last stop in Sicily, now off to Greece

After the Aeolian Islands, we went through the Straits of Messina separating Sicily and the boot of Italy, believed to be the site of Scylla and Charybdis, the monster/whirlpool faced by Odysseus and Jason and the Argonauts.  Pretty mild when we went through with the wind and the tide in our favor, but given the rapid depth changes and tide/wind potential, I can see how it could get pretty rough if you timed it wrong.  But a whirlpool? 

We're now anchored in a lovely little bay on the east coast of Sicily right off the town of Giardini Naxos, which was founded in 734 BC.  To the south we can see the smoking peak of Mt. Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and to the north is the hillside town of Taormina, home of a Greek (and later Roman) theater with incredible views of Mt. Etna.   Spent a day enjoying the beach, then the next day figured out how to get up to Taormina: locked the dinghy on the beach north of the train station at the north end of the bay, then through the hidden pedestrian tunnel, up the rough switchback trail, and then even higher on a "mom forced march" to the Greek theater and Moorish castle at the very top.  Kids earned their ice cream today!

Tomorrow we head to the Ionian Islands in Greece, our last multi-day/night crossing on the way to Turkey.



Tenho anchored off the coast of Sicily near Giardini Naxos



View of Mt. Enta from the boat



Greek theater in Taormina

(Maggie in mom's big floppy sun hat)

The castle is on top of the highest hill in the background

 

Still plenty of flowers in October...

Maggie found a good place to put

one of them