Tag Archives: Sicilian

Views from Castelmola

Castelmola is located just above Taormina and is reachable by bus, or if you’re ambitious you can walk.  The small town has amazing charm and some really fun restaurants and bars to visit.  It’s topped off with a castle at the top with some truly amazing views.  Watch the video to see some of these breath-taking views.

Visit www.giannihouse.com for more information about our hostel and the surrounding areas.

Sicilian Royalty Remembered

Here in Palermo I encounter local women of all ages who seem to consider themselves somewhat “worldly” because they’ve spent money on what look like overpriced clothes and have taken a group tour to someplace like Egypt or Thailand. Let’s not dwell on the fact that few can manage a complete sentence, let alone a conversation, in English. Right now, the number of women wearing fur coats in a city where it hardly ever snows is astounding.

Back in December 1994, when I first met Princess Urraca de Bourbon of the Two Sicilies, who in childhood had actually known Queen Maria Sophia (the queen, a sister of Empress Elizabeth ‘Sissi’ of Austria, died when Urraca was 12), I was struck by her simplicity. During the day, instead of fur she wore a simple goose down coat. There was no need to “impress” anybody with false attempts at sophistication. She was the real thing.

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