In search of the Godfather - Sicily.

Taormina in Sicily is nestled high up in the hills and clings dramatically to the rocks overlooking the sparking azure sea. Taormina is a pretty, charming and bustling old town about an hour from Catania Airport but beware if you are travelling there by car it can get very congested, especially in the summer months. There is a cable car that connects Taormina to the lower seaside resorts below and many tourists choose to park here and get up to Taormina this way.

The old town itself is very typically Italian with small cobbled streets with lots of cafes, shops and restaurants catering to all tastes and budgets and set within the old stone walls. There is also a beautiful cathedral that is the town’s centrepiece plus the ruins of the old amphitheatre that are definitely worth a visit.

We stayed at the Belmond Hotel Timeo which has a beautiful terrace serving drinks and food all day and has stunning views out over the bay. You do not have to be a guest to enjoy a glass of wine and watch the beautiful sunsets from here.

Our primary reason for visiting Taormina was to go and visit the surrounding local villages where the film 'The Godfather' was set. My father-in-law is a huge fan of the films and it was a birthday treat for him. We hired a local guide who had fantastic knowledge of the area and took us to the exact locations where the films were shot. Even if you’re not a fan of the films it was a worthwhile experience as we got to see the 'real' Sicily and walk around tiny villages that have remained largely unchanged for centuries.

We also took a trip out to see Mount Etna which is Europe’s largest and most active Volcano. The drive itself took around an hour from Taormina and we stopped en route to visit a local vineyard, where the locals were only too happy to let you try some of their product! Again our guide spoke fantastic English and was only too happy to impart stories of Sicilian life and history. Both trips were easy to organise and relatively inexpensive.

We spent an enjoyable 4 days in Taormina and thoroughly enjoyed our visit, everything from the food, the weather, the wine and the Sicilian hospitality was great but it's got to be the truly beautiful views that I will remember for a long time.