Friday, November 29, 2013

Taormina Sicily-Godfather Tour

Godfather Tour in Sicily
 






 
GodFather Tour in Taormina, Sicily

We took an all day tour called The GodFather Tour from our cruise ship with a great tour guide.  Along the way, we drove through scenic roads along Letojanni, winding around slopes of the mountain, dotted with tiny picturesque hillside villages.  With sea on one side and hilltop villages on the other, The coastal scenery was breathtaking while the drive was a bit treacherous.

We took the Godfather tour.  Here were some highlights or our visits to Taormina, Savoca, and Forza D’Agrò

Savoca-Set of Godfather Films

Visiting Savoca was like taking a step back in time. It is a typical, simple, traditional town set on the hillside of the foothills of the Peloritiani Mountains. It's no wonder that Director Michael Coppola chose it for his Corleone Sicily scenes.  This is where Al Pacino and Cast shot the Godfather Film.  While in town “a must” is the stop for a Lemon Granita ( Italian ice) at the famous BAR VITELLI on the corner of the town, one of Coppola’s favorite spots, and seen many times throughout the film. Finally, we visited the church of St. Lucy where the scene of the wedding between Apollonia and Michael Corleone!







Church of St Lucy from Godfather Films

 

Forza d’Agrò, without a doubt one of the best examples of a typical village of the Province of Messina, which still conserves its medieval street layout, and on all sides of the town, we were surrounded by most incredible views.








 

Taormina-50 minutes north of the port of Catania

Known as the Pearl of Sicily, Taormina is a charming hillside town on the east coast of Sicily, Italy.  Perched on a terrace overlooking the Ioanian Sea, it is known for its delightful medieval character and breathtaking sea and St. Etna views.





 

Besides the ancient Greek theatre, it has many old churches, lively bars, fine restaurants, and antique shops. Taormina is approximately a forty-five minute drive away from Europe's largest active volcano, Mount Etna.

We had free time to explore this lovely city with Mount St Etna as a backdrop.

No comments: