Taormina – The Pearl of the Ionian Sea
Sunday 23 April – yep, had to do it. Only a 45 minute drive away, Taormina was too close to Catania for us not to go and have a peek. Having seen all the amazing backdrops and beautiful scenery on the second series of “White Lotus” it was just too hard to resist. A beautiful hilltop town with sweeping views of the Ionian seascapes, and with Mt Etna serving as a backdrop, we were certainly not disappointed.
We decided on an early start as it was not only a Sunday and a busy day for tourists, but also St George’s Day which is also celebrated in Sicily. It was an easy drive and we arrived in the town around 9.30am. Talk about all in the timing, as we walked through the medieval Porta Messina gate, which is the entrance to the main street, Corso Umberto I, right in front of us were members of the National Bersaglieri Association and National Association of Fighters and Veterans who were about to begin a procession through the town, marching and performing as they did so.
A great start to our visit, followed swiftly by breakfast at an outdoor café and a wander through the quaint winding streets and “vicolos” (alleyways) – so much colour, so many wonderful ceramics, fashions, shoes, handbags, jewellery, so many beautiful things to buy, all this under a bright blue sky with the background of Mt Etna and its snowy peak. It was all quite breath-taking and frankly, quite hard to take in all at once. At every bend in the medieval street another treat awaited us – I was particularly fond of the little Fiat Bambina in the Plaza Corvaja – I had exactly the same one, in the same navy blue, with the same sun roof, minus the beautiful Sicilian artwork, when I was 19 years old!!!
We visited the Greek-Roman amphitheatre, the Odeon theatre and we walked the length of the street to the Porta Catania gate. Of course, it was an absolute must that we sought out the San Domenico Palace and had a quick “kodak” moment in front of it (and no, for those who have watched ”White Lotus” – I didn’t look like Peppa Pig!!!). The film crew and actors must have had an incredible time making this TV Series in such an idyllic place. I feel like I need to watch the whole series again now that I have actually visited the location.
And we saved the best meal of our trip for last…..we had the most delicious Sicilian lunch, full of colour and flavour, at Trattoria Badia, sitting out in the sunshine amidst the beautiful flowers and scent of orange blossom, with a carafe of Italian rosé – bellissimo!
We continued with a walk through the public gardens which were once part of the property owned by Florence Trevelyan, a cousin of Queen Victoria who arrived in Taormina in 1884. She bought Isola Bella in 1890, a rocky outcrop attached to the mainland by a sandy path, off the coast below Taormina and built a house and established a garden full of non-native trees and rare shrubs. She married Salvatore Cacciola who for many years, was the Mayor, and moved into town. There she acquired land and created another garden which had views of both the sea and Mt Etna and this was gifted to the municipality upon her death.
Castelmola
As if all of this wonder wasn’t enough, we had also been told that a visit to Castelmola was a must. One of Italy’s “Borghi Piu Belli” – most beautiful villages, it is built around the ruins of a 16th Century Norman Castle, a medieval town perched on a mountain peak overlooking Taormina, and, originally built to protect Taormina from attacks, it is 550 metres above sea level.
There was a bus that we could take from Taormina up to the top of the mountain, and thank goodness we did – a tiny, narrow road with hair-pin bends. The bus driver was obviously a pro and got us up there with his skilful manoeuvring around the badly parked cars and the cars coming in the opposite direction. With only 1000 inhabitants, Castelmola is famous for its almond wine. What could be more appropriate than to visit the Church of St George in the Piazza Sant’Antonio, which dates back from 1450, on St George’s Day, and witness all the celebrations that were about to take place in the town square.
Another hike up even more steps, so we could see the remains of the Castello di Mola at the top of the town and the magnificent view of the Ionian Sea and Mt Etna, and then it was time for a reward. The rooftop of the Antico Caffé seemed like the perfect place for it, with a fresh orange juice whilst we watched the preparations being made for the evening’s celebrations in the square below.
Our last day in Sicily couldn’t have been more perfect, what a fabulous few days spent with my sisters - a memory I will cherish for ever.