Dream Destination J.J. MARTIN

From ancient ruins to the best places to shop for coloursplashed ceramics, the globetrotting founder of La DoubleJ shares the Sicilian spots she finds most magical

- HARRIET CHARNOCK-BATES

JJ, tell us why Sicily is so special to you…

“If Italy is a soft ball of mozzarella, then Sicily is an oozy pile of burrata – even softer, even warmer, even richer. Sicilians are the friendliest people you will ever meet; they are also wildly generous. You can be a friend of a friend of a friend, and a Sicilian will make it their duty to make you feel welcome and pampered in their home town.”

Describe your ideal day here…

“The ideal day starts with granita – I love the gelso [mulberry] flavour.

“If I’m in Scicli or Noto, I can spend the entire day baroque church-hopping. In Taormina, I’d begin by visiting my store, before taking a boat to the Grotta Azzurra and meditating inside the cave. Later, I’d take a drive to one of my favourite cold plunging spots, Gole dell’Alcantara. After that, I’d go for a sunset walk at Il Teatro Antico Greco.”