Catania and Taormina in Sicily, Italy

Back street in Taormina, Sicily

Main Thoroughfare in Taormina, Sicily

Sunday Morning in a Taormina Cafe, still empty, the waiter is playing Bach on an upright piano, without sheet music but with comsummate skill and mastery.

How much is this doggie in the window...
dogs seem to be employees of choice in most stores and welcome shoppers

Mama Cristina in her corner bakery rolling arincinis...

Her son loading the ovens and stacking the display counter

The Godfather on a beer label



The artist in his open air gallery in Taormina



Piazza de Duomo in Catania

Iconic Elephant fountain in the city square of Catania

Silvester Stallone and his helpers making offers one cannot refuse....

This is the Sicilian way to serve a simple glass of wine....

Under all the layers and layers of lava upon which the city has been rebuilt numerous times, flows a river. It makes it's appearance on side of the town's square, emerging from who knows underground in full force. A fountain with marble statues marks the spot.

Baing a Sunday, all fishermen are at home and enjoy a Sicilian Sunday family dinner - a traditional and huge event

The view from the aft deck of Prinsendam towards Catania and Mount Aetna in the background.

And a little bit of background to the photos....
At Sea off the west coast of Italy's coast, slamming through one of the dreaded Mediterranean gales. Over 40 knot winds, high lumpy seas - never nice even swells here - and a bit of 'pile driving' going on when a particularly big wave mountain explodes over the bow of the ship and she crashes noisily back down with a bone shaking shudder.

Ship speed is down to 7 knots to lessen the impact of the sea, however, we bounce around quite a bit anyway. The captain changes his course to take the confused waves from the least unpleasant angle...but, one hangs on for dear life.

Confronted with this unfavourable sea state, the prognosis for anchoring of Sorrento look somewhat doubtful in my opinion. No official announcement of change of itinerary from the Bridge - yet - but, it may be Naples or another port with available docking space instead of Sorrento. Sorrento is a tender port, and NOBODY  would be able to step from an anchored ship onto a tender in these confused and violent seas 10 meter or so high...if she would be able to anchor at all.

Actually Catania, which we just left, is also a 'replacement' Port on this journey, as a landing in Tunisia after the unrest of late was not advisable, so the Port of Sousse in Tunisia was replaced by Catania in Sicily.

Another old city, second largest in Sicily after Palermo, Catania has been covered by dozens of lava flows from nearby Mount Aetna during the passage of centuries, she has been shaken and destroyed by earthquakes, and bombed during the Second World War. Catanians have learned how to rebuild and rebuild again. In the centre of the City, way below present day street level, part of the ruins of a greco/roman amphitheathre have been unearthed (from layers and layers of volcanic rock) and underground passages are labyrinthic and almost totally unexplored. Too complicated, too dangerous because of trapped gases...

The most memorable eruption happened in 1663, when a mile wide stream of lave swallowed most of the slopes and the town. Not quite rebuilt 30 years later, an earthquake destroyed the half rebuilt city again - start all over again.

A relic of St Agatha narrowly diverted another deadly lave flow, now she is the city's patron saint, and a 5 day party and fiesta in her honour commemorates the event.

Catania's claim to fame is threefold: Composer Vincenzo Bellini lived here, a  fountain topped by an elephant carved from Lava Rock graces the center of the city square. The pachiderm carries a granite Egyptian obelisk. Then there is Piazza de Duomo, said to be the prettiest town square in Sicily.

It's other less advertised claim to fame seems to be petty crime, even one of our passengers was robbed walking to town.

Before I knew of that little incident, I strolled around Catania after a short jaunt to Taormina (a short bus ride away) and explored the plaza. I abandoned one route to get back to the ship, as my skin started to crawl when entering a seedy looking part of that area. Never ignoring skin crawls in strange cities, I made a 180 degree turn and returned to the ship via a different route without seeing anything or anybody looking remotely dangerous.

Near by hill town of Taormina proved to be as pleasant and sunny and delightful as ever. I completed the obligatory paseo (walk) through it's quaint and cozy streets, alleys and staircases before visiting La Cristina, a corner bakery highly praised by locals, and too drab looking to attract tourists.

Cristina, the matriarch of the family, was rolling Arincinis (little goody filled crispy pizza dough balls) right there, her son was baking pizzas and other local delights, the daughter was at the cash register and another one was filling orders. No chairs in sight, but all the freshly baked goods in plain view emitting seductive aromas. 4 Euros bought me a most scrumptious still oven warm Arincini filled with various local cheeses, pistachios, prociutto as well as a Birra Moretti (beer) with a fedora hatted Mafioso on the label.

How more Sicilian could it get?

Weather was ideal, which can no longer be said about present conditions. But - all part of being at sea. 

Ravenna, Italy - Architectural Images in Mosaics

The last of Ravenna...

A detail of a freeze, showing a fortified city wall and a dome of a basilica...this is a small detail of an immense mosaic

Again a small detail from a much larger mosaic. Note the way the window curtains are knotted, even the curtain rings are visible.

Centre piece of a basilica ceiling with coat of arms and inscription

Mosaic atop a row of arches, depicting biblical Abel and a scene from daily life

Under a starry night sky a scene showing a book case holding the four testaments, a large BBQ (hell maybe) and a Saint.

Detail of the book case

Detail of the starry ceiling

Vibrant colours of stars in the night blue ceiling

Cupola of a chapel with Twelve Apostles and Baptism of Jesus in the centre

 

Ravenna, Italy - Byzantine Royals and Mosaic animals

Whilst taking advantage of a quick internet connection, here a few more images of magical Ravenna and her treasures of Byzantine mosaics...

A small bird perched among flowers

Detail of a partridge

Theodora, wife of Justinian, the most famous Empress of Byzance. She was a well known beauty, fashion setter, dancer, artist, and ferocious fighter for women's rights in her time. Note, that even her two female attendants are unusually beautiful, all are dressed in rich brocade garmets and jewels

Detail of one of the royal attendants, note the ring, bracelet, and earrings.

Two doves on a fruit basket. This adorns the top of a huge column.

Detail of the hem of the empresses's gown.

Justinian (I guess) equally richly gowned and adorned with very serious looking advisors flanking him. Note the individual facial features, espressions and hairdo.

Lace handkerchief detail of one of the ladies in waiting

Stag wandering through intricate leafy adornments

Note the expression of the animal's eyes and the details of hoofs and fetlocks

Uner blue and starry tiled ceiling a scene of a shepherd with a flock of sheep

 

22 October 2012 - Burano near Venice, Italy

One port follow the next in quick succession and there is hardly time to access the Internet, never mind upload photos and write stories about these visits.

Today, a first sea day which of course is as rough as can be after almost two weeks of uninterrupted calm seas and summery days. So, photos and stories appear in no sequencial order...

A few photos of Burano, one of the many flat islands in the Venetian Lagoon in Italy.

The lagoon is so shallow, that only flat bottomed boats like this dare to venture out into the unmarked areas. The gulls are sometimes only ankle deep in water when wading around.

One of the hundreds of channel markers in the lagoon guiding ferries and pleasure boats alike through treacherous shallows. Some islands only consist of an abandoned building of a long gone palace or factory.

Street scene in Burano, a fishing village also famous for lace making.

A few canals intersect the small island, which can be crossed in a few minutes.

Despite all the tempting food aboard, one cannot resist a freshly baked original pizza with a glass of local wine

Busy morning of supply deliveries in the fishing village and island of Burano



Fishing boats and delivery boats tie up packed together like the proverbial Mediterranean sardines. Even DHL couriers deliver and pick up by boat - no other way to do it.



AN example of the intricate hand made lace of Burano, it takes a whole village to make a piece. Stitches are so specialized that each lace make only completes some stitches, so a piece is completed after passing through many hands.

Cafes, bistros, bars line the colourful streets of Burano

The colours and shapes of bridges and buildings are mirrored in the calm canals

Houses are differently coloured to facilitate identification. Front doors facing the canals are usually open but covered with an outside curtain to maintain privacy for resident families

A scene begging to be painted at every turn of the canals, across every little bridge and from every little cafe

Definitely quieter than Venice, where millions of tourists flow through narrow lanes without let up

Not much luck with the fatal combination of SHAW Internet provider in Canada and Satellite Internet on the ship...most blogs uploads either drag out for ages or somehow get lost in mysterious cyber space.

But, for this one, I am in Italy again...

Instead of facing the never ending crowds at the main tourist attractions of Venice, one can take a number of Vaporettos, floating commuter buses, and head of towards Murano (famous for blow glass) and finish up in Burano (famous for hand made lace). So off I went, squeezed amongst commuters to Venice 'business' district in the first vaporetto from Plaza de Roma to Plaza Marco Polo. Once there, one walks over another bridge crowded with admirers of the Bridge of Sighs to the second vaporetto which carries passenger around the Gardini (lovely gardens where exhibitions and performances take place), past a number of sailing clubs and industrialized areas. One passes San Michele Island, a cemetery, all surrounded by high walls which are lapped by the waters of the shallow lagoon, where tombs honour famous names such as the Stravinsky's, Diaghilev, and Ezra Pound. Bones of the dearly departed are removed after a decade to make room for the newly dead. One vaporettes past the hospital where a dock serves as emergency entry for the motorized speed boat ambulances, and to another vaporetto terminal. This one is called Fondation de Nuove, a jump off point for the short ride to Murano, and the somewhat longer one to Burano.

One motors across shallows, where navigable channels are marked (some are one way only) to keep vaporettos and private shallow draft boats off the treacherous flats of the Lagoon which expand forever in all directions, with only the skyline of Venice and the surrounding built up island interrupting the vast flat watery expanse. Tourist overload is left behind, a few people travel to Murano to visit glass blowing foundries. The rest of us carry on to the tiny island of Burano, dominated by a leaning campanile (all the bell tower seem to be somewhat off the vertical due to shifting seabed and sinking pylons) of the local cathedral. It's a fishing village, small enough to walk from one end to the other within half an hour easy stroll. A couple of canals bisect the 'town', which is collection of small houses painted every imaginable colour. As some of these houses are almost identical to each other, the starkly different brilliant colours are meant to identify 'home turf' for the residents.

Life is laid back, not even the lace vending store push their wares. The main drag is the centre of 'activity' with open air cafes and restaurants spilling onto the pedestrian only street, and lace shops are tucked in between. Lovely lace so complicated and precise, that each artist specialises in a single pattern of the intricate knots. Many completed works represent days of community work, where a piece is passed from lace maker to lace maker before it is finished.

The colour palette of the little town would inspire any artist, photographer or painter. Houses are mirrored in the still canals, picturesque bridges arch from one quaint ally to another, working boats unload their wares, and fishing nets and laundry dry in the sun.

And Sun we had..perfectly warm and perfectly bright and perfectly wind-less.

20 October 2012 - Split, Croatia

A short photographic walk through Split, Croatia, on the Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic Sea

Relief of a Knight

Depiction of maltreatment of a local martyr

Mary and her newborn, with ox and mule standing by, and Josef wondering how that could have happened...

Another victim...this one is ready to be thrown into the river, and sure not to surface again



Interior of Diocletan's palace, yet to be restored



Palace Cat

Finally - a true blue blooded Dalmatian

Silicone as per Croatia

One of the many plazas of Split

Fresh seafood in open air restaurants

Grgur Ninski

And here he is again...I think he was a very influential Bishop of the city

24 hour clock, still working after centuries

Dalmatian Market Lady

Who would have thought that the lowly broom, a cursed weed in British Columbia, is the name sake of Split. The name originates from the Greek word Aspalathos, which would shortened to Split, and it means broom. Spring in Split is a burst of flowering bloom.

It first made a permanent mark on the Dalmatian map, when Emperor Caius Verlerius Aurelius Diocletianus (just plain Emperor Diocletian to his closest friends) built a summer palace on the Bay  of Aspalathos between 284 and 305 AD. The good emperor abdicated in 305 and died in 313, hardly mourned by anybody. Diocletian was most famous for torturing Christians, a word synonymous to martyr in his days, at least until the new faith was legalized under Roman Rule.

Diocletian's Palace is standing to this day, with a number of 'enhancements' and a few derelict ruins. However, the entire 'basement' is now a market open to the public, a cathedral occupies the place of a Roman temple within the palace enclosing walls, museums abound, and local musicians take advantage of the superb acoustics to play classical music for pedestrians.

As many European countries, Split was governed by a long series of rulers, Croatians, Byzantine emperors, a short autonomy, then the Venetians conquered it in 1420. Fortress walls attempted to protect it against Turks in the 17th century, and the Austrians ruled from 1797 to 1918. WWI and Sarajevo did it's thing, WWII and Tito and Yugoslavia did theirs, and Croatian recession and Serbian/Bosnian wars bring us into the 20th century.

To give an idea of Diocletian's palace's size, today there are around 220 buildings and 3000 permanent residents within it's outer limits.

As a bit of trivia: a Croatian dozen eggs consist of merely 10 eggs.

There were a lot of dogs around, but I did see one Dalmatian.

Croatian mothers warn their children not to sit on concrete, as it will ruin their kidneys.

Their sons have to wear a cravat (necktie in English, cravat in French), which is named for the word Croat, Croatian citizen.