After a couple of day’s solid sightseeing a bit of relaxation by the beach was well-deserved. On Day 5 we headed down to place not far from Taormina called Giardini Naxos. Known for being the oldest of the Greek settlements in Sicily, it’s history is somewhat tragic and since the 1950’s it has primarily served as a tourist hotspot due to its long sandy beaches, which is exactly why we were headed there. We took up a position close to the shore, rented some deck chairs and an umbrella before wiling away our afternoon reading, swimming and soaking up the sun.
The following day we had no set plans, but were thinking of making the ascent of Etna, the one major expedition we had yet to complete. However, the weather conspired against us as we awoke to a cloudy and hazy day. It was for this reason we decided to make our way up to Castelmola, the place we had so nearly reached on foot during day two’s adventures. Experience helped us in knowing we’d be better off driving up this time.
We arrived without any great expectations, but were soon taken in by the unusual sight of a man carrying an owl on his arm, a very real owl at that. It wasn’t long after that we found ourselves atop the remnants of Castelmola seated for a Falcon and Eagle show. For around an hour we were charmed by the falconers’ efforts to explain things in English and utterly transfixed by the array of incredible birds that swooped and glided about us. Included in the line-up were falcons, kestrels, a barn own, a snow owl and most impressively an eagle owl, a bird of considerable stature and kingly demeanour.
0 Responses to “Sicily: Days 5-6”