June 5, 2018
When we went for breakfast the ship was in the Catania Gulf, approaching Catania, Sicily, Italy to dock. The volcano, Mount Etna, is located near Catania. It is easily seen from the ship. It was 228 nautical miles from Naples. The temperature was about 20°C, this morning, a sunny sky with a gentle breeze. There was a haze by Mt, Etna making the photos slightly faded looking.
When we boarded the bus, audio receiver sets and earphones were on the seats. The group numbered 44 for our guide, Valadia, to escort. The tour was in Taormina which was a one hour drive from Catania. The bus drove us through the Sicilian countryside and up about 1000 meters to old town Taormina perched high on the coastal mountains. There were many large blooming bushes along the route, white, pink, dark pink and purple. There were many olive orchards, some trees were planted on terraced slopes. There were also some vineyards and lemon and orange orchards along the way. Almonds and pistachios are also grown in the fertile agricultural area. We drove on a toll road part of the way.
The drive started from the port passing the pretty fountain in front of the bus and train station. The first settlement of Catania was established by the Greeks in the third century BC, followed by the Romans and a number of other invaders over the centuries including the Normans in the 12thcentury. The whole of southeastern Sicily was destroyed by an earthquake in 1693. The rebuilding was in the 18thcentury. The population of Catania is 800,000 while the capital of Sicily, Palermo, has over one million citizens. The island is located on two geological plates and is subject to earthquakes and Mount Etna is an active volcano, You can see steam rising from it most days. Mount Etna is 3,340 meters high. It has spewed lava most years between 2000 and 2017. Some eruptions were serious enough that the ash clogged filters on vehicles and the airport has closed for days until the ash settled. As the day progressed the peak of Mount Etna and its slopes got hazier.
The bus climbed up to the old town parking garage. Steps 5,101 for 3.80 km. The waterfront has been developed into hotels and restaurants for vacationers. The resort area is connected to the old town by a cable car and roads. Before starting the walking tour, Valadia distributed maps of old town of Taormina and we were given vouchers to redeem at a café for a 500ml bottle of water, which was appreciated as the temperature was 28°C by the end of the tour. There was a 75 minutes walking tour before 45 minutes of free time. We started the tour walking from the parking garage about a 500 meter walk to old town Taormina’s Catania Gate. The old town is a pedestrian area, but cars are allowed, but do not have priority and crawl through the crowds. There are three gates to the town, the other two are the middle gate and the Messina Gate. Along the main street, Corso Umberto is St. Nicolas Cathedral. The Cathedral Square was created in the 17thcentury and rebuilt in the 18thcentury after the 1693 earthquake. This street has been rebuilt seven times in the past 2200 years and today contains many shops, cafés and restaurants. The main street pavers are made of lava stone. The middle gate area opens onto a square, Piazza IX Aprile, with the 17thcentury San Giorgio church, clock tower, a marble fountain, a smaller church, San Guiseppe which is the library now and a commanding view of the seaside resort and the water. There was a Jewish community until 1492 when Jews and other non-Catholics were expelled. Once reaching the Messina Gate, we were led through to the entrance of the Greek Theater ruins, originally built in the third century BC, which was renovated by the Romans about the second century AD. Valadia informed us that Greek theaters are always built on slopes with the audience facing the sea. The theater shape was designed for the best acoustics.
For the rest of the time we wandered along some of the other side streets of Taormina and found Naumache. It was a courtyard with a wall of niches that supported balconies above overlooking a lovely garden. We also saw the narrowest side street going up the slope of the hill. It was less than a meter wide. In Toarmina Bay, a Regency cruise ship was anchored and tendering its passengers to shore. We stopped for our last Italian gelato and enjoyed in the shade listening to two men in traditional costume singing and playing traditional guitars. The noon temperature was 28°C and there a light wind. Steps 10,294 for 7.66 km.
Once the bus returned to Catania, it drove through the central area and we saw the Botanical Garden, the Bellini Public Garden and Opera House, which has the best acoustics in Europe. On we got off the bus we heard the music of a group of adults and children in traditional costumes dancing by the entrance to the cruise terminal. We had a security check including screening backpacks, cameras, phones, etc. in the terminal building and again the usual screening as we got on the ship. Only in Slovenia, the first country on the voyage, did we nne to have our passports with us to pass through the border control lines.
We were invited to view the sail-away from Catania on the ship’s Helipad on the Deck 6 bow. We were offered two cocktails – vodka & Blue Curaçao or vodka & Aperol or orange juice.
Out in the harbour, members of the nearby rowing club were practicing in single and double shells.
Tonight was the last Evening Chic dining dress code. Mike and Lynn were enthusiastic about the Lobster tail on tonight’s menu, beef wellington was also an option. The special dessert for the final Evening Chic dinner was Baked Alaska.
After dinner we stopped at the Rendezvous Lounge to listen to the house band, Planet Boogie. There songs were good for dancing. We danced most of their songs of their 45 minute set. Mike and Lynn also strolled through and sat down near us. They said that they were surprised that we were dancing.
The show in the theater tonight was called Raegar – a cross of country & rock style songs performed by Rachel and Gareth. As usual the orchestra was so loud that the singers could hardly be heard.
After some time at the casino, we went to the 10 p.m. poolside, Deck 10, Pride Party which the whole Celebrity fleet was observing on June 5th. Free cocktails were being served that were created with three different coloured layers and rainbow flags were distributed while people danced to the house band before the ship’s dancers and singers performed a few dances.
Then at 11 p.m. we went down to Deck 4 to the Rendezvous Lounge and danced to the dance band, Soundtrack for most of their 55 minute set. Part way through we sat with Nahad and Sammy who had also come to dance.
Final steps for the day 19,040 for 14.17 km
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