Taormina
Set between endless sea and boundless sky, a precious gem that countless literati and poets of all generations and times past, have translated into amazing verses and astonishing prose, Taormina, for those who have had the pleasure and honour of visiting, is simply…pure magic, always...
Exuberant and blooming in springtime, intense and sublime in the summer, only to return gently in warm, breezy September heralding the fall, then superb, wild and careless in clear winter sun. A rare, exotic, centuries-old park, a wonderful setting overlooking the sea in the heart of Taormina, a breathtaking greek Amphitheatre, a paradise lost in time, a magical place that weaves its spell and immerses you in the passion of Sicilian culture and tradition.
Down to the sea, a constant deep cobalt blue, by winding roads of extraordinary flora and fauna, that lead to Taormina Bay 's coast, an infinite coral sea bed surrounded by ancient and mysterious grottoes. Here life is dreamily spent on languid beaches of sand and pebbles, on ancient lava rocks that rise from the sea, all along Taormina Mare, between Capo Sant'Andrea to Capo Taormina and beyond.
Meandering through its tiny roads and pathways, rich displays of Sicilian hand embroidered fabrics and home furnishings, a tradition dating back to the 1400's, lovingly dress the dreamy shops that line the cobble stone streets. The rainbow coloured ‘ frutta martorana ' fill the windows of Taormina's bountiful, homemade pastry shops, a wonderfully, characteristic candy made of marzipan (finely ground almond dough mixed with egg yolk and flavoured with local orange flowers and vanilla), sublime works of art in intricate forms and shapes of pure artistic expression, once a November tradition of offerings for all Soul's Day…now present in every season...just like the custom shops and boutiques along the main Corso Umberto (the ancient Roman consular road, Valeria) that contain countless, illustrious examples of this artistic patrimony and immeasurable inheritance, that still inspire rich Sicilian expression, laced with the typical profusion of colour from the striking, natural Sicilian landscape…ochre, copper green, earthen red, burnt orange and cobalt blue…like works of art in authentic lava rock , sourced from its majestic volcano, Mt. Etna, still imposingly active and spellbinding, material once used only for flooring, portals and balconies…contemporarily proposed in elegant form and matter…all this and more..so much the heart did not yet know it desired...