ONE: TAORMINA & CASTELMOLA Taormina is iconic for good reason and is one of those places worth braving the crowds. Down in Taormina Mare, the coastline puts Isola Bella on display as if an artist had envisioned the perfect ornament for the coast. Then ride the funicular or drive up the hill and the town itself unfolds: alleys that feel like discoveries, terraces that surprise at every turn, a piazza that is essentially a sublime balcony over the Ionian, and above all, the Greek Theatre. One of the most fabulous concert halls in the world, with its stage opening onto Etna’s smoking peak and the endless coastline, it is the…
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Mallorca #SINEQUANON: Coveted Coves and the Rare Drama of the Tramuntana
Mallorca is a wonderland that can be so easily ruined, it’s ridiculous. She’ll give you postcard perfection, a predictable luxury bubble, or something else entirely. To be fair, it’s almost too easy to get it wrong. She can be a revelation, she can become a habit, or it can be the beautiful and boring holiday paradigm. And it’s ok. You know why? Because this way we get to keep the best of it for ourselves ONE: Timing and Place Matter Most Skip the summer crush, go for the shoulder seasons: late spring or autumn. The air is freer, the crowds are whispers, and the seawater temperature is perfect. Shun the…
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MYKONOS #SINEQUANON: THE WINDMILLS OF MY HEART
ONE: The windmills That jump-into-the-postcard feeling: amazing! The iconic windmills that are a synonim for Mykonos and for the Cyclades can be seen from just about everywhere in the bay area or from up the hill in the city. Incredibly famous and photogenic, they are the soul and signature of Mykonos. Built in the 1700 to mill the wheat using the revolutionary power of wind, they have been a symbol of wealth and welvome for all visitors: trade ships, fishing ships, merchants and travellers. The most famous ones are the Kato Milli, the row of six mills on the shore cliff in Chora, next to Little Venice. You can reach…
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A story of tides: Mont Saint Michel, revealed
The mountain has always been a place of awe; beautiful and inaccessible, it caused many to perish at the mercy of tides. And as it happens with so many places of awe and beauty, it has always been a site of worship. In the early days of Christianity, monks were using Mount Tomb – that was the first name of the island – as a sanctuary. It was in 708 that Saint Michael appeared to the bishop of Avranches, commending to build an abbey on top of that mountain. The abbey was consecrated in Saint Michael’s name, and since anno domini 708, Christians continue their pilgrimage to the holy mountain,…
