Today we are docked in Messina. Messina sits on the Strait of Messina which is a very narrow strait that separates Sicily from the toe of mainland Italy. At its narrowest point it is only 3.1 km wide. I am certain that the local pilots are needed here as well.
We have transportation to a hilltop town approximately 50 km south of Messina. It sits not far from Mount Etna. It’s streets are car free, so very walkable. The have built a large parking garage at the entrance of the town to accommodate cars and the many tour buses that visit this picturesque town. The view out over the Strait of Messina is eye-catching.
An opportunity for our family photo from the summit of Taormina.
Another beautiful door and a fancy lion head knocker for our “Door Series” of photos.
The main street has lots of shops. My leg is complaining that I am walking too much. Up until yesterday I have logged almost 239,000 steps. The equivalent of 159 km. My leg is not happy with me! Sooo, Nicole and I decide to find a little outdoor cafe to have a cold drink and sit in the shade.
Everyone else goes for a walk to see the Greek Theatre of Taormina. As I didn’t get there, I have used an image I found online. A very large theatre that could hold around 10,000 spectators.
It is time to head back to our bus. Once we arrive back in Messina Michael, Lindsey and I go into the town to find some of the sites, while Nicole and the boys board the ship. Michael’s GPS was having trouble today. We walked the wrong way and found ourselves in the seedy side of Messina. This old building must have been magnificent at one time. It has certainly seen better days.
We head towards the ocean and walk back to the ship from there.
In the harbour we see a large structure. I have discovered that it is an old fort San Salvatore. The fort was built in the middle of the 16th century and is a military property still. The words we see are “Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus”. This apparently translates to “We bless you and your city” and is supposed to be a quote from a letter the Virgin Mary sent to the population of Messina in the year 42. Legend has it that the Apostle Paul came to Messina around this time two thousand years ago to convert the Sicilians to Christianity.
There is scaffolding around the column, I assume restoration work is being done.
For dinner tonight we have been given a table at the stern of the ship. An unbelievable view from this table. Shortly after we are seated the Sun Princess leaves Messina behind and heads back to Naples for our second visit.
Later in the evening while Adam is at the gym the rest of us meet in the Princess Live Theatre for trivia. The theme for this was music, I think perhaps movie themes? I knew 1 answer, I think Lindsey had 1 answer. Between Michael, Nicole and Alex they had 18. A perfect score! Here is the winning team!! 🍾🥂🏆
Another great day. My total steps for this trip after today were 252,234 or 168 km. That is a lot of walking!!