To be honest, none of us had ever heard of Taormina before research was started for this adventure. We knew a few things to expect – the dramatic position of the Teatro Greco, overlooking the coastline; a ski-lift-type bubble and an active volcano looking over the place. But nothing could prepare us for the buzzy, self assuredness of this place. As soon as we had checked into our apartment, a 10 minute walk up the hill,dodging speeding cars and Vespas, we headed to the centro storico and the vibe was palpable. We knew immediately that we would want to extend our stay.
There was the usual first night drink in a bar, followed by wandering around trying to find somewhere to eat that felt right. We ended up in “Il Giardino”, where we were shown to a table for 3, and we dined on a variety of seafood and pasta. The next day we further familiarised ourselves with the place and bought provisions at the supermercato – only slightly tarnished by being charged for x2 packs of chicken, when we had (foolishly) only bought one…my Mums need to get better at checking their receipts, if you ask me..!
Our first trip out in the car (remember, the Sicilians are lively drivers, but to make the most of the area we needed to be able to get out and about!) was to the Alcantara Gorge. It was no Grand Canyon (apparently), but it was fun to swim in freezing cold water and watch my Mums catch their breath when they waded in. I must admit I had a great time and felt very confident in my swimming. It also meant that I slept like a log that night.

Pete Grylls

I hadn’t really recovered the next day, but was hauled out of bed and made to go on a BIG walk up to The Madonna of the Rock chapel, a ruined Tower and a village on top of an outcrop, called Castelmola.

Also visited Madonna of the Stairs!!

Along the way, I encountered more Ninja cats and kittens and,unlikely though it may seem, x2 West Highland White Terrier guard dogs!

Certain readers from Bolton will appreciate this!

All in all, it was appetite inducing work, and luckily, there was a delicious stop for lunch in Castelmola, where we enjoyed pumpkin filled pasta and squid, seafood linguine, with delicious bread and grissini, all washed down with some local vino bianco and water. Going back down was way easier, I can tell you. That night, we had another great meal, and ate at “Osteria dei Rossi”, hosted by the suave Salvatore, with food and drink so exquisite, that my Mums would strongly recommend you visit here if you ever find yourself in Taormina. Having a group of Americans on the table next door, turned out to be entertaining too – they were on a food and wine tour finding new suppliers for their two restaurants in Aspen! Seriously! Amazing. And they even kindly allowed my Mums to try some of their, way over our budget, wine they were sampling! Result! It all became clear the next day, that me being exhausted was a fiendish plot by my Mums to leave me behind whilst they discovered Mount Etna. They had asked if it was possible to take me but, after some consideration, they received a negative answer. Shame but they did meet a French Bulldog on their way down from the slopes who had to wear little boots as the terrain was so hard. That was enough for me – I mean the indignation of having to wear boots! And I did need the kip – though solitary confinement for 7 & 1/2 hours was pushing it, somewhat! I forgave them when they showed me the photos and I saw how happy they were that they had experienced this magnificent geological phenomena. Bless them.

Lava, snow and autumn colours!

One of the things my Mums were sort of worried about was how well I would eat whilst on this adventure….ill-founded, as I have been eating like a horse! And so, it was time to try and find a pet food shop..off we went in the car to a little seaside place called Giardini-Naxos. Even though we were trying to follow instructions on the phone, we happened upon another place where I made a new parrot friend, BART! And it sold food I actually like (if I’m not eating chicken!)

Mr Bart!

It was then time for me to pose at the Teatro Greco – a stunning amphitheatre built in the third century BC (and I got in for free!). They knew how to do stuff, them Greeks!

Poser Pete!

Apart from having to climb more steps, it was actually quite enjoyable – but not as enjoyable as playing ball in the April 9th Piazza, afterwards. There were even people there who looked like they could’ve been in a film with Marlon Brando -“if you know what I mean!?”

The Godson!

The weather has been kind to us since leaving Blighty’s shores at the end of August, and we were similarly blessed with sunshine when we walked down the hill from our apartment to a little island that you can wade across to – Isola Bella. It was a bit deep so we didn’t do it, but I paddled, played ball and had a delicious grilled calamari lunch; Mums had wine, too, obvs! We then walked to Mazzaro so we could get the ski-lift back to near where we lived. MJ was just about to pay when MN spied some ridiculous sign about “Non Canes”… surely some mistake? MN proudly lifted me up so the lady selling the tickets could see how devilishly handsome and charming I am. It was looking positive as she rang the lift operator to ask if I could embark…Had I a muzzle? Well, yes, it’s very distinguished now I’m 8 – a white moustache, if you will. But sadly, she didn’t mean that, but the cloth contraption my Mums bought that would clam my jaws together if I was ever made to wear it – it just lives in the car, usually. So, the long walk back UP the hill began…philistines!
Pointless walks seem to be their new favourite pastime. Even though they can’t shop on account of the car being full and it’s not in the budget, they walked up and down Corsa Umberto, the main concourse, at least twice a day – MJ getting more excited each day as the Christmas decorations started to appear! One good thing about this was I got to meet a number of the local furry shopkeepers on a regular basis.

Luca, the ball robber!

Luca and his Westie sidekick!

Miss Mia, the speed demon!

So even with an extended stay, time passed too quickly and all too soon, it was time to set off to the NorthCoast, via Mount Etna……
The route took us to the town nearest to the still active volcano, Randazzo. It seems clear that our car, affectionately named Trooper or Mr.T,depending on which Mum is referring to said car, has a sense of humour….he led us on the windiest, narrowest, rubble-filled “roads”you could imagine. It was hysteria-inducing enough having to breathe in when cars came the other way, but that wasn’t the only obstacle..Oh no, at various times, there were cattle on the side of the road, grazing, a family of goats with the cutest little kids running behind (MN had to be stopped from stealing one!), a horse, and then, the piece de resistance…a pack of 4 wild dogs that literally attacked Trooper as we drove through the middle of absolutely nowhere….by this point, my Mums were crying with laughter,mixed with a healthy dose of surrealism! Sadly, there are no pictures of these events due to the blue nature of the language and the high levels of anxiety at the time!
There was also a good bit when we stopped for lunch. That usually takes about an hour, if we’re lucky. Not this time. We happened upon “La Veneziana”, which looks nothing from the quite busy road it’s on. However, it was a gastronomic overload, in every sense. Long story short, this was the menu.

The extensive menu!

We thought you chose from said menu…NO! They served everything on the menu – including about 15 small plates for the anti-pasti

15 different dishes! MJ and I even tried Brawn! Yuck!!

.. then pasta, then venison stew and sausage with spinach and potatoes, then dessert! A litre of local vino rosso was also included – some of which had to be left!!! Well, MN was driving!! It was incredible;needless to say dinner was not required that evening when we reached Cefalù!