Taormina: My Sicilian Perfection

Some ships tender directly to Giardini Naxos or dock in Messina – either way, we were sipping espresso on Corso Umberto by 9 a.m. The Greek theater at opening hour was almost empty – we walked the stage where gladiators once fought and looked straight at smoking Etna framed perfectly in the arches. The acoustics are still insane; I whispered and heard it across the cavea.

The town itself is impossibly pretty – balconies dripping bougainvillea, ceramic pinecones everywhere, and views that make you dizzy. We had lunch at Tischi Toschi – swordfish involtini and Etna red wine while watching clouds swirl around the volcano. In the afternoon we took the cable car down to Mazzarò and Isola Bella – swam in water so clear it felt like flying.