Pam Bonaventura owns a 1 bedroom self catering apartment in Sicily. Set in a beautiful town called Taormina, close to Mount Etna and the warm Ionian Sea, it’s the perfect spot…
“Taormina and indeed Sicily, is rich in history, architecture and archaeology. It has beautiful beaches, fine restaurants, numerous bars, designer shopping and vibrant night life! What more could you wish for?”
1) Tell us a little about your self catering apartment
Our holiday let is a ground floor apartment, purchased in 2005 and fully renovated the following year, with patio and small raised garden with partial views of Mt. Etna. It is 80sq.mt of elegant luxury for two people (although a third person can be accommodated in the living area). It is situated in a quiet and secluded residential area of Taormina but within a handy five minute walk from the town centre and all it’s amenities.
2) What made you buy it – was it financial, emotional, a connection with the area, or something else?
We bought it because it is in the same block of apartments where we have been living for twenty-nine years; there are only five apartments in this block, all owner-occupied and we own three of them! We hope to use it for ourselves one day, but meanwhile we are renting it out as a holiday let since Taormina is an international tourist resort.
3) What’s the best thing about the region it’s located in? Is it the scenery, the pace of life, the locals, the activities, etc?
Taormina is called the Pearl of the Ionian. Perched on the hillside overlooking the Ionian Sea and the ever-smoking Mount Etna, the jewel in it’s crown must surely be the Greek Theatre which, during the summer months, plays host to the Taormina Film Fest followed by Taormina Arte which stages ballet, music, theatre and opera from all over the world, within it’s magnificent ancient ruins. The stunning views from the Greek Theatre and indeed from any corner of Taormina are unforgettable.
Taormina and indeed Sicily, is rich in history, architecture and archaeology. It has beautiful beaches, fine restaurants, numerous bars, designer shopping and vibrant night life! What more could you wish for?
Italy, and especially Sicily, is well-known for it’s slower pace of life with time taken to savour it’s cuisine and fine wines, to be scrupulously followed by a well-earned siesta!!
4) What are the 3 special touches you add to enhance the guest experience?
1. The personal touch from the first moment of initial email enquiry, to discreet on-site assistance, if required, with information, or other, during your visit, a personal farewell on departure and a short follow-up after you have returned home. In short the welfare and comfort of our guests during their stay here with personalized attention to the guest both before and, briefly and non intrusively, after their stay.
2. Providing high quality accommodation which, according to the comments left by guests, lacks for nothing in the way of furnishings and general equipment.
3. We hope that English-speaking guests would feel re-assured on the absence of any language barrier since they would be dealing with an English on-site owner who has lived here for more years than she cares to remember!
5) If a guest had just one day in your rental what would you recommend they do for the perfect experience?
With just one day here (terrible mistake!) I would suggest breakfast taken in one of Taormina’s many panoramic bars. The breakfast should be Italian coffee (of course), freshly squeezed Sicilian orange juice (naturally), with a ‘brioche’ dunked into a ‘granita’ (choose your flavour). (See Interesting Note below).
Then down to the beach for an invigorating dip in the Med followed by a lunch of pasta, then either meat or fish served with salad, to conclude with Italian ice-cream. Enjoy a chilled white wine with your meal.
In the afternoon take the Sunset excursion to Mount Etna. A memorable trip to visit the crater when the sun goes down behind it and if the day is clear you will have far reaching panoramic views of Eastern Sicily. Evening dinner can be included in this trip at a restaurant on the slopes of Mount Etna.
For a one-day winter/early spring stop-over you can still visit Mount Etna, but this time in the morning for skiing or snowboarding followed by a swim in the Med in the afternoon. Where else in the world can you ski and sea bathe on the same day?
A Day To Remember indeed!
Interesting Note: the granita is typical only to Sicily. You will not find it anywhere else in Italy. It consists basically of water, sugar and the flavour of many varieties of fresh fruits of choice (freshly squeezed), coffee, almonds, coconut, etc frozen and stirred occasionally during the freezing process. A deliciously cool drink in the intense summer heat. It is generally accompanied (on request) with a brioche, a round soft bun with a ‘top’ which can be served either room temperature or quickly heated in the microwave. You will also be asked if you want ‘panna’ – whipped cream – with your granita; a spoonful is usually put in the bottom of the long glass and again over the top of your granita to cover it completely. A typical Sicilian summer breakfast.
To rent the apartment in Sicily from Pam, please complete the contact form which can be found through the above link.
This post has no comments so far....
