Exploring Taormina

First, a word about Taormina.  With only a full-time population of around 11,000, Taormina is Sicily's most popular summer destination, a very chic resort town.  It is spectacularly perched on the side of a mountain 240 metres above the sea.

Taormina was founded in the 4th century B.C. and enjoyed prosperity under the Greeks and Romans. It fell into obscurity after being conquered by the Normans in 1087.  It emerged as a tourist destination over 200 years ago as it became an integral part of the "Grand Tour" of  European aristocrats and artists.  Goethe visited and D.H. Lawrence lived here between 1920-23.  Many other notables have spent their holidays in Taormina and it was part of "La Dolce Vita".  Ingrid Bergman, Greta Garbo, Oscar Wilde, Cary Grant, Truman Capote, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and many well-known Italian filmmakers and writers spent time in Taormina.

While it's main street is lined with designer stores, the town is very beautiful with fabulous medieval churches, a stunning Greek theatre (which we will visit) and spectacular views over the Ionian Sea and views of Mt. Etna.

The main street Corso Umberto I runs between two gates- Porta Catania and Porta Massina.  We are staying near Porta Catania.

Saturday March 12 started with a downpour.  We had a mission- to find the covered vegetable/ fruit/ fish/meat market which is open from 8:00 - 1:00 p.m. every day except Sunday.

View of Church from just outside our apartment

Rainy Corso Umberto I, the main street

We finally found the covered daily market, down a small street just past Porta Massina.  We bought fish, chicken and some vegetables.

Inside the daily market

We then went on a fruitless chase to find the tourist office.  No luck.  Our conclusion is that it may not yet be open for the season.  In our travels, we stumbled on the Odeon, a Roman theatre dating back to around 21 B.C.  It was used for music and drama.  The ruins were found in 1892, by a blacksmith doing some work behind the nearby church.  It is a small theatre, right in the middle of the city.  One can enter for free and explore the site.

The Odeon theatre

In front of the Odeon is the Chiesa Santa Caterina, named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria.  It dates to the 17th century and the inside is baroque.  The statue of the Saint dates back to 1498.

Santa Caterina

The inside was quite beautiful, with the twisted columns we have seen in other churches in Sicily.

Inside of Chiesa Santa Caterina

Luckily the sun had emerged in full strength and we decided to stop for a granita and coffee at a recommended spot-the BamBar.  They only serve granita made with fruits in season.  I had a coffee and almond granita and Alonso had strawberry and almond.  Granita is just fruit, ice and sugar.  It was very refreshing.

Coffee and almond and strawberry and almond granitas

At BamBar enjoying the sun

 We walked back to our apartment with the food, but stopped at a wonderful paper store- Fabriano.  Paper making began at Fabriano in 1264 (a town in central Italy). I bought some small notebooks and Alonso bought a new glasses case made from a lovely fabric.

At Fabriano

We paused for a moment at the beautiful Piazza IX Aprile to soak up the sun and admire the views.  It is no wonder that Taormina is known as the "Ionian Pearl".  The sea is very beautiful.

Views from Piazza IX Aprile

Another view

Alonso enjoying the sun

Facing the city from the Piazza (Bar Mocambo where we had coffee on Fridays is on this square)

Looking up at Castelmola- 5 km up from Taormina. Ruins of a medieval castle at the top

Chiesa San Giuseppe on the Piazza

Near Porta Catania we saw this great sign---"Do not go bare-chested; do not eat in the squares and street of the historical centre."

Forbidden!

We unpacked the food from the market at the apartment and had a lovely lunch.  We are trying to get more attuned with the Sicilian rhythm of a late lunch during the time when shops are closed (usually from 1:30-4:30, with some variation).   At about 5:00, we headed out again.  Our first stop was to pick up Alonso's new jeans.  On the way, we walked through an arch with a beautiful mosaic.

Mosaic in arch

Alonso after picking up his new jeans-- another Cohen

Lovely bell tower

We walked to the Piazza del Duomo to see the Cathedral (San Nicolo), which was originally built in the 13th century and altered over the centuries.  There is a lovely Baroque fountain (built in 1635) in the middle of the Piazza.

Outside of the Cathedral San Nicolo

Inside of the Cathedral- eerie shadow of Christ on the wall

Baroque fountain in Piazza del Duomo

As we walked down Corso Umberto I, we saw a sign with a map outlining places where various luminaries in literature, art and cinema hung out in Taormina.  A veritable who's who of 20th century Italian, English and American folk.  At each site is a separate plaque outlining the person's tie to the location.  We will definitely check out more of the sites.

One location was dedicated to Giovanni Panarello "Host to the Dolce Vita).  He had an antique shop on the Corso Umberto I.

Another view

A later panorama - not sure this will work in the blog

We stopped at the Etna Pasticceria to pick up some almond cookies (two with orange filling and two with pistachio) and have a coffee at the bar.

Display at Etna Pasticceria

Alonso with his macchiato

We passed a postcard stand with postcards from La Dolce Vita.

Audrey Hepburn and Anthony Perkins are in the large photo

It gets dark here early- sun sets at about 6:05 p.m. and daylight savings in Europe is not until the last Sunday in March.  It was lovely looking at the lights of Gardini-Naxos (the next town over on the coast) and the sea below Taormina.

Taormina at night

We went back to the apartment, where Alonso cooked a lovely meal of our fresh fish, potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini and an almond treat for dessert.