Calabria - Page 3

Sicily - Taormina

The next day we took a nice coastal hike to the north to Santa Domenica. Was indeed very road-heavy, but in the small villages we came to wonderful beaches: including the Spiaggia del Tono and the Spiaggia Formicoli. Always accompanied by the typical vegetation here: Palm trees, cacti and the colorful flowers on mostly whitewashed buildings. The next morning we drove towards Reggio di Calabria to the Strait of Messina. The ferry crossing to Messina in Sicily took about 20 minutes.

On the way we learned a lot about the region on the guided tour. Calabria is the poorest region of Italy, perhaps that is why the influence of the 'Ndrangheta is very strong here. Agriculture and forestry with a focus on citrus fruits, viticulture and tourism are the main sources of income. No wonder with about 320 sunny days a year. Oh yes, and because we are met again the Mafia phenomenon in Sicily: 'Ndrangheta is the Calabrian one, over in Sicily it is called Cosa Nostra and from Naples one still knows the Camorra. The most violent excesses are in the past, today the Mafia operates in legal business sectors: Real estate, waste management, catering, finance. In terms of turnover, it is now the most successful company in Italy.

The tourist stronghold of Taormina is situated on a rocky terrace above the sea. From the bus terminal we first walked the busy street into town. Often from Taormina you have a wonderful view of the mostly snow-covered volcano Etna. It is with 3323 m height Europe's largest volcano and still active. So we tried our luck first at the beautiful Piazza IX Aprile, then at the Piazza Duomo with the local cathedral and the baroque fountain with the centaur. Indeed Etna was still hiding behind a blanket of clouds, but the views all around were breathtaking. So we marched to the Greco-Roman amphitheater with again picturesque views behind it of the mountains and the sea. In front of the rocks of Taormina lies the small island of Isola Bella, connected by a sandbar to the beautiful beach on the coast.

We walked along various viewpoints, even the mountains behind the town offer an impressive backdrop. No wonder that everything here was full to the brim with tourists. Sicily is definitely worth a longer trip. The European long-distance hiking trail E1 leads to Sicily at the end, I guess, I'll think about it with Manu. The next morning we walked down the many stairs of our hotel into a lonely bay. We bathed extensively one last time in the turquoise blue water and enjoyed the last hours in the hot sun of Calabria.