Dear Taormina
Dear Taormina,
It's been 16 days since I left. How are you doing with COVID? I saw your town is on lockdown. I'm sorry to hear that. I am well, just thankful we visited you when we had the chance. Thank you for showing us Sicilia in such a welcoming way. Your inhabitants were kind, your food was divine (especially those granite at Bam Bar), and your beach front was fine. Ok....I just wanted to rhyme. Honestly, I had a pleasant time.
Mi dispiace - I can’t stop, but I should. Rhyming is really not my thing.
I thoroughly enjoyed walking your hilly streets and seeing the Sicilian symbolism which I must say piqued my interest. I first learned that the ceramic head planters have a gruesome legend associated with them. Seeing the head planters on most balconies and in many shops, I was able to share the legend with my friends. The legend I read was the angered lady chopped her lover’s head off because she discovered he had a family waiting for him at home and planted basil in the head. This was her way of making him stay forever. Other people thought so highly of her luscious basil, they started making ceramic heads to plant in thinking they would have the same luck. Wow!! That’s quite the legend! The Trinacria symbol (head of Medusa with three legs and three ears of wheat) was everywhere I looked (except the church). After a quick Google search I found the Trinacria symbol represents the three capes of the island and a combination of Medusa's head (which was at the center of Athena's shield), Athena is the patron goddess of Sicily and protector of the island, and the wheat which represents fertility of the land. Then, I saw the ceramic pinecones on balconies, in shops, and on stairways. So, another Google search commenced. I found that the pinecone represents life force and eternity or luck and prosperity. I learned so many new things and yes, I'll share it with my friends. Although, they tend to like pictures more than words. Ah I'm sure someone will ask.
On the other hand, we visited some of your most precious locations - the theatre, Piazza IX Aprile, Castelmolo, Villa Comunale di Taormina, Isola Bella, the city gate, and the old school train station. How is your train station so CLEAN? Please tell me your secret so I can tell Vicenza, if you don’t mind of course. We didn't visit Mt. Etna but it was the only view we enjoyed from our apartment. It was literally in the backyard. The food....the food! Can I tell you that Taormina Tiramisu swooned me with the Rigatoni alla Norma and the precious tiramisu - oh how delightful. You really know how to raise up chefs!
My husband said he could live there and I’m not opposed to it - we’d have the best of three worlds - water, mountains, and mainland! But the mob? Where's the mob? Never mind, I don't want to know. While I have more to explore around the island, I look forward to the time I return to you.....even if for a moment.
Ci vediamo.
