MESSINA-TAORMINA

Hey! Chelsea here. Today, after moving out of our old hotel and watching a really intricate bell tower chime, we arrived in Taormina. We took a bus up the mountainside and visited an ancient Greek/Roman theater where live concerts are still held to this day. It was a great photo opportunity and fun to listen to echoing shouts, despite the rain that started a little ways into our trip. Then in the little town we got some time to look around. The shops were great and diverse: clothing, jewelry, books, food and souvenirs. We ate lunch at one of a few cafes. One highlight of a menu was aranchini, a kind of fried rice ball with tomato sauce and cannoli, pastries with ricotta cheese and chocolate. Of course, there was also the ever-present pizza and getlato. After shopping and exploring the town for a few hours, we rode in Fabios bus to the Park Hotel in Siracusa, watching the smoke from a brief eruption from Mount Etna on the long bus ride. To our surprise, another school was staying at the same hotel as us. They were Italian high school students. After dinner, some of us hung out in the lobby and helped them practice English, our day ending with fun conversation.