White Almond Sicily

"A microworld where time stands still between historical references and modern elements, faraway English memories and Sicilian traditions" The Ashbee Hotel Taormina Taormina has always been renowned as a destination for English visitors since the 18th century when the British aristocracy would embark on what was known as 'The Grand Tour' visiting all of continental Europe enjoying the culture and embarking on purchasing fine works of art and antiques. Taormina was an obligatory stop on The Grand Tour and has played host to foreign visitors ever since. Being the last stop on the tour many decided to stay and make Taormina their home. Visitors chose Taormina for its peaceful location and beautiful landscapes with many drawing inspiration for paintings, poems and novels including D H Lawrence. They enjoyed Taormina’s glamourous way of life, with afternoon teas and soirees in beautiful villas and lush gardens. In 1907 construction be...

One of the things I love about our town Giardini Naxos is the feeling of being surrounded by lovely friends, neighbours and friendly local residents. Sometimes a five minute walk to the seafront turns into an hour because you can bump into so many people you know along the way. Recently together with my friend Liz Gaan, who is Taormina's top wedding planner, her daughter Laura, our lovely friend Teresa who also lives in Giardini, and Marilisa who works on the events team at the gorgeous Belmond Hotel Villa Sant' Andrea in Taormina, we were all invited by a lovely man called Claudio and his wife Manuela to spend a morning on their beautiful boat called the Futura. The boat Futura is 16 metres (50 foot) long and is docked in the port of Giardini Naxos. The boat has a typical vintage style with 3 bedrooms, a beautifully decorated double room and 2 twin rooms, a kitchen, living room, 2 bathrooms and a shower room. Claudio explained to us that one of his favourite ...