The "Day After the Wedding" Parties

Believe it or not, after such a full day on Saturday, you would think everyone would crash on Sunday.  But not on this wedding weekend.  Our hosts had planned every minute to the fullest to keep us entertained.  We started with a 9 o’clock breakfast at Sergey and Elena’s villa.  More chances to visit and get to know the guests, as well as enjoy the cooking skills of Elena, Katya and Sergey.  And one more chance to enjoy that great view!

We could see Mt Etna in the distance, but couldn’t tell if that was clouds or smoke rising from the volcano.  Holly and Brett arrived to tell us it was definitely smoke.  They had seen the fire and lava spilling from the crater when they were out in the early hours that morning.  That didn’t stop our group however.  At ten o’clock we all boarded a bus and headed up the mountain.

Our guide explained that while part of the mountain was shut down due to recent activity, there would still be places to see.  We enjoyed the ride, especially since we were not the ones doing the driving.  

True to our promise, we did not touch our car the whole time we were in Taormina, nor did anyone else.  It was fun finding our way through the quaint village streets and everything was within a few blocks of our villa.  Yes, there were lots of steps and narrow passageways to navigate, but all that was nothing compared to maneuvering a car.

The bus reached the gondolas that would take us to the point we could climb the mountain.  We shared the ride with two of our favorite companions. 

It was there we first realized we were entering a ski area, not a hiking trail.  

We stepped out of the restaurant long enough to snap a few pictures and assure ourselves that hiking in our rubber soled shoes was probably not the best idea on packed snow.

Here are a few pics of that experience.

However, it didn’t take us long to realize, to be safe and enjoy the rest of our trip, we should get back on the gondola and head for the bus.

When we arrived back in Taormina, we had one hour to change and meet at the restaurant where Tatyana had arranged for us to participate in a pasta making class before dinner at an intimate little restaurant that was filled completely inside and out with our group. 

The chef and his aspiring students gathered in groups of five to don our appropriate attire for the class that was about to begin

First, he took great care to instruct us in the art of pasta making.

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Next, we cut ravioli and filled each with the spinach and ricotta mixture.

Was this really a cooking class for us, or a discreet way for Tatyana to begin her duties as "housewife" in true Italian style?

After all the kitchen fun, we were served the same dish as we prepared.  But to be safe, this dish was made by the chef. Tatyana, do you approve?

The evening ended with good-byes and hugs all around and we walked to our villa in pouring rain to pack for our return home.  Again, all part of the experience.