The morning light filters through the window of their sea-view room. The call of a few seagulls mixes with the gentle sound of the waves.
Oliver and Sophia step out onto the balcony of the hotel in Realmonte and remain silent for a few seconds, enjoying their last seaside awakening.
Sophia smiles.
— "Do you think one day we could live here, at least for a while?"
Oliver comes closer and replies with a caress:
— "After this vacation... Sicily has become a bit like home."
Our driver is already there waiting for them with our chauffeured car, ready to take them on a journey that will be less touristic, but deeply authentic: the return to Taormina by crossing the Sicilian hinterland.
🌿 Forgotten landscapes: the beauty of inland Sicily
The road slowly moves away from the coast. We leave behind the white beaches and cliffs, to immerse ourselves in a landscape that seems timeless. Gentle hills, golden fields of already harvested wheat, solitary almond trees, ancient farmsteads and rural villages.
The cell phone signal comes and goes, the connection becomes weak, but here technology isn't needed: what's needed is to look, and maybe to listen to a story.
— "This is where Sicily is real," our driver comments.
— "This is the land of roots, of deep silences, and of villages that endure."
We pass through Sant’Angelo Muxaro, Castrofilippo, Valguarnera Caropepe. Small towns where time moves at a different pace. The landscape is dotted with flocks of sheep, dry stone walls, old tractors, stone huts.
Sophia takes some photos.
— "These are places out of a novel... as if Pirandello could walk out of one of those houses on the hill."
Oliver is intrigued.
— "Is this the true, rural Sicily?"
— "Yes," our driver replies. "The one where grandmothers tell legends by the fireplace. The one where bread is still made at home."
🥖 Stops off the beaten path
In a small town in the Nisseno area, we stop for a gastronomic break. A small wood-fired oven, known only to those who know these roads well, is the perfect place to taste a freshly baked loaf with fresh ricotta, sun-dried tomato pesto and extra virgin olive oil produced just a few meters away.
— "It's the best bread I've ever eaten," exclaims Oliver.
— "And to think that here it's just a snack for farmers," Sophia smiles.
The baker's stories are not lacking, as he tells of old wheat harvesting rituals, of ancient religious festivals, and of folk rituals that still endure.
⛪ Small churches, great stories
Crossing the hinterland, we also make a brief stop at a small rural church, in an almost uninhabited village. There, among faded frescoes and bells that no longer ring, a sacred silence can be felt.
— "These places have a soul," says a moved Sophia.
— "There's no need for golden frescoes or large domes. The beauty here is in the essential."
🧳 Return to Taormina: a perfect ending
Little by little, the road begins to descend towards the coast. In the distance, the familiar profile of Mount Etna appears, and then, finally, the curve that reveals Taormina, perched on its promontory, like a pearl on top of the world.
Our chauffeured car stops in front of the hotel. It's late afternoon; the sun is still high but already softer.
Oliver turns and looks at us.
— "It was an unforgettable journey. You took us to another dimension."
Sophia smiles and adds:
— "If we were to recommend Sicily to anyone, we would just say this: choose a chauffeured car. It will take you to the most beautiful places, but also to the most authentic ones."
They say goodbye with gratitude, knowing that this is just a 'see you later.'
🚘 Why choose a chauffeured car in Sicily
This tour through the hinterland was the perfect example of what a difference it can make to rely on a professional, punctual, and comfortable service. No worries about distances, driving, traffic, or finding the most hidden places.
With Sicily Car Service, the journey becomes part of the experience, not just a simple transfer.
