IMG_9208[1]IMG_9218[1]IMG_9223[1]IMG_9249[1]IMG_9284[1]IMG_9267[1]We are back after the mammoth walk of 12km or more to the hilltop town of Taormina. I had heard that it had an ancient theatre that overlooked the ocean. As always the Craddocks always do the hardest route to the destination. We headed off down towards the port and along the beach front to the end of Giardini Naxos. The beach front, has a collection of statues along the way. But great views.  At the end of the row of houses you turn up before the hospital. We could see where we needed to go, so started off up the winding road towards Taormina. As it is common place in Italy, footpaths are either blocked by cars or non-existent. Up this road, no footpath. Which is ok since Italians drive in the middle of the road. Reaching the top, we headed up through a parking building, taking the lift to come out by the Porta Catania gate.  The view from the top is stunning, miles of coastline. Taormina is a beautiful town, Piazza del Duome and its Chiesa S Nicolo di Bari. A gorgeous fountain with horse statues around the outside. The walk through the streets full of souvenir shops and italian products. Heading towards the far end of town the Teatro antico (ancient theatre). It’s not cheap to get in at €10, so only I went in to get photos. The views out over the other side towards Mazzaro & Spisone worth the hike. The teatro ok, but my timing was off and the afternoon sun, obscured a view of the ocean through the teatro. Mt Etna out the other side still highlighting the backdrop. Heading back we stopped in the tourist office and grabbed a map. Noting another way down we found a road that google said didn’t exist. Asking a couple of guys for directions, a guy pulls up on Harley Davidson and asks us what road we are looking for. Pointing on the map he said, the roads broken but we are athletic looking so we should be ok. We started off the path not so bad, blocked off in parts we walked around the barriers until. A landslide blocking part of the path. Jas clinging close to the hillside went first and I sent the dogs over. A distance of about ten metres. Once I was across, we continued down the hillside to the road below. A better way of getting back than going down the main road, believe it or not. Back along the beach front, the dogs stopping at the one point on the beach, that dogs could swim. You can tell when Zoey is tired, when you call her to go back on the lead, she comes straight away. All of us exhausted from the 12 + km walk in the sun. The dogs are now crashed out and I’ve got soup cooking on the stove.  A great way to end the day. Tomorrow a day of chillaxing and then off to a castle in another hill town.