Castelmola

It's almost impossible to imagine how the big intercity bus made it up the extremely narrow road from Taormina to Castelmola, but a few cars and trucks had to back up and make way on our way up the long and twisting road. I took a picture of a cement truck (not Alcim, Gaetan...competition!!) negotiating entry to one of the main streeets, because it would be hard to believe...he wouldn't make it too far down that street...and then he's have to back up! It's also almost impossible to imagine why anyone would want to build a castel way up this very steep peak when you consider the incredible effort that must have taken. It's even harder to imagine why anyone would consider attacking a castle perched so high up on such a steep slope, but apparently it was indeed attacked twice during its days despite the fact that there are hundreds of other hills the ibvaders could have inhabited. Crazy and mesmerizing. The ancient narrow streets wind up and down the hilly surface of this town twisting in all directions many of which evolved into stairways laid in stone. In some places it would be difficult for two people to run past each other without bumping into each other. This is our last night in Giardini Naxos. Tomorrow morning, we'll the train to Palermo via Messina. When we step on that train, we'll be leaving a beautiful gem behind.