throw from the Italian mainland. Try not to mention the Messina straits to the sicilians, however. The Italian Government plans to build a bridge across the straits, joining Sicily with the mainland.
It is fair to say the locals are not happy, and if I was the government, I would be tempted to use the financial crisis to quietly drop the idea.
One place we did visit was nearby Castelmola, a village perched on a rock. At the top of the village is a medieval castle and what must be one of the finest panoramic views in the world.
Other sights we have saved for next time include the market in Palermo, called La Vucciria, the Alcantara Gorge and the ancient city of Syracuse.
Not that we need an excuse to return to one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful and surprising islands. And relaxing. I certainly slept after the fishes.
STEVE LOWE
Info station
STEVE Lowe and his family flew easyJet, Gatwick to Catania.
The hotel in Catania was the Nettuno and in Taormina the Dia Dora.
Prices vary depending on time of year.
For more information go to http://holidays.easyjet.com
