Castelmola

Castelmola is a small medieval town seen on the peak in the upper left of the photo. The bus ride from Taormina (seen as the lower peaks in the picture) is not for the faint of heart, as the cliffs drop off right beside the street that is wide enough for about two Vespas to pass safely. The way the driver swung through the hairpin turns he might as well have been blindfolded. By the time we reached the top, we half expected to see some guy dressed up as Saint Peter in front of a set of Pearly Gates.

A stroll through this mountain top town is breathtaking, with coastal views to the north towards Messina and to the south towards Catania. Blue sparkling ocean as far as you can see to the east, and huge Mount Etna to the southwest keep you spinning and debating which is more beautiful.

The walk through the streets is quiet and peaceful, discovering churches, little shops, bars and restaurants along the way. One of the local products the area is known for is almond-flavored wine (Vino Di Mandorla); it is absolutely delicious. The offering of this wine is a symbol of hospitality by many of the local restaurants. This all started to make sense since it was showing up at our table, unordered, at the end of dinners. We originally thought we scored with some other table's order ending up at our table. We then thought, after a few repeat occurrences, that the restaurant owners really liked us and we were special. Finally, we realized, that everyone is special in this community.

The ride back down was just as crazy as the ascent. The driver double beeps through the blind curves to alert oncoming traffic. Seems archaic, and a little overly hopeful since we are sure that nothing can be heard over the noise of the scooters. Somehow it all works, with small cars and Vespas scattering from the path of the small bus like the Spaniards during the "Running of the Bulls". It's an incredible way to spend a few hours, and we are sure that is the same story you would get from someone who successfully outruns the bulls!