Taormina

Probably one of my all time favourite spots on this trip, Taromina is simply gorgeous and my only regret is that we couldn't stay there any longer. Upon our arrival at the Taromina train station we saw a sign stating it was a 3km to the hostel but this didn't mention it was a steep mountain 3 km hike on a road with no pedestrian pavement and
crazy Italian drivers. Somewhat confused I walked into a local hotel asking for directions, when he realized I was intending to walk to the hostel he called me crazy and directed me to a local bus stop. Funnily enough the hostel was called Odyssey Hostel and it felt like we were on one just trying to get there. As we hiked our way forward, with the Sicilian sun searing our backs, fellow backpackers would shout out encouraging comments such as - "you're nearly there," "only ten minutes more." By the time we got there both our backs and our spirits were broken.

However, once we settled into our dorm rooms and sculled two litres of water we discovered a cool little seaside resort. We had a lovely meal at a local trattoria and discovered that the owner had a friend
who lived in Melbourne and owned an Italian restaurant on Glenferrie Road - small world.

Jeremy - doesn't everyone in Italy have a cousin or friend in Melbourne?
We spent our only full day here on the pebble beach, accessed via a funicular. This beach was great and we nearly forgot about the lack of sand. The water was crystal clear and really refreshing, it was a little difficult to get into though,as the rocks were smooth and slippery. After a few hours lazing about we headed back up the funicular, before we got sun burnt, to enjoy a meal on a terrace with views of Mount Etna (as the sun set we could see a line of lava flowing down its side). The next day we left for Salerno.