The Roman Theater, Taormina, Sicily

Today is my DIL birthday and she loves to travel. This rendition is painted by French artist Joséphine Sarazin de Belmont in 1825, but it has been painted many times over, and could be done again today, such is the setting as well as the reconstruction. It is actually mostly likely a Greek theater that the Romans renovated to suit their needs. The Greeks did theater, the Romans had gladiators, but the spectacular setting that is Taormina, on the eastern coast of Sicily, high up upon a mountain, is the thing to experience. We went to Sicily to drop our kids off for their study abroad experience--like any good parent would do--and then we were off to explore a bit on our own before we headed home. They were supposed to go to Israel for an archeological dig, but that fell through because of unease about violence that pales in comparison to what is happening now, and this was a plan B alternative, so we had done little in the way of preparation. COmplicating things further, we had only been home from a two weeks stint in Russia (thank goodness we went when we did, because we are never going back, not at the rate it is going), so we meandered criss crossing the island, and my MIL, who has been dead on in places she has recommended in Europe, guided us here. It is up what used to be a perilous road and now is just a vertiginous highway, and is a beautiful place to experience modern Italian food in an ancient city with stupendous scenery. Put is on your to do list.