Instead of heading to a topical paradise filled with college students for this year’s spring break, I decided to do something a little different. I traveled to Sicily with a travel writing class from UMass and completely fell in love with the place. During the ten-day trip we stopped in a handful of cities, but I would have to say that my favorite was Taormina.
Our hotel was located right at the top of a hill overlooking the city coastline on the Ionian Sea. The scenery alone was enough to take our breath away, but as we inched ourselves back down the hill to see the city, my shopping gene kicked into high gear. What seemed like a small city from the top of the hill is actually a hustling and bustling mall with hundreds of shops to choose from. International high-end brands like Gucci and Prada, and more affordable shops like United Colors of Benetton, lined the streets, each more beautiful than the last. Window-shopping alone was enough to keep me entertained.
The winding, cobblestone streets are filled with all sorts of people. Many of whom sat drinking their cappuccinos at outdoor cafes as I dreamed of purchasing all of the fine leather products in the shops beside them. Walking down the main strip of shops feels like walking down Fifth Avenue in New York, but more chic because of the added Italian charm.
Aside from the major stores, the streets are also filled with various souvenir shops, all filled with painted ceramics, coral, and turquoise, and jewelry made of rock lava. They seem to appear one right after the other, each differing only slightly from the last. Out of all of the types of stores, I was most struck by the number of handcrafted goods that were located in the smaller streets off of the main strip. Marble workers, handbag, and shoe makers - craftsmen that we don’t see in the United States seemed to appear all over the place in Taormina. One girl in my group even managed to get a pair of sandals made specifically for her for only 30 euros!
The variety of shops that are in Taormina are unlike anything I have ever seen before in such a small city. Not to mention the site of the stunning backdrop of Mt. Etna and the coastline down below the city as you walk through the streets. Taormina is truly a treasure of Sicilian shopping!