I made some adjustments in the Barcelona posting and I am now happy with it. As for Gaudi architecture, we did not see it but I know it is there and important to Barcelona. We did not have enough time to take a tour or really get into the culture of the city. It was our first time there and we just wanted to get a feel for the city. We found it to be worthy of another visit and may well be our favorite place on this trip.
We took a cab to our ship and settled in. Here is a look at our transport.
The first day was spent at sea and the next morning we docked at Messina, Italy. Messina is a port city on the island of Sicily. We had booked a tour to the town of Taormina, about 30 miles inland from Messina on Mount Tauro The road is a series of switchbacks and tunnels but the view is great. We could see the Ionian sea and Mount Etna, with puffs of smoke above it. Taromina is known for the ruins of a Greco Roman theater built in the 3rd century BC. The town's main street is a pedestrian cobblestone path lined with shops. The first picture is Messina from the ship as we arrived.
Notice they have added some modern seating to the theater ruins and continue to use it for concerts and plays. The locals were all friendly and this little town was a delight. I'm glad we had time to walk about at our own pace.
Jim
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