Monday, March 05, 2007

Sicily
We just got back from a great winter trip to Sicily. We also got a day and a half in Rome,an overnight in Sorrento with a half day on Capri , and an unexpected side trip to Pompeii on our way down the coast to Sicily. We toured with Trafalgar ( same company we did the Ireland trip with in 2005 ) with a very diverse and interesting bunch. We especially enjoyed the company of an Australian couple about our age, a Malaysian couple and a couple from Singapore. The weather could have been better - we had cloudy and sometimes rainy weather the whole time. The trade-off; however, was that we had Sicily practically to ourselves. We did see other tour groups ocassionally - but at most historical sites, we were the only ones there. It was great to tour and look around the Greek temples with so few around. We packed a lot into the 10 day tour - our head is still swimming! The food at sites other than the hotels was excellent - we enjoyed the local cuisine very much along with all the Sicilian wine and olive oil. Below are just a few of the many pictures we took - we won't bore you. If you really want an overview of Sicily - we'll haul out our photo CD when you come to visit. And next we have our sights on Australia and New Zeeland ---------Whenever!
Caio - Paul and Marty

A traditional old Sicilian cart - now at home
in a wine store in Palermo.

Paul took a picture of me taking a video shot ofVatican Square

Paul looks around the Colosseum in Rome.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

This plate of mozzarella, tomatoes, and panceta was
a real highlight. We actually saw how the cheese was
made - then had a wonderful sampling drizzled in olive oil
and washed down with a glass of limonichella, a really great
Sicilian liquore.

Paul ( in the drizzle ) at Pompeii

The Isle of Capri in the mists - but beautifulnever the less.

In the Valley of the Temples - Agrigento

Part of the walled city of old Agrigento. After the Greeeks

and Romans left, the Christians carved catacombs into the limestone.


Mt. Etna - the dark streak is a lava flow.

One of many hill towns in Sicily

One of the wonderful mosasics at the Roman

Villa of Casale. The floors in all the rooms of the

villa all covered in mosasics.

One of the really great Sicilian dinners we had!

The beautiful mosaics at the Norman Cathedral at Monreale.

Depiction is of Noah unloading the animals after the flood.

Mosaic showing the building of Noah's ark.

The yellow background is real gold leaf. The Cathedral is

literally covered in mosaics - very impressive.

Appolo Temple at Agrigento

One of the Dorian Temples at Selinunte.

No other groups but us here at this site -

It was great having this temple all to ourselves.