Scintillating Sicily
Lemons, Mt Etna, Mafia, Gelato, Pizza, Ancient Greece, Mediterranean seas, fresh seafood, olives, vespas, pebble beaches. It was time to investigate!
Accompanied by 5 trusted friends, I embarked on a girls weekend to Taormina in southern Sicily.
Flying into Catania, our transfer was ready and waiting when we arrived and we were whisked off to Mazzaro in less than an hour. Taormina is located on hilltop ledge, Mazzaro is at the bottom by the sea, the two are connected by road, footpaths and a cable car. We were staying in a hotel very close to the cable car, (The Baia Azurra) so were able to enjoy the beach with the town easily accessible.
The first evening was spent exploring the town and eating a fantastic spread of local cheese and meats, washed down with the local wine at "La Bottega del Formaggio" . La Bottega del Formaggio is a small nondescript looking deli down a backstreet. But appearances can be deceptive and beyond the threshold is a rooftop terrace with the most amazing sharing platters on offer. I highly recommend it, for authentic local delicacies, at a very reasonable price.
The next day we took a citybysee hop on hop off bus which explores Taormina and the surrounding area. Now I do love a hop on hop off bus as a really good introduction to a new destination, even if you don't do any hopping and just stay on for the full circuit. Very relaxing if you have a slightly sore head from the night before. :) In Taormina, they even include a "Godfather" tour of film locations, where scenes from the infamous film were shot.
Next it was the jewel in Taormina's Crown - the ancient Greek amphitheatre which is amazingly intact and offers spectacular views over Mt Etna and the whole of the surrounding area. Photos just cannot do it justice, with the amphitheatre by the smoking peak of Etna in the background.
Despite being early October, the temperatures were hitting 25 degrees so we headed down to the beach at Bella Isola for a quick dip in the sea. The crystal clear water meant that little fishes were clearly visible and this is a great area for snorkelling as well as chilling out on the pebble beach. After a quick refresh at the hotel we headed back into town for a cocktail, at one of the many street bars, perfect for sitting and watching the world go by.
The following morning there was just time for a little souvenir shopping, and a final wander around the town centre before heading back to the airport and home. Although we fitted a lot into our weekend, there was so much more to see- tours of Mt Etna, Boat and snorkelling trips, the beaches at Giardini Naxos, Syracuse just down the coast and of course, plenty more gelato eating and wine drinking to be done. I guess we'll just have to go back. Arrivederci Taormina!
