Date: November 19
Location: Taormina and Naxos, Sicily
Weather: Mid-60s with off-and-on sprinkles in the morning and evening
Our second full day in Taormina started slowly, with strong coffee and leftover pizza bread toasted to perfection by Carlotta. Somehow, reheated Sicilian pizza for breakfast just works.
Marta asked what kind of day we wanted – an ambitious road-trip adventure to neighboring towns, or something simple, like a stroll by the beach, a coffee, maybe a garden. Running on three hours of sleep, I immediately chose the latter.
After breakfast, we made our way down to the car. Because our AirBNB is inside Taormina’s pedestrian-only city center, parking anywhere close is a fantasy. It’s a ten-minute walk to where the car lives. Carlotta had rented the cutest little red Ford – four doors, European-tiny, and ready to take on the world.
We piled in, and she drove us down the perilous winding cliff road as buses and cars barreled up the opposite direction. I found myself clenching my butt cheeks while simultaneously thanking God it was her driving and not me. Carla and I kept erupting into giggles in the backseat – maybe joy, maybe terror, maybe delirium. Probably all three.
We reached the seaside town of Giardini Naxos, where Carlotta slipped the car into the tightest parallel spot I’ve ever seen – on the left side, with traffic behind her. She parked that thing like it was the Olympic finals of parallel parking and she just scored a perfect 10.
We strolled along the waterfront under a cloudy but perfectly mild sky – ideal for a long walk. After two to three miles, we found a little café overlooking the Ionian Sea, with Taormina perched far above. I somehow found myself in front of yet another pistachio-stuffed pastry, this time a croissant coated in pistachio cream and nuts. I promised myself I’d eat only half. Naturally, I consumed the entire thing. It was like inhaling delicious, pistachio-flavored air. More steps would be needed.
After coffee, the ladies suggested we visit an ecological/archeological park nearby. Why not? What we found was wild: farmland sprinkled with orange and lemon trees, but also the uncovered remains of small villages dating back to 600 B.C. Just… sitting there. No ropes. No glass cases. You could literally pick up a piece of ancient pottery from the ground – 2,500 years old – like you were in Fred and Wilma Flintstone’s backyard. The Greeks first settled here; then others conquered; then people fled uphill and created Taormina. (Don’t quote me on any of this – I’m reciting the tiny plaques as best as I can remember.)
We wandered through ruins and citrus groves, sampling oranges that had fallen to the ground because the farmers couldn’t keep up with the bounty. By the end of the day, we had logged over seven miles – about 20,000 steps. Carla kept asking, “This is our short day?” Yep. LOL.
Back at the car, Carlotta drove us up the mountain with the same effortless precision she had shown all day. Then came the parking garage: a narrow spiral ramp that felt like an amusement park ride. She powered upward five levels in one dizzying swoop while Carla and I cackled uncontrollably, leaning into each other like we were on a spinning ride at a county fair.
We hopped on a free shuttle to the center of town and split off from the ladies, who went in search of more arancini. Carla and I grabbed water and paper towels at the grocery store – and a panini she had been dreaming about – and headed back to the Casa to rest.
I refused the siren call of an afternoon nap and instead lay in bed watching all three hours of The Godfather. Since we were near several filming locations, it felt fitting. Plus, no one falls asleep during The Godfather. Not with horse heads, vendettas, and “offers you can’t refuse” every five minutes. It felt luxurious to just lie there watching a movie after so little sleep and so much walking.
When I emerged, Carlotta and Marta were in their bathing suits, giggling in the jacuzzi like two college girls on spring break. They asked us to bring them wine. It made my heart happy to see them enjoying themselves so much.
Carla and I were ready for dinner and headed out to try a pizzeria a friend had recommended – Napolean-style pizza. We told the girls absolutely not when they offered to cook; it was their vacation too. The walk down the main shopping street was beautiful, with workers installing Christmas lights overhead. We hoped they would turn them on soon.
We got our wish: by the time we walked back after a blissful meal – pizzas, wine for me, classic Coca-Cola-in-a-bottle for Carla – the streets were glowing with Christmas lights and nearly empty. Pure magic.
Back at the Casa, the girls had finished their dinner and were glowing from their hot-tub session. We were all exhausted. At around 11 p.m., we each retired to our rooms.
I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Beautiful! Thank you!