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All posts for the month May, 2014

Taormina

Posted by Mark Sullivan on May 31, 2014
Posted in: Italy, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Leave a Comment

The stunning coastal scenery below Taormina

The stunning coastal scenery below Taormina


From Catania we took a bus an hour up the coast to Taormina, Sicily’s most upscale resort town. Taormina is perched high up on cliffs overlooking some gorgeous rocky outcrops linked together by beaches. Yesterday’s primary activity was a climb down, a few hours on the beach, and then a tough climb back up to town.

Even though Taormina is quite a climb up from those beaches, you can then look up and see the town of Castelmola lingering way up higher yet. So naturally today was dedicated to a climb up to Castelmola and coffee in a charming square. We were rewarded with spectacular views down to Taormina and across the straits of Messina to the coast of Calabria, the toe of mainland Italy.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that looming above everything is the menacing form of Mt. Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe.

The view from our balcony -- the Mediterranean to the left, Mount Etna to the right

The view from our balcony — the Mediterranean to the left, Mount Etna to the right

The hill town of Castelmola looking down on us

The hill town of Castelmola looking down on us

On the scenic climb up to Castelmola

On the scenic climb up to Castelmola

Pesce alla Messinese -- fish with olives, tomatoes, onions, capers

Pesce alla Messinese — fish with olives, tomatoes, onions, capers

Strolling through the public garden

Strolling through the public garden

Catania

Posted by Mark Sullivan on May 28, 2014
Posted in: Italy. Leave a Comment
Panorama of one lovely square, and yes, those are jacarandas off to the left and that's me off to the right

Panorama of one lovely square, and yes, those are jacarandas off to the left and that’s me off to the right

Lots of garlic!

Lots of garlic!

We are extremely happy to be back in Italy, and Sicily no less. A handful of summer commitments means that we are on a bit of a tight schedule, so this is a brief stop, just six days. And we’re dividing it between the two Sicilian destinations we didn’t quite make it to last year, Catania and Taormina.

Cheese!

Cheese!

Catania, Sicily’s second city after Palermo, is really a beautiful place. It’s got everything we loved about Naples and Palermo — grand but crumbling architecture, laundry hanging everywhere, bright and colorful markets. But it’s a little less chaotic and even a little more elegant.

We can partly credit the great earthquake of 1693, which completely destroyed the city. This led to a rebuild in glorious baroque style with countless grand squares linked by broad beautiful avenues. It’s also a university town, so those lovely squares are packed with vibrant cafes and bars.

Those look like white mulberries. Perhaps my agriculture editor in LaSalle will have insights on this.

Those look like white mulberries. Perhaps my agriculture editor in LaSalle will have insights on this.

And then there is the food. No place else does the arugula taste like this. Or the olive oil. Or the bright red cherry tomatoes. Or the fennel. We’ll be in Italy for just over a month, and we’re pretty happy about that.

CORRECTION: My posting of May 26 incorrectly identified some kind of green produce as cauliflower. Our LaSalle-based agriculture editor provided evidence that cauliflower doesn’t look like that at all.

Did I mention the food yet? Our first lunch in Catania started with this little spread of insanely delicious Sicilian appetizers.

Did I mention the food yet? Our first lunch in Catania started with this little spread of insanely delicious Sicilian appetizers.

The grand baroque streets of Catania

The grand baroque streets of Catania

This saint looks pretty serious. Note also the heavy use of lava stone in architecture -- something they have in abundance here at the foot of Mt. Etna.

This saint looks pretty serious. Note also the heavy use of lava stone in architecture — something they have in abundance here at the foot of Mt. Etna.

I've never had arugula that tastes anything like the arugula in Italy

I’ve never had arugula that tastes anything like the arugula in Italy

Gozo

Posted by Mark Sullivan on May 26, 2014
Posted in: Malta. Leave a Comment
That's Jim underneath the 'Azure Window' along Gozo's stunning Dwerja Bay

That’s Jim underneath the ‘Azure Window’ along Gozo’s stunning Dwerja Bay

We went out on a boat to see the huge cliffs along Gozo's Dwejra Bay

We went out on a boat to see the huge cliffs along Gozo’s Dwejra Bay

We spent the last few days — including my birthday — on Malta’s little sister island of Gozo. Only 30,000 of the Malta’s 400,000 people live on Gozo, but as you move around the island you see one charming town after another, each with its own oversized church.

Malta’s history is fascinating, especially the medieval period, which looms large over these islands. The Knights of St. John were established in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades, but the Turks drove them out to Rhodes and then pushed them out of there, too. In 1530, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V then gave them a new home — Malta — to help him defend this part of the Mediterranean. In exchange they were required to pay Charles an annual fee of one Maltese falcon.

In 1565, Sultan Suleiman sent a 40,000-person force to Malta in hopes out wiping out the Knights once and for all. The Great Siege of Malta was repelled by the Knights, who went on to rule these islands for centuries. They also built spectacular fortifications everywhere, including dozens of watch towers that line the coasts and are in excellent condition today.

We have really loved our short eight-day visit to Malta, but this morning we are on our way back to Sicily.

In the background is one of the early 17th century watchtowers that line the coast of Malta and Gozo. In the foreground is a type of agave with giant spikes that grow as tall as 25 feet and look exactly like asparagus.

In the background is one of the early 17th century watchtowers that line the coast of Malta and Gozo. In the foreground is a type of agave with giant spikes that grow as tall as 25 feet and look exactly like asparagus.

Lots of beautiful produce, including these rows of cauliflower

Lots of beautiful produce, including these rows of cauliflower

From the cliffs of Dwejra Bay, you can take a boat through this long, narrow natural tunnel to this lagoon called the Inland Sea

From the cliffs of Dwejra Bay, you can take a boat through this long, narrow natural tunnel to this lagoon called the Inland Sea

Birthday lunch right next to our hotel on a perfect little bay in Xlendi, Gozo

Birthday lunch right next to our hotel on a perfect little bay in Xlendi, Gozo