At 5:30 a.m., Sea Cloud approached the famed Strait of Messina from the northern end in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The derelict remnants of Europe’s tallest electrical towers stand sentinel where the mythological monsters Scylla and Charybdis once intimidated ancient sailors with their treacherous and dynamic currents. We passed at slack water to berth for the day at the Port of Messina, on the Sicilian side of the strait, which would be our launching point for the morning in Taormina. First settled as the ancient Greek colony of Taoromenion, its perched location has made it a popular resort town for a succession of Mediterranean civilizations. After a relaxing and enjoyable morning among the exquisite architectural details and intriguing shops and side streets, we enjoyed an unforgettable Sicilian lunch at the Castella degli Schiavi, which was used in the filming of many of the scenes in the Godfather films.