Saturday, May 27, 2006

Hi from Tapestry,
We spent a second day at Taormina, exploring the town. The four of us left our
boats anchored in the bay and took Triumph's dinghy to shore. We found a bus to
the top and walked through town. A cruise ship had entered the bay early that
morning and the streets were jammed. Taormina is a really pretty town. As it
is nestled on hills rising high above the sea, a cooling breeze wafts through
the streets fluttering flags and making for comfortable temperatures even under
the hot Mediterranean sun. The town is hilly and small alleyways are often
filled with colorful sun umbrellas shading restaurant tables. Although there
are some legitimate businesses, most of the shops sell trinkets and tee shirts.
There are jewelry stores and loads of restaurants.
The main attraction, of course, is the Greek Theater. We paid our six euros
each to enter and were met with the sound or screaming saws and pounding nails
as Sicilian construction workers were doing their best to once again outdo the
Greeks.
Originally, the theater had been built all of stone and fifteen thousand
spectators were seated on the hillside overlooking the orchestra and stage where
the play was put on. The sea and Mount Etna were visible in the distance. The
gentle winds rising from the sea below carried the voices of the actors up to
everyone in the house. It is said that even a stage whisper could be heard
throughout the theater. It must have been one of the most beautiful theaters
ever built.
When the Romans took over, they covered the stone work with brick, imported
columns from the Forum in Rome, and made a row of columns across the back of the
stage. They backed the columns with a wall, effectively blocking out Etna and
the sea as well as blocking the wind. Then they put a thick blanket of sand
where the orchestra had been. One of the flag waving guides told his flock that
the Latin word for sand is "arena." Rather than plays, the Romans
used it for contests where sometimes animals were killed or where gladiators
would fight. The sand was needed to absorb the blood. Needless to say, the
magical acoustics were shot after the Roman renovation.
It is interesting that the Roman columns and the backdrop are crumbling
and Etna is once again visible from much of the theater. The stage, which was
being built when we were there will be used for theater again this summer as it
has been in years past. It is a magical place.
After lunch we puzzled over a complicated bus schedule and decided to walk the
three kilometers down the hill to the boat. There were no sidewalks on the road
we took and walking down that narrow way, what with motorcycles and vehicles
racing by, made us grateful to arrive at the bottom. This morning we are on our
way to Siracusa, about 50 miles south of Taormina. All the best. Hank and
Julie