cl4- - Wednesday, November 18, 1981 - North Shore News

Most North ~American
visitors to Italy stay in the
northern part of the country,
with Sorrento the southern
limit. If they get to Sicily at
all, it is often. a four-hour

_port of call on a cruise ship.

Pity! One of the nicest
resorts in the world is just a
few hours from Palermo, on
the east coast of the island.
Taormina is halfway bet-
ween Messina and Catania
and the train service is
excellent -
workers decide to take the
day off and call ita strike.

We arrived in Taormina
late in the afternoon by train
from ‘Naples. By asking the
right questions, we found the
fastest train and one that
went straight through from
Napoli to Taormina. Con-

uniess the

‘fike warm milk and a wild gorge hundreds of feet

sidering that Sicily is an

island, that’s no small feat!
The crossing of the Strait of
Messina is accomplished by
driving the train aboard a big
ferry, chugging out on the
other end as if nothing had
happened.

Our arrival was quite un-
eventful aside from the fact
that I didn’t see much
besides the plumbing for the
next two days. Avoid, repeat
AVOID § food served from
carts in train stations -

especially in southern
Europe.
When “Caligula’s

Revenge” finally cleared up,
a worried-looking Brian and
one tottering wife started
climbing the hills to explore.
The city is built in two
parts - seacoast and
mountain. Since the beaches
are no roaring hell, staying
“up top” is best. All the good
restaurants and shops are on
the mountain as well as
many excellent hotels,
historic buildings and
fabulous gardens. It’s the
place to be if you want the

best view of Mount Etna.

puffing and spluttering.

Don’t miss a visit to the
Greek theatre. This open-air
coloseum is a relic of the
ancient Greek marauders
and, although it’s mostly a
pile of rubble, concerts are
held there nearly every night
during the summer.

by stern priests in im-
maculate cassocks winds

Imagine a starry night, air mountain, over a nice rocky

below, it stopped. Dead

through the main street. All -

‘Special...

Sheila Pirani is the new
owner-manager of the
Professional Weight
Control. Clinic, She. is

by Barbara
McCreadie

group of dancers doing the
traditional Sicilian stomp.
One caution - small cushions
can be rented at the gate.
Since you sit on ancient rock
seats, you'll need the
padding.
- During the day, you can
roam freely through the
theatre - no admission, no
supervision. The view of the
volcano, the mountain and
the ocean below makes even
an Instamatic work better.
There are two ways to get
to the high part of Taormina.
The road is quite acceptable,
although the cab fares aren't
cheap. If you’ve got a strong
stomach, try the tiny cable
car that swings up from the
beach! For a few lira, you
can experience the thrill of a
lifetime. It took me a good
hour to talk Brian into trying

.it and then fate took a hand.

Halfway up the bloody

passport

photos

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silence, a brisk wind rocking
the rusty old car and two
thoroughly terrified
Canadians. It finally croaked
back to life and we clung
together for the rest of the
trip. We raced back to our
hotel for a couple of
medicinal nerve remedies. |
Of all the food in Italy, I
prefer the Sicilian. They do

- things with cannelone that

are indecently delicious and
the spicy sauces (a bit

heavier on the garlic and

pepper) are addictive,
Spaghetti done with garlic,
olive oil and fresh clams in
the shell. — Id better quit

the window. a

Sicily has an air of
mystery. It’s a bit like the
gypsy culture - a healthy
dollop of superstition
shadows everything. From
the puppet shows to the odd
symbol of Sicily - a grinning
face surrounded by dis-
jointed legs - you'll feel a
little icy touch of the
mystical.

The church, too, has a
firm grip on Taormina.
Every few days, a procession
of angelic looking children
in choir gowns accompanied

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Give Taormina a try - but
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train.

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