Taormina, Sicily: Cannoli with a View - Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide - Travel Bite
Taormina, Sicily's most spectacular resort,
hangs high above the Mediterranean.
Its handy cable car provides access to the beach.
Its dramatic setting has an understandable allure.
One of Europe's romantic old-world resorts,
it takes full advantage of its breathtaking perch.
Taormina was a favorite aristocratic escape
back in the 19th century.
Today, it's clearly the domain of the masses,
as visitors from far and wide
pack its traffic-free historic center.
It's a busy evening for the passeggiata,
and everyone's out enjoying
the relaxed parade of Italian life.
The main drag connects a series of inviting piazzas,
and the balcony rewards all with staggering views.
But I'm hungry for dessert.
Many people travel all the way to Sicily for the cannoli,
and I can understand why.
It's a true local specialty.
Bakers proudly maintain the quality
that comes with tradition,
and bakers earn their reputation
on the quality of their cannoli,
on the crispness of the crust,
and on their mastery of ricotta cheese,
soft, sweet, and fresh from sheep's milk.
The best are filled by hand on location,
never with cream or custard.
It must be ricotta.
Taormina's setting impressed the ancient Greeks,
probably more for its strategic location than the view.
Still, this must be the most dramatically situated theater
from the ancient world.
2,500 years ago,
Greeks packed the house for live theater.
Today, exploring these ruins,
perched high on a mountain,
on an island in the Mediterranean,
I marvel at the many layers of civilization
we can enjoy here on Sicily.