For a last day, today had a lot. It began with a postcard view of Etna, drifted into a period of light rain and drizzle during which we toured the ruins of another Greek theater – this one is in Taormina and they still use it for performances in the summer. After that the sun broke out and we could lay by the hotel pool to soak in the mid-afternoon sun. In between there came “the shoes.” Pat might not shop much, but let a pair of stylish shoes catch her eye and it’s another story. Let’s just say that the “no souvenirs” vow was broken quickly.

We also bumped into our Canadian friends from the cable car ride; they had the better Etna experience. They went up on Friday, but earlier in the day on one of the jeep tours and got closer to the summit; said the view was gorgeous. That would be our only do-over if we had the chance; we’d do one of those tours that left earlier, but that’s a minor matter all in all.

Later, we went out for a pre-dinner cocktail and watched the world parade by. Saturday night made a world of difference; as Pat pointed out, the beautiful people came out. By that we mean the stylish locals. There were tourists about, to be sure, just like us, but the throngs that emerged from the cruise ships the previous two days were nowhere to be seen and we admired the good looking Italian men and women. Also amused to find they’ve adopted the Halloween celebration; saw some costumed children with their parents during the day. It is not an Italian tradition.

We wrapped up with a good meal at a very bustling ristorante just outside of the old city gates. There were a lot of locals in the place, always a good sign and the place did not disappoint. We are looking at an early wake-up call and a day of airline hell; back to reality.