ITALY WEEK: TAORMINA

Our weeklong trip to the historic "boot" of Italy continues with a step off the mainland and onto the massive island of Sicily. Taormina, to be specific. This wonderful and vibrant city sits high atop the coast, hugging the cliffside with spectacular views of the Mediterranean and the massive cone of Mount Etna.

During our visit Etna was in a restive but (fortunately) not explosive mood.

BEACHES - POSITANO, ITALY

Unlike the quiet and solitary destinations featured so far in this week's review of our favorite beaches, this one's all about the social scene. Positano, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast is a vibrant town facing into the Tyrrhenian Sea. 

From certain angles you can spy the far off Isle of Capri.

Positano's restaurant and hotel-lined beach is a sunny stretch at the base of steep cliffs, creating an energetic and spectacular setting. Painters, boat people and throngs of tourists and locals descend upon the water in busy groups, and the activity is constant.

The beach isn't sandy, but instead full of small pebbles which makes it necessary to invest in a pair of flip-flops for your visit - I would have said "thongs", which is what we called them when I was a boy, but that's a completely different things these days. And while you may choose to invest in one while wandering the boutique-lined streets of Positano, it wouldn't protect your feet much.

Dipping my feet into the Mediterranean required I remove my shoes, a mistake while holding the Nikons. I bobbled and very nearly lost the shoe as it flipped into the water and began the long trek to Capri. I retrieved it, doubtless becoming a bit of a spectacle as a tourist retrieving the shoe with cameras jangling, but now have a short story to tell of my brief stay in Positano.

Just a wonderful destination and one which cries for deep exploration as well as an active day on the very busy beach.

EXPLORING ALLEYS - OLD TOWN NICE, FRANCE

One of the most charming aspects of the French Riviera is the cosmopolitan city of Nice. One of my favorite spots on the planet if I am to be honest about it. 

And among Nice's highlights, perhaps its best, is the wonderful old town section: Vieux Nice.

Occupying a central spot along Nice's impressive and expensive waterfront, the old town section is filled with alleyways and town squares featuring a variety of restaurants, nightlife and bohemian shops begging to be explored. 

Daytime or night.

Or best yet, instead of wearing out your shoes, pull up an alley side table at one of the dozens of sidewalk family-owned establishments. Order a fabulous meal and sit sipping coffee 

while you people watch and absorb the local "atmosphere".

MEDITERRANEAN SEA - SUNSET SUPPER

Among the best memories any of us has are mealtimes in a special place or at a special time.

They may be meals with family, at a family get-together. Or at a rendezvous that is a shared indulgence. It may be meeting friends for dinner at the nearby Chili's, or at a fine dining spot a world away. It might be at a Lolo on a Caribbean beach, or the local coffee house just up the street.

What often makes the difference is the family and/or friends.

As I look back at a lifetime of very happy experiences in some very exotic locations -- and more than a few just up the street -- I cannot help but be pleased that so many involved the people we treasure in our lives. It's a shared adventure, these lives of ours. And shared adventures require shared memories.

Aboard the MSY Wind Surf. Dinner with our Australian friends on the fantail at the Wind Rose restaurant, enjoying the sunset over the distant coastline of the Italian boot.

Pic of the Day: An Evening on the Sea

We travel once a year or so with our friends Ray and Vicky Stone from Perth, Australia. We've shared numerous adventures with them on three continents, but we also enjoy the occasional quiet evening in memorable surroundings.

Among our more spectacular dinners was this one on the fantail of the MSY Wind Surf as she sailed along the Salento Peninsula (the heel of Italy's boot). The sunset, the cool breeze and a soft Mediterranean haze set the mood properly for the meal itself, which was expertly prepared and served.

I often advocate finding the local diner and just grabbing an amazing burger. But there's plenty of room at the other end of the culinary spectrum.