Taormina, Sicily

After a late check-in and a night of rain and bad weather forecasts, we woke to a beautiful sunny day. A hurricane had hit Sicily two days before we arrived and the weather forecast hasn't looked good but for some reason the forecasts seem to be wrong as we always end up with sunny days. Very lucky. I really wasn't sure what to expect from Taormina after our arrival last night and have to admit I was pleasantly surprised.

After a delicious breakfast on the terrace overlooking the bay, we hit the streets and started touring. First stop was the ancient Roman Amphitheatre - more on that shortly. After the theatre we decided to just wander and explore the town. By now we have seen a lot of "tourist" towns and while Taormina had the usual tourist shops, there was also a lot of variety and some pretty cool things to see. If only we lived a lot closer and didn't have to worry about excess luggage, I would have bought so much. There was a nice feel about Taormina and it was a pity we didn't have a bit more time here to explore more.

We found our way down to the main square, we had no idea how big the town was, and got to enjoy the view, check out some of the old churches and buildings, and listen to some Sicilian buskers. A very pleasant afternoon. There were lots of cool restaurants and cafes tucked away in the alleyways and we found a lovely one to stop and have a light lunch. We had enjoyed a very delicious Arancini ball on the ferry on the way over and had discovered they were a staple in Sicily and we wanted more. Lunch was an aracini ball and a glass or two of local wine. We also happened to start chatting to a couple sat next to us and had a lovely time exchanging stories and getting some gossip on some stars from a tv show we watch as they knew the cast members. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

We ended our day in Taormina with a delicious Sicilian dinner at Bella Blu, a great restaurant overlooking the ocean. I love that we get given a shot when we pay the bill at the end of the night. Tonight's shot was a lemon vodka slushie and it was delicious, except for the brain freeze that followed from drinking it so quickly. Another great night with great food and company. Thankfully Brad and I aren't sick of each other yet.Read more