A nymph with see-through eyes on the promenade in Giardini Naxos.

How does the city of Giardini Naxos complement its Neolithic, Bronze Age, Greek and Roman archeological treasures?

It commissions sculptures with historic connotations and modern twists for its palm-lined beachfront on the Mediterranean Sea.

One prominent piece is artist Turi Azzolina’s take on Theocles, the Greek sailor who persuaded his countrymen to make Naxos their first colony in Sicily in 735 BC.

Artist Turi Azzolina’s rendering of the Greek sailor Theocles.

Another Azzolina vision is of “Mito di Naxos” with his flowing locks and long beard.

Is this the way you remember “Mito di Naxos”?

It’s unlikely that many of these creations will have the staying power of the remnants on display at the Naxos archeological site.

This 2,500-year-old feminine face has aged pretty well.

Mount Etna lava wall sculptures are guaranteed for at least 2,700 years.

But the contemporary sculptures might outlive the logo for the Ciclope Commercial Center that I saw in Acireale.

What do you think of the eye in the O? Kind of lost the plot?

And they’ve also inspired aesthetic competition in seaside villages in the direction of Messina to the north. Santa Teresa di Riva went extremely modern while Roccalumera chose something less aggressive.

A contemporary Icarus? No, it’s “The Mouth of a Fish” by Nino Ucchino.

A contemporary Calypso, Circe or Nausikaa?

A full-frontal view of Calypso, Circe or Nausikaa.

Based on my unofficial survey, however, most people don’t come to Giardini Naxos for the art or artifacts. They want to sit on beaches in the shadow of hilltop Taormina, which is where my base camp will be next week when I MedTrek up, on, around and in Mount Etna looking for the Cyclops

You can see my base camp in Taormina from this beach in Giardini Naxos.

Photos and Text: Joel Stratte-McClure

Grazie molto a Giovanna, una bella ragazza Siciliana di Sant’Alessio, per la connessione Internet at her Internet Point on via Consolare Valeria in Sant’Alessio, Sicily.

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About Joel

Joel Stratte-McClure has been a global trekker since the 1970s. He lived in France for over 30 years, working as a journalist, before he turned his attention to a unique life-time-project of walking the shores of the Mediterranean. The first 4,401 kilometers are explored in his inspirational and entertaining first book "The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean." The next 4,401 kilometers are covered in the gods-filled sequel, "The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness and Magic on the Mediterranean,” published on Valentine's Day 2013. The last 4,401 kilometers will be discussed in the last book of the trilogy currently entitled "The Idiot and the Odyssey III: Alexander the Great Walks the Mediterranean."