We have traded the simple life at the agriturismo for the jet-set life of glitzy Taormina. Taormina is a chic little town on the Northeast coast of Sicily that has been a playground of celebrities from the days of Oscar Wilde, Greta Garbo, and Tennessee Williams. And now it’s our turn.

We will be here for one month so have a chance to really settle in. We are starting out in a small hotel overlooking the sea – the Villa Carlotta. I had read about it in a fiction book and loved that it worked out we could stay a few days here.

And they have been wonderful. After having to be so self-sufficient on the boat, we could hardly believe our luck when they whisked us up to their rooftop bar for a glass of wine while the bellman carried our bags up the hill and up the stairs to our room. They didn’t even blink an eye at our basil plant.

We have a fabulous view of the sea and of the big volcano, Mount Etna – we can even see the smoke from our balcony. We have a little kitchenette, so have done some cooking, but also have housekeeping and even a pool! After almost 6 months of apartments, this is a real treat – we are reveling in being pampered – even if just for a few days.

Later this week, we move into a more spacious (and more self-catering) apartment that we rented through VRBO. We love living like locals and the “everyday” life – but this week, we are having fun just being tourists.