View from the ancient greek theater of Taormina, Sicily
Written by:Students
Date posted:November 6, 2007
Posted in:Home / Locations / Italy / Taormina / Taormina, Sicily: an unmissable experience

Taormina, Sicily: an unmissable experience

For two weeks, Taormina, located on a terrace with its spectacular views of the beach below and Mount Etna in the rolling hills in the distance was where I called home.

I studied at the Italian language school and lived in a rented apartment located behind the sophisticated and chic main street of Corso Umberto. My accommodation was organised by the school and rented from one of the old typical sicilian nonna’s and the three generations of her family that lived in the apartment above.

School life is interesting to say the least – for a 24 year old woman who has finished her university studies a few years ago, going back to school is an experience in itself!

School life consisted of 4 hours of learning, including grammar, conversation and fun activities within an intimate friendly environment catered for individual needs.

However the experience truly begin the moment you walked out of the school when you get to put into practice all the mornings learning on the sicilian italians.

My afternoons and weekends were made up of experiencing typical sicilian life including the siesta times (what I like to call an afternoon nap) in the heat of the day. Afternoons spent working on my tan and cooling off in one of the numerous beaches below that are accessible by the cable car, bus, or if your feeling fit you can walk – but with amazingly rewarding views for your efforts. Also late dinners in the piazza’s where the italians sit, mingle and ‘people watch’ and sampling numerous local wines and many gelati flavours!

Also included in the many delights of Taormina is being a typical tourist. With trips to mount etna and boat trips to the aeolian islands where you can see the volcano on Stromboli errupt at night time with real live lava errupting every 15 minutes.

The famous theatre of Teatro Greco where I went and saw an opera which was a very surreal experience with the beautiful music of the opera singers enveloping you but with the faint hum of cicaders (bugs) in the background and the view of taormina below as the theatre is suspended between sea and sky. These are just to name a few.

So to sum up for an all round learning, cultural and to get down to it, amazingly good time, then visiting, living and learning Italian in Taormina is a definate must to add to your “Things to do before you die list” – which we all know every one has!

Amy King

Comments

  1. Silvia

    Hi Amy
    I must say I love the idea of learning Italian in “bella Italia”! The combination of the “old fashion” way of education and the possibility of living (even if it’s just for a short time) in a beautiful country is just great. I think I would like to be once again a student, having classmates from all over the world and go out and enjoy the Italian culture. Thank you for your nice narration, it was really inspiring!
    Wish you all the Best Silvia

    Posted November 8, 2007 at 5:29 pm
  2. John

    I can just fall into line with Silvia, learning a language is really a nice thing to do and what could be more motivating than starting it surrounded by locals. That way you get also the chance to learn the correct use of your hands to emphasise every word you say, something that is so typical Italian.
    Cheers John

    Posted November 9, 2007 at 12:00 pm
  3. Lulu

    Hello everybody!
    I have just read this post and it is a great narration, I would like to add only 1 information more: if you are going to attend a course in Taormina during summer you have to assist to a performance or show in the Greek theatre. There are manifestations and events for everybody, pop music, film festival, clasical music, opera and important performances often recorded by television! Don’t forget that Sicily has a long Summer period, untill the 15th of October you can go to the beach!!

    Posted November 21, 2007 at 4:42 pm

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