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Sicily's Second Stop: The Glitzy Resort Town of TaorminaAlthough Taormina features the rich and famous sporting the latest fashions, she has been around for a very long time. The Greeks founded the city and built a theater in the 3rd Century BC. The theater still exists today. Although half ruined, it has a spectacular setting as it sits upon a hill with the Ionian Sea and Mt. Etna as a backdrop. Taormina has long been a favorite for the jet set of Europe and the rest of the world. Sophia Loren and D. H. Lawrence are among some of them. During the summer months June - August, Taormina hosts an Art Festival. This year, the three month affair was kicked off with a film festival. Melanie Grifith and other stars came out to honor the event. We hurried over to the Ionian coast to catch some of the festival, only to find that we were two days late. At first we were extremely disappointed, however, we eventually came to appreciate and enjoy the beautiful cliff side town.
Taormina comes alive at night. Here, young and old stroll down the main pedestrian drag, Curso Umberto, enjoying gelati, laughing and peering into the shop windows. In the background is one of the many historical churches of Taormina.
Taormina also has a lot of local charm. The native Taorminians are very proud of their town. This is evident from the way that they decorate their homes and gardens. Here, two Taorminian women enjoy siesta time on the church steps.
Kelly models with a Smart Car that is parked along the edge of the cliff in the nearby village of Castelmola. Not a smart place to be parked. And Kelly is not so smart to stand in this narrow road where crazy Italian drivers drive by faster than the speed of light.
The town square of the nearby hill-top village of Catelmola.
A favorite dish of Palermo--that can be found throughout Sicily--is pasta con le sarde: pasta topped with a sauce made of sardines, peppers, fennel, capers and pine nuts. While it takes some getting used to, its actually quite tasty, and certainly distinctive. Rich enjoyed it so much in Palermo, he fires it up again in Taormina, together, of course, with the Italian requisite of wine with lunch.
Another nearby village is Forza D'Agro. We spent an afternoon in this charming village where Francis Ford Copola filmed scenes from the Godfather I and III. |
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One
of the cool sites of Italy is the Smart Car--which we believe to be aptly
named. Stylish and small, seating only two, its ideal for the narrow
streets and limited parking of Italy. Plus, it's a joy to look at.
They're so cute, we'd like to take one home with us. But God forbid you
get in an accident while driving or riding in one--it's so small, you'd be done,
or at least would have a very difficult time walking for a very long time.
