2015-07-21 Porto di Levante, Vulcano Island (Aeolian Islands) to Nettuno Marina, Milazzo, Sicily
The Gran Cratere lays quiet as we depart Porto di Levante
Once again we bid farewell to John our sailing friend from NZFerries frequent between the islands and mainland SicilyDon takes a shower on the stern of the boat as we travel back to mainland SicilyThrough the haze the chimney stacks of the power station east of Milazzo can be seen as we near the coastWe approach the town of Milazzo on the north east coast of SicilyThe Salita Castello which is clearly seen from the water was built in 1239We arrive at Marina del Nettuno where we have booked a berth for the nightThe old Duomo from the 17th Century by the castle is now believed to be used as a congress hallJust as well we booked a berth as there does not seem to be any spare spots along the pontoonsTangaroa out on the end of the pontoon at Marina del NettunoAs no hire cars were available, we hired a driver and comfortable air conditioned vehicle to take us to Messina and Taormina for the dayArriving in Taormina we are dropped off at the Messina Gate to the old townThe Corso Umberto 1 is the main street of Taormina which is lined with shops, pasticcerie and cafesThe Cathedral of San Nicolo was built in the 13th CenturyThe ornate side doorway to the DuomoAntique shops are interesting to explore hereThe stunning San Guiseppe ChurchThe views over the water from the Piazza in front of the San Giuseppe Church are quite outstandingIf we would have come by boat we would have moored in the bay below and caught a bus or taxi to the old townThe old checkerboard marble paving looks amazing in the piazzaSusie taking plenty of photos of the lovely sceneryRic only just fits in the narrow alleywayThe ancient theatre in Taormina was first built in the 3rd Century BC and rebuilt by the Romans in the 2nd Century ADThe ancient theatre is nowadays regularly used for concerts etcSusie and I take a hillside route back to the main entranceWonderful views from TaorminaA truely lovely position for a hotelBeautiful villas nestle into the hillside by TaorminaBack to the main square where we meet up with the boysOn our way back to Milazzo we stop in MessinaThe votive column at the entrance to the port of MessinaLooking over the famous Straits of MessinaThe Orion Fountain in the foreground with the Duomo and the Torre dell’Orologico in the backgroundThe Torre dell’Orologico, a 200ft clock tower comes alive at 12 noon everyday with it’s bronze statues of a lion roaring, a rooster crowing and heroines moving – see YouTubeOur next stop in Messina is our driver’s favourite arancino shopWe order several varieties of Papa Di Francesco’s arancinos to try and they all were delicious, especially the one that was picanteWe then head back to MilazzoWe return to the marina to freshen up after our long day of travelling and sightseeingGood light for photos this eveningSunset over the marinaThe evening was very warm and humid so we went for a walk around the vicinity of the marinaThe buildings and fountain were clearly of the Baroque styleWhile enjoying a cocktail or two we were serenaded by an organist
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