| Adventures in Sicily: Castelmola, Taormina, Isola Bella |
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During my language study trip in Taormina,
Sicily, I enjoyed several local excursions.
Together with my language study colleagues
from the Babilonia Language School I hiked to
the top of Castelmola. I also explored Isola
Bella, a beautiful stretch of Mediterranean
coastline at the foot of Taormina.
For articles about unconventional travel and
cross-cultural connections feel free to visit
my website - www.travelandtransitions.com.
Tags : Italy Sicily Taormina Isola Bella Greek Theatre |
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Affichage : 5438
Durée : 293 s |
| Castelmola and Bar Turrisi |
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Castelmola http://www.castelmola.com is a
comune (municipality) Produced by Alessandro
Sorbello http://www.alessandrosorbello.com in
the Province of Messina in the Italian region
Sicily, located about 170 km east of Palermo
and about 40 km southwest of Messina. As of
31 December 2004, it had a population of
1,107 and an area of 16.4 km².
Castelmola borders the following
municipalities: Gaggi, Letojanni, Mongiuffi
Melia, Taormina.
Though it overlooks Taormina, one of Sicily's
most popular attractions, the nearby town of
Castelmola is rarely visited by
non-Sicilians. Yet, the spectacular views
from this fascinating spot make those from
Taormina seem almost mundane by comparison.
This includes Mount Etna, of course, but on a
clear day you can see beyond the Etna region
to Siracusa and Augusta farther down the
Ionian coast, beyond Catania. More than an
outgrowth of Taormina, Castelmola is a
locality in its own right.
The human presence here is an ancient one,
dating at least from the Bronze Age. It was
the Greeks who began complete colonization,
linked to their establishment of Taormina.
That's when the first fortresses were
constructed. Little remains of these, or of
the subsequent Arab and Norman
fortifications, though some walls have been
rebuilt. The sanctuary of the Madonna della
Rocca, locally famous for its annual
procession descending down steps to Taormina,
offers some fantastic views. A small town
eventually grew here, but rather few people
live here year-round. Castelmola is better
known for its restaurants, bars and
pizzerias. The Turrisi Bar, with its bizarre
phallic theme (in sculpture, paintings and
other art) remains the most eccentric
attraction. The local specialty is almond
flavored wine. The piazzas and winding
streets are charming.
Unless you're arriving by helicopter, there
are two ways of getting up to Castelmola. By
car, simply follow the winding Castelmola
road; during the day there's also a bus to
Castelmola. On foot, take the steps which
ascend to the sanctuary (or convent) of the
Madonna della Rocca. This can be reached from
the streets behind and above the Church of
Saint Joseph (San Giuseppe) off one of
Taormina's main squares. This presumes that
you're in good health. (If it's hot, bring
some water with you.)
Up on Mount Tauro, there are actually several
parts of Castelmola beyond the main town and
the few remaining piece of the "primary"
castle. The area of the sanctuary is one of
these, near the newer "secondary" castle
(built upon the foundations of an ancient
Greek acropolis), which is visible from
Taormina. This conventual church is usually
closed. In the town itself the main church,
Saint George, is a newer structure built upon
medieval Byzantine foundations. The local
feasts are Saint George's Day (23rd April),
sometimes celebrated April 22nd, and the
Summer festival on August 28th.
Bar Turrisi http://www.barturrisi.com/ at
Castelmola http://castelmola.blogspot.com At
the end of the 19th century the famous German
baron W. Von Gloden sent a message to all the
world with his photographs of nude men and
almond trees, as well as with his poetry,
reflecting Sicily's absolute freedom. These
ideals, always floating on the air of this
warm and dry land, find a collocation and an
exaltation well defined in Bar Turrisi. The
Penis, together with the other ornamental
items such as a Sicilian cart, puppets, old
keys to mention a few, try to synthesize part
of Sicilian culture.
Nowadays this place continues to bring the
story with it, but without forgetting about
the relevance of the present. The visitor
also has the possibility to relax, sipping
the classic almond wine or trying the strong
red wine of our countryside with local
dishes. The Bar Turrisi is not only part of
what we have tried to explain here; from
Cavalier to son and to nephews, but it is
much more. It is a tradition rich with events
and emphasis that deserves to be seen
Tags : Bar Turrisi Castelmola Taormina Massimo Sicily Italy landmark destination |
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Affichage : 21
Durée : 375 s |
| Sicily 2007 - A Hike from Taormina to Castelmola |
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I love studying languages and prefer to do it
locally on site, in a foreign country. After
having completed several language study trips
to study Spanish, it was time to learn
Italian! So in April of 2007 I embarked on 3
weeks of language studies to Sicily, and I
discovered one of the most beautiful spots on
this planet. I spent the first week in
Taormina, a gorgeous hillside town on the
east coast of Sicily and went on excursions
to Siracusa and Mt. Etna, Sicily's famous
active volcano. All along I enjoyed student
life at the local Babilonia Language School
in Taormina.
After week 1 I relocated to Milazzo where I
joined another language school, Laboratorio
Linguistico. Together with 4 other language
students and 2 language teachers I embarked
on a one week sailing trip through the
gorgeous Eolian Islands. This was my first
sailing trip and a true adventure. Luckily I
had great crew mates, and studying Italian on
the outdoor patio of a bar on a beautiful
Mediterranean island quickly became one of my
favourite activities.
Then I had a few more days left and explored
local gems like Milazzo, Cefalu, Catania and
small villages in the beautiful interior of
Sicily. And best of all, by the end of it I
spoke reasonably fluent Italian at
intermediate level!
Sicily was a phenomenal experience -- and I
am already dreaming of going back...
Tags : Taormina Castelmola Sicily Italy Mount Etna language school boat trip adventure Siracusa Italian |
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Affichage : 1174
Durée : 130 s |
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