Tuesday 15th September 2026

We got up and breakfasted, Gabriella on hand once more. I think she's hoping we'll leave her a tip tomorrow! We decided not to head for Etna...had contemplated taking an open top bus tour up the mountain, but it then leaves you to hike around by yourselves...for three hours! We are not really equipped...reports are that it's blinkin' freezing up there! 

So we opted to try and head for Taormina instead. Took a 20 minute hike through the busy streets to the train station...the place was, surprise surprise, chaotic...a great long queue at the ticket office, where only one of half-a-dozen counters was open. We queued at one of the two ticket machines...by the time we got our tickets, we'd missed the train! 

Had an hour-and-a-half to kill before the next one! Went in search of coffee, but ended up back at the station cafe...got a takeaway and sat in some shade on some platform seating. Our train eventually rolled in 5 minutes late. Managed to bag a couple of seats on the right hand side, guaranteeing a view of the Mediterranean…bit perplexed as to why we couldn’t see anything out of the window…sodding Sicilian graffiti artists had sprayed the blinkin’ window! 

Moved down the train a bit. Slow commuter train that stopped at a station every 5 minutes….didn’t get to Taormina Giardini until gone 1330. Exited the station in a downpour…hopped in a taxi to the beach and wandered down onto the sea front for lunch at a little eatery with sea views. Enjoyed a generous salad…Aki went for the octopus. Took the modern cable car up the mountain to the town centre. The place was heaving...strolled along the main drag, which is pedestrianised ...lots of very posh shops. 

Enjoyed an ice cream in the piazza, with views out to sea, and south toward Etna. Sauntered back to the bus station and managed to jump on a coach back to Catania. Walked back to our digs from the bus station. Ventured out for dinner...went to the same restaurant we'd enjoyed on our first night in town. Found ourselves sat next to a young couple from Woking! 

Ambled up to the Jam session at a little bar about 5 minutes walk north of the restaurant...it was a pretty rundown area, and the drains were a bit whiffy. 

The venue had set up a drum kit, guitars, amps and mics on the street outside, and we sat and had a beer...by 2200 the action had yet to get underway...we gave up and headed back to the digs to finish packing in readiness for our attempt to fly home tomorrow, Mount Etna permitting!