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& Travel . Taormina
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Sicily is a land of beautiful people, breathtaking landscape, mouth-watering food, and a culture richer than the wheat fields before harvest. On a recent trip, we made our way through Cefalu and Agrigento. But a must see on a trip to Sicily is the magical mountain town of Erice. This Ancient Roman town sits atop one of the higher Sicilian mountains, overlooking the deep blue Mediterranean. One can walk to the edge of town and look over castle walls that have guarded the town for centuries, and see the Sicilian landscape -- like a patchwork quilt of deep browns and golden yellows, dotted everywhere with the pale green of the cyprus trees.
The streets of Erice are paved with an elegant pattern in hand-carved stones. They're about as narrow and winding as a street can get, making cars a rare sight, and giving the feeling of having traveled back in time hundreds of years.
Explore the hidden causeways and tiny alleys and you'll find small restaurants and trattorias where you will be welcomed into what seems to be someone's living room, transformed by a few small tables. The aroma of garlic roasting and bread baking drifts through the air much like the fog as you seat yourself and prepare for a meal. Cooked by grandma, served by grandson, and your wine delivered by the father, don’t be surprised if the family sits down and shares a drink with you. And the papa would love to talk away the evening, with a cup of machiado in hand and the fireplace holding the fog outside, cool and damp, at bay. You'll awake to birds chirping and a sky as blue as the sea below, and if you stay another day, you can do it all again. ...
Another place that tantalizes the senses and brings on a touch of mirth is the town of Taormina. A town of about 10,000, Taormina sits on a dramatic cliff with a breathtaking view of the Ionian Sea. Similar to Erice, the architecture and streets, along with the absence of cars, can give one the feeling of being transported back in time. If you're lucky enough to be in Taormina around the 21st of May, you'll have the privilege of witnessing one of the most beautiful and undiscovered processions in Europe. The procession, in honor of Saint Rita, starts at dusk at the chapel just off the main street of the town. Strings of tiny lights hang quietly from the top of the chapel and extend down into the crowd of onlookers like a tent frame. Dramatic music sounds from inside the chapel and the somber crowd becomes instantly quiet. Then, the music stops, the air becomes still and thick, like the moment before a thunderstorm.
Slowly, though, the silence is broken by the sound of a lonely violin, a solo oboe, and a low muffled drum. Together, they rise in pitch and volume until the Madonna -- crowned with lights and standing amidst a bed of pink roses as tall as the life-sized statue -- emerges from the mysterious dark of the chapel doors, floating gently above the crowd. Light pink confetti floats down from nowhere. The children dash ahead, through the legs of the slowly moving processional, whose members hold sparklers and light firecrackers all along the way. But despite the racket, everything seems oddly quiet. Maybe its the confetti, I think, or maybe the somewhat sullen, but calm and undaunted expression on the Madonna's face that drowns it out. The procession continues through the tiny streets until darkness descends and the only light in the sky is an orange glow, emanating from Mount Etna in the distance.
The procession ends at the chapel where it began. The people disappear into the winding streets, finding seats at cafes or parks. For the remainder of the evening, there they will sit, talking, drinking, and discussing the procession of St. Rita -- the patroness of impossible causes. Sicily is a place that enlivens the senses and plays to your emotions. The food, the festivals, and the people, all welcome and embrace visitors in a way that you just don't see around here. Arrivederci. ...
ED. NOTE: Be sure to check out the wonderful pasta recipe Aaron brought back from Sicily in this month's Food & Dining. .. ******* ******* If you would like to submit something for our Travel Here & There feature, or if you simply would like to suggest something you think we ought to cover, e-mail us at ... autotravel@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* *******
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