Messina

Savoca, Messina, Sicily.


Prounced soivocheh!  In the footsteps oaf the Godfather.  Well just one scene from the Godfather at least. This tiny little town high in the hills above the miles of beach that stretch along the coast of Messina is famous for one thing.  Francis Ford Coppola chose their Bar Vitelli and the Cattredale as the backdrop for two scenes in Godfather 1.


Al Pacino made an offer that could not be refused to the father of the woman he wanted to marry - that was in the courtyard of Bar Vitelli. Then higher up the road, the wedding took place outside the Cattredale.  
















Still decades later, this is a favorite tourist destination.  2 hrs of winding hairpin bends and breathtaking vistas of ocean and hillside communities, fortresses and family homes clinging to their own piece of rock in the centuries old hope of pirates choosing more accessible locations.
The entire town, employed as extras during the two months of filming, now make their living baking in the afterglow of mafia fame.

 

We only had five hours in port, the choice of this tour giving us the best use of that time.
This is our last night on board.  All the restaurant crew put on a special show for us at dinner, those that love performing giving their showmanship an extra boost.  Now it's time to repack the suitcases and put them out ready for early disembarkation next morning.  And of course the next chapter in our big European adventure.