Friday, October 10 Messina and Taormina, Sicily. Cruise day 6

Docking in Messina is in the central part of the city along the seawall, well within walking distance of anything you might want to see. From the main terminal building it is just a few blocks to Piazza Republica where the Messina Centrale train station is located. The public bus line to Taormina is located nearby, and one way fare via a roomy, air-conditioned bus to Taormina is E3.70. Stops and towns along the route are not announced, but the route takes you along the seaside through numerous small towns. The roads are generally quite narrow and allow but a few inches between buses going in opposite directions.

When you leave your ship, turn left at the main street and follow it until the sidewalk want to go into a fenced area. Turn right one block, then left for two blocks. Train station is across the piazza. As you approach the train station, bear to your right, all the way to the end. You will pass the buses as you approach the end. Cross the street to a 'very small' bus terminal. Ticket in-hand, cross the street again and board your bus.

At numerous stops along the way it is not unusual for the bus driver to engage in a minute or two of chit-chat with one of the locals. As you approach the Taormina area, the bus begins an upward climb along a very narrow two-way road, punctuated with numerous hairpin turns. The station at Taormina is a parking lot with a small building that serves as ticket booth and tourist information. Up the hill from there is a 15 minute walk through the main street, which leads to an arch and a pedestrian-only zone. This is the route to the Greek Ampitheater, and is clearly marked.

Entry to the ampitheater is E6. and is truly worth it. There are many stairs to climb, and most paths are dirt with loose gravel. It is not for the handicapped or mobility-impaired, but the vistas from the top are truly spectacular.

The ampitheater is not a building as it is built into the top and side of a mountain. The area around the top is the mountain itself, but proceeding down the Via del Theatre to the main street is another piazza with spectacular views of the sea and villages below. Eventually you come to the end of the 'old city.'

We returned to Messina via train. As the ticket window seems to be staffed at whim, ticket vending machines are handy. They are touch-screen operated, can be read in 6 languages, and accept credit/debit cards as well as €s. Coin change is provided. There is even a validation slot on the machine! A word of caution: watch the signs over the platform as tracks (binarios) may change, necessitating a quick run down the stairs, through a tunnel, and up the stairs to the new platform. Again, this is not a trip for the mobility-impaired.

Back in Messina, we found a clock tower with figures that moved when chiming the hour, then returned to the ship for an evening of casual dining followed by entertainment from the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers.