Day 4 - Greek theater in Taormina and Mount Etna

We woke this morning in the beautiful port town of Messina, Sicily.  Messina is a beautiful city that has many architectural treasures.  The city was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake and ensuing tsunami in the early 1900's and many of the ancient buildings have been almost completely rebuilt.

We boarded our tour bus and set out for the medieval town of Taormina.  The name means "between the horns of the bull" and viewed from above the city, perched in a cliff above the sea, is located between 2 small peninsulas that form the horns.  We toured an ancient Greek theater, the 2nd largest in Sicily, that was built by the Romans in 300 BC. Performances are still held there during the summer months.  Sorry for the lack of pictures today.  Taormina was a very picturesque town and I know I took pics but can't find them.

After touring Taormina we journeyed to Mt. Etna.  We stopped enroute for a traditional Sicilian lunch with our fellow travellers.  The restaurant was located at the point where the lava flow from the last active eruption in the 90's stopped.  The town residents built a shrine nearby in thanksgiving for an answer to their prayers the flow would be stopped before the village was destroyed.

Then on to see Mt. Etna.  The volcano is still active and building.  We walked around one of the crater edges and were treated to a glimpse of the snow-covered top with steam venting from it. Again, no pics from some reason, although I know I took some. 

Back on the bus and headed for the Riviera.  A really long day and we all agreed all-day tours are too much! 

We had a little "veranda visit"

Dick decided to photo bomb us!

While waiting for dinner the Captain announced that our visit to the island of Gozo was being cancelled due to a storm and heavy seas.  He advised the entrance to the port is narrow and they were erring on the side of safety.  We heartily agreed (no Poseidon adventures for us, thank you!).  We will have a day in Messina to explore and check out the sights.  

Dinner tonight at Red Ginger, a delightful Asian fusion restaurant.  We had an amazing meal, impeccable service, and lots of fun experiencing different cuisine.  Then off to bed to rest for another day of exploring.