Mount Etna from Taormina
We went to Taormina, farther up the East coast of Sicily. Taormina reminds me
of Monaco. Steep cliffs with villas that hang off the side, an unobstructed view of Mount Etna, long sandy beaches on the clear blue Ionian Sea and a little town perched on top of the hills with shops and restaurants lining the narrow streets…a European village more than a Sicilian village.
Taormina has been a destination for the rich and famous for more than a century. Oscar Wilde sought a haven here. Liz and Dick vacationed here with Tennessee Williams. Truman Capote and Sarah and Winston Churchill visited. Audrey Hepburn had a home here. The town still has a feeling of the old glamour left by their passage.
Why would they all choose this town in Sicily? It is quietly beautiful, affordable and offers the rich and famous some privacy. Even now, with many more tourists, Taormina feels more like the south of France without the crowd.
Taormina pastry shop
At the end of Corsa Umberto I is the Roman Colliseum with views of Mt. Etna.
Roman Amphitheater, Taormina
For the first time since we have been here we heard American English spoken by the majority of people surrounding us and by the shop keepers. Many signs are in English. It seemed strange after expecting to hear Italian, German and French. In Siricusa, we seldom hear English let alone American English. In Taormina it felt like we left Sicily for the day.
MedFlies 
Now you can add Jill and Dana to the list of celebrities (in our eyes, anyway) who have visited the fabled and now famous Taormina. Thanks for showing us a part of the world that we have not seen.
HI Jill and Dana,
I am really enjoying your blog. This village looks so charming. But what really hit me was, only 18 days to go before you move?? Is the time going quickly or do you feel like you have been there forever? looking forward to moving on? Leah
Hi Leah:
So good to hear from you. It is hard to believe that we will be in South Africa soon. Sicily is very familiar now. Seems like we have been here for a long time. We wonder if every country will feel this way.
But we are looking forward to the next chapter of the trip. We are in Sicily researching things to do in South Africa. One of the bigees is driving on the other side of the road, something neither of us have done. I am thinking about swimming with sharks. They lower you in cage with scuba gear. Don’t know if I have the nerve…. It will be winter in South Africa so we will go from late spring/summer to winter in the Mediterranean, more rain. Our new apartment has lots of windows and a big deck so it should be great. So yes, we will miss Sicily but we are excited about Cape Town. Hope everyone on Monte Alto is well and thriving. J