Viking Cruises

36 | V O Y A G E R MESSINA: SICILY'S ANNOUNCEMENTS Sicily announces itself with confidence. Messina, rebuilt after the 1908 quake, pulses with regional pride. Taormina clings to Monte Tauro, cinematic from the road. Yet the best discoveries were humble: Messina's Pescheria displayed the day's catch like gallery pieces. Swordfish, king of the Strait is a local specialty, and in a tiny trattoria I savoured involtini di pesce spada, swordfish rolls with breadcrumbs, pine nuts, and raisins—a direct echo of Sicily's Arab-Norman past. Mount Etna's vineyards offered another revelation: Etna Rosso, volcanic and mineral, rearranged my notions of Sicilian wine thanks to a sommelier-arranged tasting. I took a short taxi ride to rendez-vous with an old friend in Taormina, grabbing piping hot takeaway arancini from the famed Famulari eatery in Messina on the way. We wandered the streets of Taormina and visited the Teatro Antico before heading back to the ship for Aperitivo. At sunset, we set sail north through the Aeolian islands including the rumbling volcanic island of Stomboli, a sunset that will stay with me forever. A VIKING DIFFERENCE The ritual of returning to the Viking Mars felt restorative. The ship's size encouraged conviviality rather than chaos; the Wintergarden at the bow became my reading spot with a Vermentino in hand. Enrichment programming— daily lectures on art history, cooking demos, and wine tastings connected onshore experiences to broader cultural contexts. "It's a city I know well, a city that lives loudly and eats spectacularly." NAPLES: APPETITE OF A CITY Drawing the curtains and looking out over the Bay of Naples, with Vesuvius looming was dramatic. It's a city I know well, a city that lives loudly and eats spectacularly. Viking's Pompeii excursion is essential, but for a food- obsessed traveller, staying in Naples is irresistible. Start the day with an espresso and then grab a warm sfogliatella (classic Neapolitan pastry) from Attanasio. I always love the riccia version but whilst you are here try the frolla version too. The Quartieri Spagnoli backstreets reveal the city's heart: I walked past the famed Da Michele pizzeria where locals and tourists queued and headed for one of my favourite pizzerias 'Concettina ai Tre Santi' in the buzzing Sanita district to decide between the two immutable choices—Margherita and Marinara— where a blistered, chewy crust, sun-rich San Marzano tomatoes, and molten buffalo mozzarella delivered pure, sacred pizza. Before returning to the ship laden with contraband: Cetara anchovies, Amalfi limoncello, and a jar of nduja I would not regret! Clockwise, from left: Arancini, Italy; the Viking Star, Naples, Italy; Old town, Messina, Italy

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