Taormina, Sicily

Taormina is a tourist town, a resort town, perhaps Sicily's most popular summer destination. Despite its small size, it's packed with breathtaking scenery. We spent half a day there, both because of a cruise stopover and because I was curious about the town. It's a very ancient place (founded by the Greeks in the 6th century BC, of course), and everyone says it's stunning, especially the scenery.

Taormina's seafront location and the beach are certainly attractive, but you soon realize it's actually built on a cliff, hundreds of meters above the water. The breathtaking views of the water and the inland mountains are truly breathtaking. If you're energetic, there are great hiking trails nearby; if not, there's great shopping on the main street, and the beach is always great. However, today, the town's soul is that it's a resort, a playground, and it feels like one. It's the kind of town where you can tell there's a film festival going on every year. People come here for almost nothing. The shops should be called boutiques, and there are plenty of pastry shops. Everything is expensive.