Thankfully, a picture is worth a thousand words, as I am out of words. Our days here: wander, wonder, eat, repeat. Here is a pastiche(io) for you:
Travels in Sicily – Palermo to Scopello
October 11 Yesterday we spent church hopping, to see the mosaics created by Venetian and Egyptian artists for the Arab-Norman churches in the 12th century. The Venetians created these beautiful Byzantine-style religious mosaics, while the Egyptians decorated floors, columns, and walls with elaborate geometric patterns, in the Islamic tradition of not rendering anything found in […]
Travels in Sicily-Cefalù & Palermo
October 5-Cefalù The beautiful Tyrrhenian Sea, aquamarine, jouncing and frothing, far out onto the horizon, with small columns of clouds that form over warms waters. Crowds on the beach, multitudes in the streets, we are squeezing our way to our B&B. Some tour groups come toward us, clogging the way, “like sheep” says Larry, and […]
Travels in Sicily- The center
October 1-4 Thursday evening, October 3 I am watching a rainstorm come up the hillside toward Villa Rainò, the pensione where we are staying, in a valley at the base of Gangi. Gangi is the geographic center of Italy, a town grafted onto a rocky peak, altitude 1011m. This makes for gusty lower temperatures, hooray! […]
Travels in Sicily-Modica
Sunday, September 29 Sicily: clogged with churches, so Sunday is full of bells. We did not go, so we don’t know how many Sicilians do. On our way to check out the flea market, though, we saw lots of families in “Sunday best”. Stopped by the 12th century church of San Nicolò Inferiore (a grotto […]
Travels in Sicily- Noto, Modica
Saturday, we left town with only one small detour, amen. Stopped to buy gas, couldn’t get the card accepted, but couldn’t get the €20 back when we tried cash unsuccessfully. Decided to let it go. Saw pomegranate and lemon orchards. Off to Noto, to try the best gelato, at La Sicilia. And it was good, […]
Travels in Sicily
Siracusa-Sept.26-28 OMG, it’s time to head to Siracusa, and it is late afternoon! To the car, to the Autostrada (miraculously), and two hours into the dusk and dark to Siracusa, to our place on Ortigia, the old part of town, an island first settled by the Greeks nearly three thousand years ago. Getting into any […]
Travels in Sicily
Around Etna-September 24-26 On our journey around the western flank of Etna, we drove to Paterno first, took some photos for a friend whose ancestors emigrated from there long ago. The Normans occupied this part of Sicily for awhile, and they built a series of forts on hilltops. Here’s one. Back on the road, past […]