Taormina is one of the most amazing places I have ever been in my life. The Greek theater here is the most spectacular single thing I have ever seen. It sits on a natural terrace above the sea. Looking west you see snow-covered Mt. Etna and the ocean. To the east is mainland Italia. And you're sitting right in the middle of an ancient Greek theater from the 3rd century BC.
In my opinion, it is more impressive than the Colosseum in Roma or just about anything else I've ever seen. The natural, dramatic background of glistening blue and green ocean, the even brighter blue sky, and the white snow of Europe's largest active volcano... it is just beyond words. I spent a couple hours just sitting in the theater and of course, the sky was cloudless and the sun so bright and directly in my face that it ruined just about every photo I took. Oh well, you really just have to see it for yourself.
Today I hiked up 5 km or so of hillside to view the valley and city from above. Sitting inside a ruined medieval castle in Castelmola I could see a panoramic view of everything in the area. The weather has been gorgeous and sunny, and it is off-season so I am practically alone in all of these stunning places. I sat up there and read for hours before hiking down.
I'm back to mainland Italia tomorrow, and I don't think I'm ready for any cold weather or rain. It is almost to surreal to think that it is the middle of winter, and today I wished that I had a pair of shorts.
1 comment:
oooh, rain! You might have jinxed your bad day today with the end of this blog post. I hope you made it through your long and torturous night travel. You are a pretty brave kid going on all of those adventures alone! What is going on in Tuscany?!
Eugene is keeping it real.... Human hamster wheel on campus today. Cody might have already filled you in.
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