From the roof of our small hotel nestled in the Sicilian cliff, I could see the colorful pastel buildings of Taormina bordered by the sparkling Ionian Sea. After picking up my room key and quickly tossing my luggage inside, my first priority was to scope out the highest floor of the hotel to see if there was a place to sit and soak in the sun. To say the roof had a great view would be an understatement. During the week we spent our afternoons reading and catching up on journaling with the sea as our backdrop, and in the evenings we chatted about the day while watching for shooting stars. My week in Sicily helped me recognize how varied Italy’s landscape is, and how this unique region of Italy complements the country’s culture overall.
Comparable to the citizens of Florence, the Sicilian people have immense pride for their history and for the specialties of the region. While sampling a local frozen treat called ‘granita’, the bar’s owner beamed with pride while he explained his method of incorporating fresh local ingredients into a recipe he developed himself. A few minutes later, he returned to the table to show us photos he had taken with celebrities who have visited his bar during its nineteen years of business. Saro’s willingness to get to know his customers and share his bar’s story exemplifies a major difference I found in Taormina. Sicilian life has a much slower pace than in Florence, and citizens are happy to chat with visitors about their families, business, and Sicilian culture. Also, the streets are much less hectic and are not constantly swamped with tourists. The people of Taormina are warm, welcoming, and want visitors to love their small town as much as they do.
The cobblestone streets in Taormina are filled with much more color than I am accustomed to seeing in Florence. Throughout Corso Umberto, the city’s main street, small shops proudly display their handcrafted pottery, jewelry, pastries, and clothing. The colors of these goods fill store windows and pour onto every sidewalk. Bright flowers and plants line the streets and hang down from the balconies above. The city is filled with stunning vistas of the bright blue Ionian Sea contrasted with the steep, dark hills surrounding Mt. Etna, and the white smoke above. When we traveled to Etna Park as for our hike on the volcano, I stepped out of the bus to crisp, cool air at least fifteen degrees cooler than in Taormina, and a completely different color scheme. The park had wooden lodges and green pines and there was no colorful pottery or jewelry to be found. Black and grey volcanic rock created most of the landscape, and the closer to the calderas and hotspots we hiked, the less color there was. In a short drive to the park I witnessed the variability of the island, which allows it to produce so many of the country’s essential goods.
Later in the week I had the opportunity to get a more intimate view into Sicilian lifestyle at a homestay family dinner. The homestay mother, Antonella, was extremely welcoming and kind; just like the city itself. She cooked and provided for her family and guests with a loving touch, and ensured everyone in attendance enjoyed every course. After dinner, Antonella read poetry while we sipped espresso from tiny ceramic cups. She spoke with such passion and emotion that I thought she may begin to cry at any given moment. Although I could not understand much of the Italian prose she read, I did not need to. Her expression and voice was all I needed to appreciate her family’s simple post-dinner ritual. The Sicilian people share their emotions freely, and enjoy life at their own pace. They are proud of their culture and history, and display it on each street for locals and visitors to appreciate and enjoy. Taormina is an important component of Italian culture overall, and helps balance the bustling streets and fast pace of northern Italy.
From the roof of our small hotel nestled in the Sicilian cliff, I could see the colorful pastel buildings of Taormina bordered by the sparkling Ionian Sea. After picking up my room key and quickly tossing my luggage inside, my first priority was to scope out the highest floor of the hotel to see if there was a place to sit and soak in the sun. To say the roof had a great view would be an understatement. During the week we spent our afternoons reading and catching up on journaling with the sea as our backdrop, and in the evenings we chatted about the day while watching for shooting stars. My week in Sicily helped me recognize how varied Italy’s landscape is, and how this unique region of Italy complements the country’s culture overall.
RispondiEliminaComparable to the citizens of Florence, the Sicilian people have immense pride for their history and for the specialties of the region. While sampling a local frozen treat called ‘granita’, the bar’s owner beamed with pride while he explained his method of incorporating fresh local ingredients into a recipe he developed himself. A few minutes later, he returned to the table to show us photos he had taken with celebrities who have visited his bar during its nineteen years of business. Saro’s willingness to get to know his customers and share his bar’s story exemplifies a major difference I found in Taormina. Sicilian life has a much slower pace than in Florence, and citizens are happy to chat with visitors about their families, business, and Sicilian culture. Also, the streets are much less hectic and are not constantly swamped with tourists. The people of Taormina are warm, welcoming, and want visitors to love their small town as much as they do.
The cobblestone streets in Taormina are filled with much more color than I am accustomed to seeing in Florence. Throughout Corso Umberto, the city’s main street, small shops proudly display their handcrafted pottery, jewelry, pastries, and clothing. The colors of these goods fill store windows and pour onto every sidewalk. Bright flowers and plants line the streets and hang down from the balconies above. The city is filled with stunning vistas of the bright blue Ionian Sea contrasted with the steep, dark hills surrounding Mt. Etna, and the white smoke above. When we traveled to Etna Park as for our hike on the volcano, I stepped out of the bus to crisp, cool air at least fifteen degrees cooler than in Taormina, and a completely different color scheme. The park had wooden lodges and green pines and there was no colorful pottery or jewelry to be found. Black and grey volcanic rock created most of the landscape, and the closer to the calderas and hotspots we hiked, the less color there was. In a short drive to the park I witnessed the variability of the island, which allows it to produce so many of the country’s essential goods.
Later in the week I had the opportunity to get a more intimate view into Sicilian lifestyle at a homestay family dinner. The homestay mother, Antonella, was extremely welcoming and kind; just like the city itself. She cooked and provided for her family and guests with a loving touch, and ensured everyone in attendance enjoyed every course. After dinner, Antonella read poetry while we sipped espresso from tiny ceramic cups. She spoke with such passion and emotion that I thought she may begin to cry at any given moment. Although I could not understand much of the Italian prose she read, I did not need to. Her expression and voice was all I needed to appreciate her family’s simple post-dinner ritual. The Sicilian people share their emotions freely, and enjoy life at their own pace. They are proud of their culture and history, and display it on each street for locals and visitors to appreciate and enjoy. Taormina is an important component of Italian culture overall, and helps balance the bustling streets and fast pace of northern Italy.