Western Sicily

We come to our first pay-toll booth on the Sicilian autostrada, and we are trying to figure out what we probably will have to do.  Will we understand when the toll-taker tells us the amount we have to pay? Will they have a print out or something on a screen?  We drive up and there is a young woman dressed in an apron, standing on the pavement.  We hand her 5 euros, she pushes a button and hands us a ticket.  I comment to Terry that it's fairly expensive at which time she gives us back 3 euros.  We drive away with our ticket.  In about 30 seconds we look at each other and laugh.  We could have pushed that button ourselves, and, in fact, we are sure that she was not a toll both operator but an enterprising young woman taking advantage of two crazy Americans (and several others, I'm sure) who are newbies to the autostrada system.  We laugh about that and are happy to pay 2 euros for the great story.

temple of juno in agrigento 500BC

A few hours and hundreds of tunnels later (Sicily has a surprising number of mountainous areas), again in sunshine, we enter Agrigento.  Looking up as we pass the high cliffs driving into town, I can spot the Roman columns of the Temple of Juno.  When we get to our agritourismo Villa Diana, our host Dario tells us that if we go out on our balcony early tomorrow morning, we can see the rising sun hitting those cliffs.  We do and we do.  It fairly sparkles with the sun's glow.  Later in the day we visit the grounds of the Roman ruins, very well maintained and surprisingly intact--very unusual for the  few sites of that time period that remain standing.

temple of concordia from our restaurant

cliffs at agrigento in early morning light

temple of concordi

temple of  hercules

beach near agrigento

The day is warm and we decide to find a beach along the Mediterranean to swim. We find one with few people (still a few weeks before European children get out for the summer) and a terrific little bay that has a surprise---the limestone cliffs called The Turks' Staircase.  We had heard about them but thought that they would be too difficult to find, and here they are--quite by accident.  The water is warmer than the Pacific, but still cool, and we wade out quite a distance to get in up to our knees!  I end up ducking down in the water, but Terry refuses (he's a quacker, Stella).

Turks' staircase (limestone deposits) coming up from the beach in agrigento

Our host Dario tells us about his family home--the villa we are presently occupying--and how his brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles used to visit (taking all 10 bedrooms) and their gatherings with all the food and music.  The dining room is sumptuous and now feeds the guests with locally grown fruits and vegetables which he presently serves to us.  He has chandeliers from Murano that are beautiful and one that is not clear crystal but colored glass.   I can remember seeing something like it when we first went to Venice 40+ years ago.  It certainly is gorgeous.  He also suggests a restaurant that has a beautiful view of the ancient ruins.

That night we have a wonderful dinner at Il Re di Gergento and marvel at the magnificent view we are taking in.  The food is great, too, but I suspect most anything would taste delicious.  We also go to Kalotus which is a hidden gem.  We can hardly find it; it's back in the woods, down a small unpaved road, but it is amazingly well attended.  We also eat well here.  Is it any wonder that our clothes are beginning to feel tight?

The Amalfi Coast and EasternSicily

Trying to get from A to B is the toughest part of traveling, and trying to get from Rome to the Amalfi Coast is no exception to that statement.  Little do we know that Monday May 30 is a holiday, and the trains are filled to capacity.  So, instead of being able to leave right after breakfast, we must wait until after lunch.  And we are separated on the train--by 4 cars.  It could work---but it doesn't, and scrambling to get all the luggage down with bad thoughts of getting stuck on the train at the station in Naples makes me almost panic.  Meanwhile, Terry is struggling to get through the sea of people trying to get off and get on while we make the connection to meet each other.  He comes through about 15 seconds before the train takes off, grabs his luggage and I grab mine and off we go!  Whew!  I lose my reading glasses and he leaves our book in Italy somewhere, but we have most everything.

our train from rome

we can hardly pass on the narrow, winding road

one of the beautiful towns along the amalfi coast

looking down at the sea around the curve of the road

the small band at our restaurant in positano

positano at night 

 looking at the sea from our hotel room--and it's a full moon!

We get to the station in Amalfi where we are to catch the boat for Positano, only to see it pull out of the dock seconds before we get to the ticket window.  Too late.  And it is the last boat for the day. Hmm.  The clerk offers to drive us there---for a fee, of course.  But the alternative is to stay for the night and rent another hotel room which would be more expensive than paying the clerk-turned-taxi-driver.  So, we both agree, get in his car and set out.

The drive down the Amalfi Coast is phenomenal.  So many twists and turns with small villages passing on our uphill and downhill side.  Looking down I see the sea--shimmering in the early evening sunlight, glistening with the blues and greens separated in pockets and strands.  Little and big boats leave wakes of white foam behind them.  Uphill there are trees and flowers hanging over the edge brushing our car at times and always adding a colorful, festive extra to the view.  We pass village inhabitants out strolling, kids playing soccer in the streets, and old men chatting on benches. It creates a warm feeling and a sense of serenity which we need badly-- when we meet our first tourist bus coming around a corner.  We stop, it stops and backs up and tries again to get by us.  Inches are between it and us, but I don't hear any scrapes.  Success, and we are on our way once more.

It is early evening and dusk just beginning when we get to Positano.  As we approach, lights are coming on and the whole town takes on a golden glow.  There is still enough light to see the Mediterranean clearly, and we choose an outdoor restaurant right on the street.  In fact, the waiters have to cross the street to serve us.  We order and take a deep breath; we are in such a gorgeous place. Then we hear music coming down the street.  It's a group of singers with instruments to serenade us (and hope for a tip).  We are happy to oblige.  After all, this is one of the most romantic spots I've ever seen.  That puts anyone in a generous mood.

Our hotel in Positano recommended by our friend Nancy  is small, or so it seems, until we see all the twists and turns of the corridors.  After all, we are on a hillside and should expect that some areas are dug out, and so they are.  But we have a spacious room that faces the sea and since it is early in the season, it's in a quiet area of La Tavalozza Inn.  From here we explore Positano and the many beautifully situated restaurants with stunning views of the sea.  On the way back from the restaurant Il Capitan, as we are enjoying the walk from high up on the hillside, I hear a voice shout, "Mrs. DeGrow!"  I turn and see a former student Brett who was in my history class in 2004-5.  It's a nice surprise and we chat all the way back to town.
Mostly, we enjoy the relaxing time and the terrific food, plus a little shopping, and lots of exclamations about the sea.  Three days seem too short, though, and we soon find ourselves back on the boat to Amalfi and then Salerno to pick up our rental car.  And then we're off down the coast toward the southern end of the toe of the boot, stopping here and there for coffee, or lunch, or gelato, and overnight in Pizzo (in a house built in 1783 by our host's family).
Soon we are at the terminal and on the ferry bound for Sicily.

one last look at breathtakingly beautiful positano

lunch at buca de bappo in positano on the beach

dinner at "el capitan"

the view from "el capitan" restaurant

our homemade croissants on the balcony at la tavalozza inn in positano

We dock in an hour, visit flower-filled Taormina with gorgeous architecture, and are on our way to Nicolosi where our Florida friend Steve is from.  It's the last town before Mt. Etna and our room there at the Hotel Alta Vista has a beautiful view of that famous volcano which is still active and smoking. We book a visit and guide and find ourselves with snow under our feet at the base of it.  Our guide explains how it formed and the latest eruptions (in May of this year!) and we walk around the newest crater while gazing at the steam rising from the top of the big mountain itself.  It's pretty exciting to be in the vicinity of this historical behemoth.  People still live in close proximity to Europe's largest and most active volcano.  We meet Steve's lovely family at dinner and next day we are off again--for Siricusa (Syracuse).

bus driver on cell phone around all those curves!

church in taormina

beautiful flowers in taormina

more flowers in nicolosi

mt etna with lava beds

The island of Ortygia is just across the canal from the big city of Siricusa, and it sounds more manageable to us.  We are staying at a beautiful hotel L'Approdo della Sirena which is located on that canal as it empties into the Mediterranean sea, so we get to enjoy the multicolor beauty of that amazing body of water.  Ortygia is smaller, with lots of high-end shops, beautiful restaurants with views, and a daily market that is truly amazing.  Although it is small, we manage to get ourselves lost late at night after dinner which doesn't usually start until 9 pm.  So, it's close to 11 pm as we are at the opposite end of the island and street lights seem far away.  Hmm.  We look for a taxi to no avail, but we see the small bus that circles the island and we hop on it, hoping it will eventually take us back to the more inhabited part of the island.  It does.
The next day we take the city bus to the more important historic site in Siracusa, the Anthropologic Park with Roman and Greek ruins from 500 BC.  It's a big walk around the entire complex, but interesting, though confusing the way it is laid out.  Still, seeing the place where Archimedes was entombed is worth the effort.  Unfortunately, the Roman amphitheater was in renovation mode, so we don't get to see that.
On our way back to the hotel, we come across a little boat festooned with one broken shade over the top; they are taking tourists for a ride and wonder if we'd like to go.  Of course!  With that, we get on with only two others and start out toward the east side of the island only to be called back for 2 more riders.  We return and pick them up, start out again, called back again for 2 more.  Pretty soon, we have a very interesting group--3 French, 2 French-African, 2 Scottish, and us.  The mood is lively as the "captain" and his dog take us in the opposite direction, under a very low bridge (we must lie down to pass through) to the west side of the island.  I think we are going to have a shorter tour, but no, we go to some caves (where the little dog falls in the water, is pulled up, only to shake on me).  Everyone laughs and we start off again to circumnavigate the island in the early dark. The Mediterranean (actually it's a sub-sea the Tyhrennian ) is amazing.  I'm gobsmacked by the clarity of the water.  Is it the higher salt content?  Or the rocky bottom?  I don't know.  It's just among the most beautiful bodies of water ever!! The wind picks up, but we are singing along with a CD the captain turns on, so we hardly notice.  We have an extra long tour which is exactly the right length to give us all some rest and relaxation--just in time to bestow us with extra energy for the rest of the evening.

canal view from our balcony

going under the low bridge

part of the ruins at the anthropological park in siracusa

waterfront in ortygia

Clouds the next morning foretell bad weather coming our way.  I wonder if Homer had any more warning than that--no, he can't have.  We manage to visit Noto with its golden stone blocks which make up practically every building in town.  It sparkles in the sun which is quickly fading.  We enjoy the view from the bell tower, a cappuccino, and a walk through the beautiful Cathedral Nicolo before it starts to rain.

our little boat ride out to the caves

Only 10 minutes down the road toward Ragusa, we are in a downpour, and it lasts through the afternoon, through the night and into the next day.  Ragusa is a town with a high new town, rebuilt after a massive earthquake, and a low new town which was rebuilt on the original spot by the original residents who didn't like the high new town.  We, unfortunately, don't get to see much of it at all, but we are eager to get out of the stormy path. We hope that this terrible storm will subside and allow us to progress on our way to the western side of Sicily.

canal that runs by our hotel in ortygia

little piggy cheeses in ortygia market

amazingly clear water

little sailor dog 

eastern marina in ortygia

beautiful city of noto from the bell tower--at 12 o'clock (loud)

Rome--the Eternal City

Rome in the rain is still beautiful, and people go about their business as usual, albeit a little soggier than expected.  So, when it starts to pour (as in a Florida downpour) and doesn't let up for the entire afternoon, we are glad we got to see the colosseum in the morning.  And although we visited back in 1970, we wonder who could possibly tire of the old, old structure of travertine, cement,  big boulders and bricks.  Now, of course, the underpinnings show, making it more interesting and intricate to us, but back in the first century it was covered over with white stucco and painted in bright reds, blues and yellows.  Marble statuary lined the walkways and the wooden floor was covered in sand to soak up the blood from slaughtered animals and men.  But today it is crawling, not with animals, but with interested people who number an amazing amount, given that it isn't even tourist season yet.

our b&b in rome

the colosseum

While there we are able to see the Arch of Constantine, built to honor his victory over rival Maxentius, and The Roman Forum where marble clad temples housed ancient government officials and grand basilicas wowed the citizenry.  We are wowed by the variety of languages we hear, showing that Rome, while maybe not so eternal (who knows?) is more visited than most other ancient sites around the world.

inside the colosseum 

my fav house in rome--2 blocks away

arch of titus in roman forum

she-wolf with romulus & remus

head of constantine from large statue

vittorio emanuele II memorial

down blvd of olive trees to st peter's basilica

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entrance to vatican museum

"school of Athens" by rafael in vatican museum

Our regular schedule is postponed while we wait for the rain to subside, and we decide to take in the Capitoline Museum which houses some high-powered pieces of art and is housed in two palaces on a stunning square called Piazza Campodoglio which was designed byMichelangelo.  It is certainly beautiful with many columns and a portico which happens to be very dry.  In every room there is displayed famous art seen in books on art and history.  Our favorites are the she-wolf with Romulus and Remus, the bronze horse of Marcus Aurelius, the carved marble head of Constantine which was attached to a huge statue in its original form from 331 BC, and ancient Greek pottery.  Who wouldn't love paintings by Rubens and Carpaggio, and my favorite: The Fortune Teller.
We stop for coffee, and because every table is taken, are invited to sit with a couple who happen to be cousins with fathers who were brothers and who have met for the first time.  Christina is from Columbia and Antonio is a law professor in Rome.  We chat and talk about family, pulling out photos of our grandchildren and they talking about theirs. 


Thursday brings sun and we are up at 4:45, breakfast and a walk to the Vatican and St. Peter's.  It's a cool morning with people scampering to work and children to school.  We cross the Tiber River on Ponto Vittorio Emanuele II and turn down the main boulevard with St. Peter's Basilica looming ahead.  The sidewalks have ancient olive trees in big pots every 20 feet or so and coffee shops beginning to open with patrons sleepily stumbling in for their first cup.  We continue on approaching the Vatican Museum a full hour before our appointed entry time, but we are only too happy to join the caffeinated crowd for a second latte while we wait.

Once in the Vatican Museum, we await our guide while wondering how the summertime crowd could possibly fit in, happy that we aren't going to find out anytime soon.  We don our earbuds and listen to Franco offers information after amazing headspinning facts about what we are seeing.  He must have an advanced degree in art history!  Even though we have been through this museum before, we are stunned with the size and scope of the art contained therein.  Of course, The School of Athens by Raphael, jumps out at us, not only because it's so lifelike but also because he manages to make it personal by using features of real people for its characters.

The Sistine Chapel is totally mind-blowing with mental images of Michelangelo lying on his back for four years, ending up with medical difficulties that he never quite got over.  What to say about the Sistine Chapel?  I can't do it justice but will show the pics that I took illegally.

probably the most famous painting in all of rome

St. Peter's Basilica, the largest cathedral in the world, is jaw-dropping with the enormity of the dome, the magnificent marble altarpieces, the columns, side chapels, marble floor, ceiling's gilded painting, mosaics, etc., etc., etc. We get to see Michelangelo's magnificent Pieta, which is now behind glass but which we were able to get up close to when we first saw it in 1970.  Bernini's 90 feet high Baldachin with its four spiral bronze columns situated under the unbelievable 360 high feet dome elicits words of awe from everyone around us.  Us, too!

The Borghese Gallery is simply the most incredible private collection of art in the world, thought so by those who know of more collections than I do, so I will take their word.  In viewing it, I am reminded of so many pieces that I've read about, or seen on TV, or heard of, or viewed in various movies or documentaries; seeing them makes me grateful that I am so privileged to be able to actually appreciate them in person.  My very favorite piece (that I kept returning to many times) is "Apollo and Daphne" by Bernini.  In an amateur's eye, it is such a remarkable sculpture because it is carved out of one piece of marble, and yet it has so many points that are amazingly intricate, any part of which could be ruined by a mistake in carving.  The hands alone look unbelievably real, yet they show fingers that are turning into stems and leaves; the feet and toes are turning into roots.  It is the story of Apollo who wishes to capture Daphne, but rather than go with him, she turns herself into a tree.  The sculpture captures that point of decision.  It is the piece that would alone justify the decision to visit Rome. My friend Pam was right.

baldachin by bernini under st peter's dome

michelangelo's pieta

dome of st peter's basilica

apollo and daphne by bernini

close up of daphne's foot

Our last day and we have a few things left on our list, mainly the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Piazza Nuvona.  The Pantheon, my friend Sherry's favorite building in Rome, is lit from a hole in the ceiling, and today the sun is shining through not far from the church service and a souvenir stand.  It is enormous, big enough to fit those two activities in plus several more--and crowds of people.  I wish we could have seen it when it was raining; the water pours in from the sky and disappears into the floor.  Nearby is Piazza Nuvona, and we go there for a late lunch, very close to the beautiful fountain. The water is so beautiful sliding off the marble statues, it really does invite onlookers to get in.

the pantheon's amazing dome!

piazza nuova's fountain

a beautiful place for lunch--piazza nuova

It's sad news to find that the Fountain of Trevi is enclosed in plastic and glass for renovations, so we have to be satisfied to take a photo of the upper part, but the fountain itself has no water and therefore we can't toss a coin into it to insure our return.  Well, we'll just have to trust that we will be back some day, hopefully not another 45 years (I guess that would be impossible for us).

top of nicola salvi's 1732 fountain of trevi--stunning  

It's pretty presumptuous to think that a personal blog would do any justice to this amazing city and all of the thousands of interesting historical and archaeological places, so, asking forgiveness in leaving this eternal city, we will turn our sights toward the west coast of Italy, specifically the Amalfi Coast and Positano.  We hope to rest after the hectic pace of Rome.






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