After an amazing time in Spain, I decided to go to Italy and discover Sicily. I spent 10 days on this mediterranean island and explored two main areas; Cefalu and Taormina.

CEFALU - 6 DAYS

I landed at Palermo airport and took a train from the airport to Cefalu station; a very easy transfer. Cefalu is a small village known for its beautiful cathedral and just like everywhere in Italy, amazing food. The week spent was the true definition of ‘dolce farniente’ , the pleasure of doing nothing as Italians say. For someone who takes a lot of pride from checking off endless to-do lists, this week was such a good reminder that slowing down is actually very productive.

I lived in a traditional Italian apartment with the iconic small balconies on the main street and everyday, I walk across Via Vanni, a tiny little alley, to go to the beach 3 minutes away. Those walks always made me so happy, like a little kid, skipping around in my swimsuit and towel, sans phone, with the only goal to swim and find the best gelato for that day. 

Cefalu is such a beautiful village and I was so impressed to see that the majority of tourists there were actually Italians from other regions. Visitors were from all generations and the general vibe was very family-oriented. Every street is booming with outdoor restaurants and endless gelato spots and the lifestyle is focused on beach, eat, relax, repeat.

I got so inspired by this way of being that I decided to design my Fall collection around this magical place. Via Vanni is a result of these magical summer days, spent living in an authentic Italian village, celebrating beautiful colors, beautiful people, beautiful cuisine and a beautiful culture.

 I highly recommend visiting Cefalu; it’s nothing like any other place I have seen before.

TAORMINA - 3 DAYS

My next stop was Taormina, another town in Sicily that is more developed and touristy. I took the train from Cefalu station to Taormina station and it was also an easy transit. 

Taormina is known for its Teatro Antico, the ancient Greek theater built in the third century BC.

This town has become a bougie landmark in Sicily for upscale fashion brands and boutique hotels. I spent my days mostly walking on the main square, exploring local shops and restaurants and of course trying new gelato spots.

Taormina is built on a hill with epic views of the island and the etna volcano. The nearest beach is Isola bella which you can access via a cable car for a roundtrip trip (costs 6 euros). This was my first time experiencing a pebble beach and it’s quite a unique experience.

For my return flight I departed from Catania airport. I took a bus from Taormina straight to the airport and it was a convenient one hour trip. 

Sicily was the perfect end to my Mediterranean island hopping and I hope you also get to visit this beautiful place soon. I can’t wait to go back to Italy and discover even more gelato flavors in other areas.