Here’s a final post about the pretty hillside town of Taormina before we head even further up the mountains to Castelmola. By now the sun is blazing and the narrow streets are congested with tour groups and serious shoppers. But there’s still a unique charm to be found in the meandering lanes and hidden corners.Continue reading “Final taste of Taormina”
Category Archives: Italy
Colourful tourist trail
Continuing on our breakneck, incredibly uninformative tour of Taormina now with yet more pictures of stuff that I have photographed!! (It’s no Lonely Planet blog – let’s be honest!) Aside from the multitude of colourful Maiolica pottery there are plenty of other artistic delights to pore over. From art shops and abstract images to tiny tilesContinue reading “Colourful tourist trail”
Ceramics a plenty!
Following on with our waltz around Taormina this entry is simply a riot of colour and pattern. Apologies in advance for the length of this particular post! Ceramics and pottery are in abundance across Sicily but seem to be particularly evident around Taormina. Everywhere you turn there are displays of jewel bright plates, bowls, spoon holders andContinue reading “Ceramics a plenty!”
Taormina
Escaping the grime of Catania we head on a train to the gorgeous town of Taormina. Situated 250 metres above sea level the town has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. First off we nip off the train and hit the beach which is below the old town. This area is known as Mazzaró -Taormina Mare. SadlyContinue reading “Taormina”
Cross country to Catania
After a couple of days in Palermo we hop on the train across Sicily to the East coast and the industrial city of Catania. We’re staying four days in the beautiful Ferrini Home Suite in Piazza Trento. Absolutely gorgeous, spotless accommodation with a balcony giving views out over the busy, commercial district. Catania is a large, sprawlingContinue reading “Cross country to Catania”
Villa Garibaldi and La Cala port
Palermo has many public spaces and gardens. One, very close to our B and B is Garibaldi garden, also called Villa Garibaldi. The garden was built between 1861 and 1864 by the architect Giovan Battista Filippo Basile in Piazza Marina in Palermo ‘s historic district of Kalsa. It was dedicated to the national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi to celebrateContinue reading “Villa Garibaldi and La Cala port”
Palermo Cathedral and surrounds
We head onwards from the market to take a look at some of the main architectural treats that the city has to offer. Below is the Palazzo dei Normanni or the Royal Palace of Palermo. This was the seat of the Kings of Sicily during the Norman domination and served afterwards as the main seat of powerContinue reading “Palermo Cathedral and surrounds”
First Sicilian market
Just incase “regular” (ho ho, as if I have any of those!) readers were starting to wonder where my staple holiday subject had got to, never fear – here’s the first batch of lots of market photos!! Markets in Sicily are a real treat. Due to proximity to North Africa, Sicily has more in commonContinue reading “First Sicilian market”
Colourful Capri stalls
Still shifting through the past few years worth of photos in search of favourite market piccies. Here’s a myriad of colourful delights from the gorgeous little island of Capri. From the obvious Italian pastas to the island’s preocupation with lemons, there are so many lovely little knick knacks. There are also lots of incredible paintedContinue reading “Colourful Capri stalls”
Pompeii, a tragedy locked in time
Pompeii is still in the shadow of the brooding Mount Vesuvius. The city of Pompeii, along with Herculaneum, was partially destroyed and buried under 13 to 20 ft of hot ash, pumice and mud in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. One of the tragic inhabitants of Pompeii, forever encased in ash. HisContinue reading “Pompeii, a tragedy locked in time”