Tantalising Taormina!

Whilst on a recent holiday to Sicily, we took the cable car ride up to the delightful town of Taormina. Perched over 200 metres above sea level on the rocky promontory of Mount Tauro, Taormina offers the most spectacular views over the Bay of Naxos, and in the other direction, Mount Etna, generally smoking in the day and often glowing in the night! Either way it's pretty awesome! Taormina has been a favourite tourist destination for at least the last 200 years, and it has accepted it's status well, providing the mandatory souvenir and gift shops. However it has managed to do so without in any way detracting from its Medieval beauty. Wander through the maze of winding streets, crammed with interesting quirky boutiques, art galleries, existing alongside designer shops and tasty pastry shops and welcome cafés and you will see how they have achieved a comfortable blend of ancient and modern. Away from the shops there are some exciting relics of the past to explore. Probably the most notable being the wonderful 3rd century BC Teatro Greco, a fabulous, perfectly horseshoe-shaped theatre. It is till used today to stage festivals and concerts, particularly in the summer months. The Corsa Umberto, the main street, has at one end both the Piazza del Duomo, which houses both a 13th Century Cathedral and a Baroque fountain. At the other end you will find the Palazzo Corvaja. More than any other piece of architecture this has been added to and altered throughout the ages, and reflects the influences of the powers at the time...Arab, Norman and Gothic. Now it houses the Sicilian Museum of Art and Popular Traditions. It is of course perfectly possible to stay in Taormina, there are accommodations to suit all tastes and budgets. Many others stay along the coast at resorts such as Giardini Naxos, as we did, and just do Taormina as a day trip. Either way it is a wonderful place to wander and enjoy it's very special atmosphere. It is a real gem! If you'd like to know more it will be my pleasure to help. Please contact me on 023 80863663