Sicily. Part 1. Giardini Naxos
Looking at the frost outside the window, I decided to remember Sicily and write about some of the cities on the east coast, washed by the Ionian Sea, which we looked at.
We opened Sicily for travel and recreation relatively recently, which we now regret.
The first trip happened in May 2018. The Naxos Beach Sicilia 4 * hotel dropped prices during this period and my wife and I went there through the PAC GROUP travel agency, a week-long tour for two with air tickets and half board cost us only 64 thousand. I heard a lot of good reviews about this hotel from friends and did not hesitate for a long time. We flew with the well-known S7 airline, the ticket price included baggage of 23 kg plus 10 kg of hand luggage.
Arrival airport - Catania, from it to the city of Giardini Naxos it takes about an hour to go. The first thing we saw in Sicily was Etna. In the Catania region, it simply rises above the horizon. The Sicilians respectfully call Etna - "mountain".
Compared to Mount Etna, Vesuvius seemed low.
Our hotel, the largest in the city, is located in the area of Giardini Naxos called Recanati. Close to intercity bus stops, which is very convenient for traveling to different cities of Sicily.
A few words about the hotel: the hotel area is large and green.
Two pools, but the beach season was just beginning by local standards, so the second pool with swimming lanes was opened only at the end of our holiday. Despite the hot weather, and that Sicily is at the latitude of the Turkish resorts of Antalya, the sea at this time of the year still warms up a little, especially since the coast in Giardini Naxos is open to waves.
I several times climbed into the sea for a swim, but it was very transient, a bit cold, 17-18 degrees.
The hotel rooms are located both in the bungalow and in the main building at the reception.
T. Since the season at the hotel was just beginning, part of the bungalow was still closed, and visitors were first settled only on the second floors.
The decor in the room is standard, it is very convenient that along with the air conditioner there is also a fan. Not far from the hotel, a river flows into the sea, because of this window it is not recommended to open at night because of mosquitoes. Etna is clearly visible from the loggia in our room.
The Internet is good, the beach is private.
If the breakfast is of a fairly standard type,
then for dinner the cooks tried their best. Just a celebration of the soul.
For two people, the waiter brings a bottle of wine to choose from (white or red), but you can ask for more if not enough. The wine is simple, wash down the food.
I honor the sweet table with special admiration.
I've been to many places around the world, but the sweet table in this hotel is simply wonderful.
What the wife keeps to a diet, but here she could not resist the local sweet dishes.
On arrival at the hotel, we received information from the hotel guide and did not contact him again until departure. We did not sign up for organized tours. We decided this: we rest for a day, we travel for a day.
On the day of arrival, we ran to a nearby store to buy some wine before it closed for a siesta. After a snack and noting the arrival, we went to get acquainted with the city.
A street with a cafe leads to the hotel, where Pozner and Urgant were filmed during a TV program about Sicily.
The Recanati area is located on a hill, on the way to the hotel there is an archaeological area.
The road to the city goes downhill.
Ancient Naxos was the first settlement of the ancient Greeks in Sicily - 735 BC. e. Three centuries later, during internecine wars, the city was destroyed by Dionysius and the inhabitants moved to the mountains, where the city of Taormina is now, which is clearly visible from the coast, the height of Mount Tauro (Monte Tauro) is 206 m.
Now Giardini Naxos is a typical beach town stretching along the coastline,
with many hotels, shops and cafes.
This pointed building is the Church of St. Mary the Immaculate:
Church of San Pancrazio, built around the middle of the 16th century:
Beaches with sand and small pebbles, both paid and with free entry. The sea is clean.
The promenade is not very picturesque, because the busy streets are nearby. We got to the station, found out how much effort and time it takes.
Taormina Giardini train station is at least an hour away on foot, and there are areas poorly adapted for walking, you can take a regular bus that stops at a stop in Recanati.
On Saturdays, not far from our hotel, the street is blocked for about half a kilometer,
where a large imported market is organized. We bought another Moka geyser coffee maker there (the blue color attracted my wife).
Local honey (lemon and orange) and, as a souvenir, the symbol of Sicily - "Trinakria", which flaunts everywhere, including on the coat of arms of Sicily. There are many theories about the image, for example, that it symbolizes the three coasts of the island. The head of the Gorgon drives away evil and turns it into stone.
Then we went to the Gabbiani shopping center with a large Deco supermarket and bought wines. There is another Deco store in the city. In the hotel, at least for dinner, wine is free, but only to wash down the food. There are many quality wines in Sicily, which are a sin not to try. By the way, the shopping center is open without a lunch break until 21-00. Nearby is a parking lot where farmers' cars with products are parked. We met our compatriot there, who has been living in Sicily for 10 years.
On the way to the mall, we passed several hotels that I had seen on travel websites. I want to warn you right away that it’s quite a long way to go to the sea from there, and often in open sunny places. So check the map if you choose.
On the map we saw the Alcantara railway station. We decided to see how to get there. We walked from the shopping center along some deserted highways for about twenty minutes. The station itself is functioning, but not all trains stop at it, and the impression is that everything is closed, we did not find a single person there. This option for trips for us immediately disappeared due to the distance from the hotel.
Behind the shopping center there is a busy freeway with several shops and cafes. We read good reviews about Tutto Skarpe shoe store,
but we didn’t pick anything up there...
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