Our alarm was set for 6.30 to enable us to arrive for breakfast at 7.30 (as the doors opened). As we arrived we were surprised to find that the room was quickly filling up with a large number of Americans. We couldn’t help but overhear their loud conversations; they were joining a trip to Etna. We wondered if they were going to be travelling on the same trip as us.

Breakfast was a bit of a rush; we had a taxi booked at 7.55 to take us to Taormina bus station, the joining point for our trip to Etna.

The coach arrived on time and we were surprised that it was a double decker. We found a good seat on the top deck. The tour guide pointed out interesting places and features as we traveled, also sharing the history of the area. As we entered the Alcantara Gorge (unlike our previous trip to the gorge) she explained all the things that we could do in our one hour visit to the gorge.

We chose not to go down to the gorge, instead we set off on a walk to enjoy the parkland and viewpoints looking down on the gorge from above.

Next we continued on our journey to Etna where we had (a rather rushed) lunch before enjoying the Etna experience. Mr C decided to go further up the volcano, via cable cars and jeeps so that he could experience a walk around one of the live craters. I chose to stay lower down the mountain and enjoy a walk in the Silvestri Crater area,  which are extinct but fascinating to see.

I walked to the top of the crater where I encountered strong winds followed by mist and rain. It was all I could do to stay on my feet. As I walked down off the crater the rain had stopped and the mist had lifted.

I considered walking another nearby route to see the effects of  lava flow. Looking up at the walkway the mist came down and completely obliterated the area, a noticed a lone figure at the top of the hill disappearing into the fog. I decided that with a deadline to meet, walking up alone was not a good idea. As I made my way back towards the cafes and souvenir shops I could hardly see where I was walking.

By the time I got back to the cafes the rain had stopped and the fog had lifted. I purchased a book on Etna and had a cappacino in one of the cafes. As I was leaving Mr C popped into view, the cable car had arrived sooner than expected.

Driving back from Etna we had a brief (not advertised) stop at a honey farm where we were able to taste mini samples of their produce. To my palate the honey was not as good as the honey we got from Chain Bridge Honey farm on our frequent visits to Northumberland.

Back at the hotel we chilled out before dining in Casa Nicolodi restaurant. We sat in a rooftop garden area with rustic walls, leafy trees, lemons and pomegranates. The food was lovely and the service so attentive that we felt we had been welcomed into a family home. On this occasion I chose sea bass coated in almonds with fennel and almond salad followed by Sicilian citrus mouse. Just as we were finishing our wine the heavens opened and everyone dashed inside,  seating themselves at the available indoor tables. The hosts were duly attentive in making sure that everyone was comfortably relocated.

We were ready for breakfast slightly later than intended so because we had arranged to meet Sylvana to pay for the trips we had chosen, breakfast was delayed until after the meeting. We had chosen one of the Etna trips and a visit to the Aeolian Islands and Stromboli. We were informed that Stromboli had erupted earlier in the year and so it might not be possible to land and also forecast bad weather might cause the sea to be choppy. She suggested that we decide later in the week when she had more news. This meant that she did not take any money for either trip!

We had intended to visit the Greek Theatre early before the day got too warm but this delay and Mr C having an unexpected phone call meant that we got there later than we intended. The Greek Theatre is impressive and there are some stunning views from the top tier.

When we had finished the self guided tour, it was time for lunch so we headed back into town to find a suitable cafe bar. After lunch we visited the remains of the Roman bath house, the Church of St Joseph, the Church of St Augustine (now the town library) and the Cathedral of St Nicholas before returning to relax by the hotel pool.

That evening we dined in Ristorante Malvasia which served excellent local food with friendly service and atmosphere. We returned to the hotel for a nightcap on the hotel terrace looking out over the bays. We got chatting to the bar manager and he pointed out Taormina Bay, Catania, a small part of Syracuse and also the mainland of Italy. The wind got up slightly which was refreshing after the heat of the day.