September 8 – Giardini Naxos

First admiring the elegant Liberty style decor of the Taormina-Giardini Naxos train station, we emerged into the summery air to get our bearings. A mountain towered over us from across the road; no sign of the town appeared either right or left. The building housing the Tourist Information office was closed, so we had no [...]

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September 9 – Early Birds

The next morning promised another day of spectacular weather: blue and warm.

That’s me kicking back in the lobby of Hotel Villa Mora.
The proprietors, Anna and Nando, a German and Italian combination couple, were perfect hosts. Anna runs the front desk while Ando fixes a sumptuous breakfast. They have decorated every inch of this jewel [...]

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September 9 – Beach Towels for Two

In the background, the heart of Giardini Naxos lines the bay. As the
curve of the cove approaches Cape Schiso’, crayon-colored boats
join sunbathers on the sand.
The immediate plan was to concede some well-earned beach time for Gino. He deserved a break from my relentless running around. From one of the [...]

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Naxos Archaeology Museum

After shaking out the last bits of beach from our towels and stashing them in our room, we followed the waterfront road until we arrived at the Naxos archaeological excavations.

Gino pauses on the last few steps of an old Bourbon fort, now home
to the Giardini Naxos Archaeological Museum.
Already knowing not to expect Pompeii, I was [...]

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