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Old July 26th, 2017, 10:35 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
Surreyman[_3_]
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Default A report from Andalucia, July 2017

On Tuesday, July 25, 2017 at 12:25:49 PM UTC+1, tim... wrote:
"Surreyman" wrote in message
...
On Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 7:50:56 PM UTC+1, tim... wrote:
"Surreyman" wrote in message
...
On Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 8:24:54 AM UTC+1, tim... wrote:
"Surreyman" wrote in message
...
Well, it's the long version or the short version! We'll keep to the
latter
pro tem.

Our normal travelling is usually very much DIY. So, based in the
east
in
Taormina, we had sketched out two weeks in May of moving around most
sights in the island.
However - thank you travel industry - we were advised with far too
little
notice that G7, of which we'd never heard, was causing a lockdown
and
cancellation of all hotel reservations in Taormina for the duration.

We wanted to stay with the hotel carefully chosen (within all this
was
a
family celebration) so we ended up in Taormina a month late, and in
uncustomary heat and humidity (even for Sicily!) that foreshortened
too
much activity.
So we stayed centred in the east, cut our various overnighting stays
planned in the west and, in the reduced 'charging around' time
relied
on
conducted tours more than we usually would.

Here's a precis of some notes I sent to a friend who's also shortly
visiting for the first time.

Aeolian islands: Beautiful. Get cruises for the day from the port
near
Messina. Do include the version that stands off at sea in the dark
of
the
evening so that you can watch Stromboli erupting - we saw 4 good
bangs/flames within 45 minutes. Great stuff!

Etna: Can't be missed - we were very lucky and apart from heat haze
had
exceptional views. Depending on your preference you can stop at the
end
of
the road access (with views up towards the main craters, plus small
old
craters nearby to look at), or go on the cable car rather higher,
and
then
take 'jeep coaches' higher still, and then move as high as the
guides
will
let you trek depending on volcanic action. Your choice! We saw
copious
smoke action from two top craters plus some black ash eruption.
Marvellous
day!

Syracuse: Its history is rather more interesting than what is left
(!)
but nevertheless well worth walking around if you have spare time.
Good
stuff from ancient Greek to Roman/Byzantine/Norman and later, but
relatively sparse. A half-day conducted walk would ensure you saw
the
highlights.

Taormina: Our base, which proved exceptionally good for that, and
very
attractively sited below Etna. It appears on numerous excursions
from
other parts of Sicily, but I wouldn't have thought it was worth any
significant diversion by travellers unless close anyway, but it's
certainly very pleasant, with several good mediaeval piazzas.


All the above using locally arranged day trips?

Aeolians, Syracuse & Etna, yep.

okey dokey


Not as 'touristy' as it might sound.
Bearing in mind that we rarely hire cars ...


It's just that I am wary of hiring a car in these places where the headline
price has been dumned down by online booking sites

It's just not credible that 8 pounds per day is a viable price, even off
season when the company has spare cars because they are stocked up for peak
demand.

And I've been stuffed before by a dishonest hire company (with an
international brand name)

tim


As I said, we rarely hire cars.
The alternative we used in Sicily, especially when aiming for out of the way hilltop villages etc., was taxis.
Very good day rate is negotiable - after half an hour or so and a couple of drinks! - and includes what often becomes a very useful guide.