We are finally here! All of us, after exhausting sleepless flights, are in Sicily and enjoying ourselves so much!This picture is from the Greek theater in Taormina, one of the best preserved ancient theaters in the world! Taormina is where we spent our first day and night, the first place we tried genuine Italian pizza and gelato, and the first place we were amazed by the beginning of many stunning views.

That first night we all crashed early, exhausted from what was nearly 2 days of travel, but we were all up and ready go at 8 am to travel to our next location Siracusa (Syracuse). We started by visiting an amphitheater where they would have held gladiatorial games and another theater. What we found especially interesting about this place was that in the rocks above the theater, there were carved out rooms, similar to a place I have seen in Spain where primitive human beings used to live thousands of years ago. Sadly, we could not find the reason behind the “caves” being there, but they were very amazing. One even had a bit of a waterfall in it! After that we explored the city of Siracusa, all on the attached island of Ortigia. Again we saw some beautiful buildings and scenes, but one thing that stuck out for everybody last night was the food. We ate family style, where our guides ordered what they told us was the best and we all ate a little bit. One thing in particular that stood out for me was an antipasta dish made of oranges, onion, and breadcrumbs. A combination I would have never thought to make, but it was fantastic! We also had a penne in a pistachio creme, garlic bread, assorted meats and cheeses, a spicy spaghetti dish with sausage, and so much more. It was all some of the best food we’ve ever had! It’s breakfast time on our third day now, and as people come downstairs to eat, no one is sleepy or slow, but excited for what is to come!

-JD ’19