Taormina, Sicily

The town of Taormina is on a hill, as usual for this part of the world. The Italian road builders made a tunnel for the Autostrada right under the town, so Taormina’s thousands of years of existence continues, completely undisturbed by the needs of modern transportation. This is a captivating tourist town, clean, picturesque, with plenty of places to spend our money.

As at many ancient theaters, in the summertime classical plays are presented in the Teatro Greco. With its location high on the edge of a 700 foot cliff overlooking the Mar Ionio (Ionian Sea), we don’t remember any other theater we have seen in several countries that is situated with such a fabulous view, and whose perspective compares.

This theater was built by the Greeks in the third century BC. Wander through portions of the ruins, then climb around the bleachers to get a better view of the vista. With the Sea far below, with snow capped Mt. Etna silently smoking in the distance, this is a genuinely exhilarating site.