I feel my blog is going to rack and ruin as I have been having trouble getting internet time and even time to sit down to write a few lines. However now that I am finished with the tour and on my way back to france I will have more time to write. Let me fill you in now about the last days of the Italy trip.
Sicily: When my friend Glenda and I signed up for this tour, I had been a little skeptical as to how much I would enjoy Sicily. For me this part of the trip would be a new set of places to visit of which I had very little knowledge. I expected a low inhabited island where Michael Corelone hid from the enemy mafia bosses in New York in the movie the God Father. I expected to see sheep, men walking around with machine guns and families having festive dinners. However the Sicily that I did see was beyond any of my expectations.
As our ferry pulled into our dock at Palermo, my eyes were greeted by a huge bustling city. On the right side of the city was a big mountain that overlooked the city. As we got off the ferry and into our bus, I was amazed that this city was probably as large as Naples. We did not stay long in Palermo, as we were to visit a Cathedral and Arab-Norman Palatine Chapel in the Royal Palace. Let me give you a brief description. I have always wanted to see Greece and Turkey for their beautiful bystantine style churches. By visting these structures I felt like I these churches were an extention of those churches. And indeed they were. It turns out that the Greeks and Turkish influence was in Sicily before the Romans had time to inject their influence. Also the Moslems or the Moors were also a part of Sicily before the Romans came along and ran them off.
Our day ended with free time to wander the area of Mondello which was a city on top of a hill. Here some of my friends from the tour tried out the local version of Cannoli. Our guide had told us where the best shop in her opinion was and we all flocked to the bakery. We had a choice of a small cannoli or a large cannoli. I choose the large size as I knew this would be the one and only time I would sample this delightful treat. Cannoli for those who do not know is a sweet cheese filled pastry shell. The shell looks sort of like a small taco shell but it is sweeter. The shell is made first and then the sweet cheese, which is a Ricotta and other sweet ingredients whipped is piped into the shell. The cheese to me tastes like a cross between a white frosting and sweet cream cheese. This is a very decadant and rich treat. The cannoli I had cost 3 euros.
After we all had time to walk around and make our purchases it was back to the bus and back to the busy city of Palermo.
Our Hotel in Palermo was right on the blvd that overlooked the harbor. In front of our hotel and next store were parks. Glenda and I had a lovely room with a view overlooking the park and harbor. Their were many huge palms trees adorning the street and parks. Some people went over to the little botanical garden next to the hotel for a walk. The park accross the street had been filled with families and soccer games enjoying the sunday, In the evening most of the people had left but their was a small fire works display to mark the day.
October 25. This day held more surprises of Sicily. We said goodby to Palermo early in the morning and the bus took us to visit a salt mill near Marsala. I had no idea of what a Italian Salt Mill would look like and I was surprised to see beds of narrow canals and very old fashion windmills scattered among the canals. When we disembarked the bus we were given a little tour of the old mill and they demonstrated how the salt in days of yore had been harvested and milled. Aparently salt is still harvested in the area as their were many hills of salts neatly in rows. At this site their was a store that sold salt, wine and olive oil. Near the shop was a restaurant that served lunch for those tour members wishing to eat a lunch of antiposto salads. I was one of those individuals and the various salads were absoulutely delicious. It was here that I purchased a little cookbook of Sicilian cooking so that someday in the future I can make some of those salads.
From the Salt Mill area, our bus took us to Agrigento where we took a spectacular walk though the Valley of Temples. It was at this spot that I wished that my handsome Irish Prince was by my side as it was on this tour that we saw the best restored greek temple. Apparently the Greeks were living in this area 700 BC and built these beautiful temples. These Structures rival the Greek structures as can be viewed in Athens and Delphi. Our guide on this tour was very knowlegible and I know John would have been facinated by the history and remains of the structures that had survived 24 centuries. Let me repeat that 24 centuries ago!
This Valley of Temples was actually on a hill and the guide pointed out a small structure along the roadside of a Cross that had been erected many years ago when a Pope, and I believe it was Pope John had come to the area for a visit. He blessed the area and told the Mafia to get out of Sicily. The guide however mentioned to us that the Mafia did not take the speech to heart and continues to remain active in Sicily.
October 26: Taormina Area
October 28: Back to the main land and stay in Sorrento. Downtown Sorrento and a Sorrento Musical.
October 29: Beautiful Capri and the drive of the Almalfi coast and Positano.
October 30. Back to Rome and a wonderful farewell dinner and the illumination tour of the city. I got to see the Vatican light up at night and the Guide pointed to the window of the Pope's bedroom.
Good by to tour group and a few more days in Rome.
The hop on hop off bus in the rain.
Opera evening.
Hotel near the train station.
Washing my clothes at the near by laundrymat.
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