A Trip to Sicily: Taormina
Taormina is a gorgeous seaside town on a hilltop about 60 kilometers north of Catania. The picturesque town has everything of a paradise: ancient ruins, sweeping view of the Mediterranean sea, the Sicilian coastline, and a medieval old town. It is no surprise that Taormina has long attracted literary giants and generations of celebrities, including D. H. Lawrence, Elizabeth Taylor, and Sophia Loren, to name a few.
Teatro Greco, an approximately 2,000-year-old Greco-Roman amphitheater that is Taormina’s most famous attraction. It may also have the best views among all Greek theatres. There were very few tourists at the site when we visited, which was perfect to soak in the architecture and the sweeping views.
The public gardens of Taormina originally belonged to a Scottish Noblewoman Lady Florence Trevelyan, and was transferred to the town in 1922. The expansive terrace provides the garden with the sweeping ocean views. The garden paths are nested among magnolias, rosemellows, and bougainvillea bushes. Bougainvillea bushes are still in bloom when we visited. The garden is a perfect oasis to stay away from the crowds (luckily not many when we were there) and relax.
The beauty of Taormina has definitely made it one of the major tourist attractions in Sicily. This is evident in the numerous souvenir shops, English pubs, and eateries targeting tourists (bacon and eggs, anyone?) Although the town is picture perfect, it also feels very touristy.
We found the real charm of Taormina when we got off the main streets in the center and to narrow paths and the secret hideaways.
And this paradise is not only for humans. This adorable dog is definitely luckier than we are, because he lives here.
When it was time for lunch, we chose the Michelin recommended Andreas Restaurant and what an amazing meal it was! The first sign of the great meal was the table bread. They are freshly baked in house and came in warm. They look beautiful too, perfectly shaped as pebble stones.
The pasta was paccheri pasta with tuna, thinly sliced green beans and mint. The flavor was incredible. The mint (just a few leaves, very subtle) was a pleasant surprise and added such a refreshing touch to the dish.
Our main course was the baby pork shank in dark beer sauce. The shank is slow cooked to perfection and the slight bitterness of the beer sauce goes very well with the sweetness of the meat.
