One of the things that Jonathan and I loved about Taormina was walking through the busy streets at night and browsing past the open shops after 7pm. There are people out, restaurants everywhere and everyone is open for business, which really lifts the feel of early evening.

In an age where luxury brands have gone so global they have lost their original, handcrafted and exclusive meaning. I love finding quality boutiques that sidestep the big brands. That’s what you have here in Taormina: a different kind of luxury. It’s the pleasure of seeing individual fashion and homeware boutiques that you just won’t come across elsewhere. It makes finding a great pair of shoes, piece of jewelry or bag more of a treasure hunt - and so much more fun to bring home.The clothes here weren’t particularly standout or unique, but there were beautiful.

FINE JEWELRY is a real specialty here, which was quite mysterious to us. Why would well-heeled Italians buy their real rocks on a seaside holiday? Instead of Louis Vuitton, Prada and Gucci, shoppers here will find a 100,000 Euro gold link necklace or oversized ruby ring. I have never seen so much high-end, beautifully set, real jewelry for sale in a little village street.

There is good Italian menswear here - Noah and Jonathan picked up two tailored shirts at Castella on the Corso Umberto on sale for 35 euros each. But I had my fun too, finding some very glamorous mauve jeweled sandals at CESARE PACIOTTI, the Italian Christian Louboutin, who makes seductive, feminine stilettos that most women would adore.

There are plenty of upscale non-fashion items as well, like the great variety of regional gourmet food: Trapani sea salt, amazing olive oils from small, Sicilian farms, chocolate from Modica and rare local wines. And the Corso Umberto is full of local crafts: ceramics, textiles, lace and Sicilian drawn-thread embroidery. If you can deal with the shipping, this part of Italy is also famous for its marble inlay (in furniture) and sculpture, particularly in Sicilian yellow or Taormina Red marble. It’s a town that is more about quality than cutting edge where, in their own quiet way, they sell the best of everything.