Best Places to See in Sicily, Italy

Taormina is a small resort town located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy. Situated on the side of a hill (Monte Tauro), the site offers stunning views of Mount Etna and the Gulf of Naxos. Its most famous attraction is the Teatro Greco, an ancient Greek theatre built during the 3^rd century, BC. Works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Aristophanes and Euripides were performed at this site.  The Romans built around it later on, in order to enlarge the structure.

Teatro Greco

Pictures of the Theater do not give it justice as the beauty of the active Volcano is perfectly centered on stage. Even on a hazy, hot day it is magnificent.

View of Mount Etna

Taking a stroll through the medieval streets, you will find old churches, quaint café and shops. Taormina has long been a favorite destination of artists and writers, and the source of inspiration for several works by Truman Capote and D.H. Lawrence, to name a few.

The Duomo (13th century church)

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Stroll off the main beaten path and just a few streets away sit at a café sipping a hot cappuccino or having insalata caprese and you will witness Sicilians interacting amongst themselves and get a true feel for the local culture.

Very busy during the summer, the best time to visit Taormina is probably during the September-October timeframe.

Happy Travels!

Mariela

Italy: When in Rome - Mass at The Pantheon

Pentecost Sunday is a Christian holy day commemorating the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, 10 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Mass is held at the Pantheon every Sunday, but if you are in Rome in May, I strongly suggest attending the special Pentecost Sunday mass at the Pantheon as this service is truly beautiful and amazing.

When we arrived at the Pantheon on Pentecost Sunday a few years ago, I was concerned about whether we would be able to get in at all, but it was all very organized and we made our way to mass inside. Even though there was a large amount of guests, we were able to make our way in and look around the Pantheon before settling in our spot. We were positioned at the first row of people standing. The mass was just beautiful. It was such an experience to attend this special mass in this marvelous structure, so well known for its history (famous Renaissance painter, Raphael, is buried here) and design (especially the famous oculus). 

At the end of this beautiful and unique service, hundreds of rose petals start falling down through the oculus. What a sight! We learned later that the pompiere (Roman firefighters) are the ones who climb up the dome and drop the rose petals through the oculus high above us. Thereafter, a procession of servers and priests make their way out of the building, walking over a carpet of red petals. 

This year, Pentecost falls on May 24, 2015 and while you may not be able to make it all the way to Rome on such short notice, I strongly urge you to go see it at some point.  Witnessing this special event certainly made my first trip to Rome that much more meaningful.  

Happy Travels!

Mariela

Pantheon Entrance

Rose petals flowing in through Oculus

Procession exiting Pantheon after Mass