Taormina

Taormina is one place we've been before on the, aforementioned, whirlwind bus trip with Keith and Denise.

It's a fantastic touristy place...lots of things to see and crummy souvenirs to buy.

This is one place we decided to not purchase a Seabourn excursion and just see the place on our own. Seabourn provided a free bus shuttle service, going back and forth between the dock and the town of Taormina, every half hour but we just missed it by a few minutes so we took a taxi instead. We shared the taxi with a nice Australian couple who also missed the bus, Rob and Sue.

The taxi sign said 25 euro to Taormina centre - pretty good deal so away we went. So we're going along and the taxi drive, Mauricio, is yapping away like he's a tour guide. OK - no big deal. He stops at the railway station and says it's very beautiful inside - do we want to go in and take pictures. NO - just get us to Taormina.

Next he stops at a scenic lookout so we all get out to look and take pictures.

And then another one and we all get out to take pictures.

We finally get to Taormina and he stops and goes into a bakery and comes out with a bag of something. Maybe a loaf of bread for his family?

Then he asks if we'd like to go up the hill to see the ancient hilltop city of Castelmola - sure we say - why not? So away we go. About this time I'm thinking this is not a 25 euro taxi ride any more.

We get to the top at another scenic lookout and he opens the bag from the bakery and gives us each a huge desert pastry which probably cost quite a few euros. I refuse mine - I can't eat that stuff. The others take theirs though and each eats about a quarter and throws the rest in the bush.

Then we get to Castelmola and then we spend about half an hour walking around. The taxi driver visits a dress shop and buys a dress - for him or his wife? Who knows?

Anyway, long story short, we finally get back own the hill to Taormina and we get out of the taxi. He says he'll come back for us after a couple hours and we can pay him then. At this point we're all feeling this could turn into a scam and we just say - no! just tell us what you want at this point and don't worry about coming back for us. 120 euros! 60 per couple. As it turns out we had a pretty good tour from this guy and had no problem with the amount - just the method he used to get it.

Taormina from the ship in the morning. The middle bump and Castelmola is the left bump.

A zoomed shot - Castelmola the hilltop town on the left and Taormina below to the right.

Mount Etna with a smidgen of clouds on top. Robert and Rosa, the Austrian couple we're travelling with took an excursion to Mount Etna and the weather did not cooperate.