The Lemon Tree... Our Home Away From Home!

     We are at The Lemon Tree, high above Giardini Naxos on Contrada Mastrissa, with spectacular views of Taormina, Castelmola, Giardini, and Mt. Etna.  This is the fourth time we have stayed here, and once we conclude this visit our total time spent here will be almost four months.  It truly feels like our home away from home.  We are so comfortable here, it is a wonderful place for relaxation and reflection.  Most days we are busy sightseeing, touring, tasting, shopping, walking in Taormina and Giardini, but there is plenty of time to enjoy all The Lemon Tree has to offer.

     It has been warm enough this year to have breakfast most mornings on our lovely terrace.  Here are photos of our terrace, the sunrise over the sea, and breakfast, which consists of apples, the delicious local blood oranges, toast, prosciutto, and a wedge of local cheese with pistachio.  Pepsi Max Zero for Chris, Joe's coffee is in the moka pot on the stove.....

         

     The views from the terrace are spectacular, the Mediterranean views of your dreams.  Sunrise, late afternoon, or nighttime, the views are always stunning, surreal.  Here are daybreak and late morning views straight off our terrace, of Castelmola and Taormina.....

     
     Turning to the right we see this amazing view of Giardini Naxos with it's two-mile long seaside, or lungomare. The view continues for several miles down Sicily's "Citrus Coast".....

     And turning inland, we see the massive, imposing, and very active volcano Mt. Etna.....

        We have posted photos of The Lemon Tree in previous blogs, so some of these will be familiar.

     The Lemon Tree has a couple of vineyards that produce grapes for their homemade wine.....

      And of course there are lemon trees.....

     The Lemon Tree has chickens, which we feed table scraps and share eggs with neighbor Andrea. The chickens, or galline, are "free range" most of the day, then spend the night in their coop.  Here's Joe with chicken feed, galline following.....   and a four-egg bounty which became a frittata.....

   

     This is the time of year in Sicily when the olive trees get trimmed and the grape vines pruned.
The cuttings are then burned in the most convenient spot.  The aroma given off, along with the sweet fragrance of the almond blossoms and other wild flowers, permeates the air with a distinctive and pleasant scent that is unique to this place.  While we were here, Diego's cousin came by to trim the olive trees.  Here's a photo of the smoke from the burning branches.....

      A few other views from around The Lemon Tree.....  The BBQ area, looking down from our terrace at the potted plants on the main terrace, and Chris's favorite wash-day appliance.....

     And finally, a zoomed view of Castelmola from the main terrace.  Yes, this is our little piece of heaven on earth.....