Day 1, Arrival in Taormina

A GCT tour assistant, Andriana in the center, came to Catania airport to collect us.
The man on the left is a tour member from Buffalo. His last name is Messina.
From such a last name you can tell he is of Sicilian heritage.

Vincent went to check out what kind of food being sold at Catania airport.
Here are two trays of arancini, fried rice balls.
(Different shapes indicate different flavor of fillings).

The buildings clustered on a terrace near the right-hand-side high rock is Taormina.
The cluster of buildings near the top of the left-hand-side high rock is the
medieval village of Castelmola, which we'd visit on Day 5.

Our program director, Maurizio Caminita, met us at Hotel Ariston's lobby. 

At Hotel Ariston's front door, it was raining.

Hotel Ariston's main building.

One of the two tables loaded with appetizers at Hotel Ariston's dinner buffet.