Laura's Casa Magherita is a wonderful place to stay. I stayed with her and her lovely family for my first two nights in Sicilia. I picked the listing because of the beautiful balcony vista which includes the Ionic sea coast and Mt Etna. and the proximity to Taormina. The balcony vista is truly spectacular and I spend some precious moments there. I should say that the apartment is kept very clean and my private bathroom was great.
Though I selected the listing for the above reasons; I loved staying there because I felt that I was among friends. The apartment is a real Sicilian home. It is a warm space to return to at the end of your day. Laura's mother met me with great hospitality which continued throughout my stay. She is a wonderful cook and reminded me of my late Italian mother, who's family history I am tracing in Italy. Laura's daughter is smart and has an smile that warmed my heart. I really enjoyed observing the interaction between her and her mother. Laura is a hard working woman who is thoughtful and kind. She is a teacher and helped me with my on-going Italian studies. She is also a part-time poet and has a great outlook on life. I had the pleasure of enjoying a couple dinners in Taormina with Laura and her daughter. They know all the best places whether you want pizza, a local specialty, or a gelato. Laura also gave me the great advice to visit the Public Garden in Taormina which ended up being my favorite place in town.
I put the address Laura lists, "via Corrado Cagli 4" into Apple Maps and had no trouble finding the place. My route took me first through the gate of "Via Corrado Cagli 3", another apartment building. Apple Maps knew that Via Corrado Cagli continues though the parking lot past Via Corrado Cagli 3 to reach the gate of Via Corrado Cagli 4. Once inside the gate there was a visitor parking lot to the right where I was able to park my car. I called Laura soon after getting to the lot and she arranged for her gracious mother to walk over to meet me at my car and guide me to the apartment. Finding anything in a country as old as Italy takes care. Using Apple Maps worked efficiently. My Garmin GPS only found the Via Corrado Cagli 3 address. I assume this is because it is the first address at the intersection of Via Corrado Cagli and the road that leads to it. If you use Garmin, just remember to keep going through past the first apartment building Via Corrado Cagli 3 and you will find another gate for Laura's gate Via Corrado Cagli 4.
I highly recommend staying with Laura to experience a modern Sicilian home in close proximity to Taormina's tourist charms.