The whole family was excited to discover a new town on Sicily’s East Coast in a part of Italy that we are already passionate about, the Mediterranean. The idyllic landscape and climate has always attracted travelers. Taormina was considered part of the ‘European Grand Tour’ that turned 19th aristocrats and explorers into wordly gentlemen - now it was our turn. This magical coastal town was first stop on this year’s Said family Grand Tour.
By staying in the luxurious but old-world setting of the San Domenico Palace Hotel this sense of the past never left us. The converted 14th century monastery with its old colonnades, church statues, courtyards and gorgeous rambling gardens, let us live and walk in the steps of the white robed monks. The hotel has a prime position on Taormina’s unique cliffside setting - with the beaches far below. Its special atmosphere of living history also makes it the perfect sanctuary when visiting a place with so many rich layers to its ancient and medieval past - with Mt Etna, the rumbling volcano of myth and legend as the oldest backdrop of all.