Sicily
Greetings to All from Sunny Sicily!!
Jeanne Marie and I, with Boo & Rollie, our traveling companions on several trips, visited here in 2012 and we knew right away we would return. So much to see, so many beautiful churches, a very dear friend, and sooooo much to photograph. And so the covid gods finally consented.
We've had so many of you express interest in this trip I guess we will just do a travel blog and keep everyone up to speed this way.
The trip across was brutal but unfolded according to plan. Three plane rides, an airport change, and finally by car it took exactly 24 hrs from door to door, arriving on Wed April 28th. And the door we arrived at in Sicily is the home of our dear friend Diana Thompson Nicoletti and her partner Prof. Giovanni Nicoletti. We Americans would address Giovanni as "Doctor Nicoletti" He is head of neurosurgery at Catania Hospital. They have a lovely sea front home just south of Catania near the village of Brucoli. I met Diana in 1999 when my daughter Shannon and I took a cruise in Europe to see the solar eclipse. Diana was on the cruise because her flat mate, Victoria, was lecturing about her trip to the North Pole. We've all been friends ever since. And Victoria flew in on Friday to spend that first weekend with us. Great reunion for all!!
DianaDiana
_8502369The Nicoletti Home
Introduction would not be complete without showing off Diana's delightful little dogs, Poppy and Ponga. Sweeter, better behaved little dogs would be hard to find.
Poppy & PongoPoppy & Pongo
We picked Victoria up on Friday and just spent the rest of the day catching up. On Saturday we went out on the boat. This is Dr. Nicoletti's primary way to unwind. We observed in the 12 days we were there that he is never really off duty. The boat lets off some of that pressure.
Victoria & Jeanne MarieVictoria & Jeanne Marie
The boat was great. We had the best weather all week and it was just warm enough for swimming. Victoria wanted to swim the Straits of Messina but the ferry boats kept getting in the way.
Dr GiovanniDr Giovanni
So does anyone else think Diana has been in Sicily too long?
On Sunday we went to Mass at the little village church in Brucoli. Like all of the Masses we attended on the trip it was very nice. Victoria, Jeanne Marie and I then walked around town a little and met Diana and Giovanni to go over to Augusta for lunch. The fish market and doorway pictures are in Brucoli, as well as the lighthouse. And if you look at the slide show, yes that is an octopus the guy is holding.
Broculi LighthouseBrucoli Lighthouse
If you crave seeing more of these images you can click the image below. It will bring up a slide show. Next installment of the blog will be up when the pictures are ready.
Noto and Ragusa
So Monday morning Victoria had to go back to England, Diana had to go back to translating, and Giovanni had to go back to brain surgery and we had no one to play with. So we made the best of it by starting our exploration of the eastern end of the island. One of the things that make Sicily so interesting (the other being the active volcano that overlooks its largest city) is the amount of history on display. And those of you who have read my other stuff are now muttering, "Look out! He's using that word! Brace yourselves everyone! Here comes a history lesson!" And alas yes. It must be so. Here it comes. But at least a thumbnail sketch is necessary to convey to you the interesting attractions of this place.
Sicily was part of Magna Gracia and was heavily colonized by the Greeks starting several hundred years BC. Most of the inhabitants of the island today are descended from these people. The later invaders came in as overlords. The Romans, Vandals, Arabs, Normans, and Spanish all ruled and left their mark and much of what they built is still here for us to inspect and photograph.
After we got Victoria safely off, Jeanne Marie and I set off to check out the baroque towns of the southeast. They are called this because in the 16th and 17th centuries the southeastern part of the island was hit by powerful earthquakes, as well as a major eruption of Mt. Etna in 1693. The Spanish were ruling at the time so most of the major buildings, especially churches, were rebuilt in the Spanish Baroque style. As in "You can't have too much ornamentation. When you think there's enough add more!" They are of course very beautiful.
We picked Noto and Ragusa to visit. Noto was first. The route we took gives a full overview of the town and one is impressed by how small it actually is. But it has this big beautiful cathedral. This is a common experience all over Europe. We inspected the church, I climbed the bell tower, and we decided we had to go on to Ragusa if we would make it home by dark. We were a little too green to be traveling country roads in Sicily after nightfall.
Ragusa is a much bigger town, built on top of, and down the sides of, a large hill. Well okay, it's a mountain. This is the rule rather than the exception all over Italy, as the towns were sited for defense. We got lost several times. Gladys (the GPS) is amazing and we couldn't have done without her but these old medieval towns seem to confuse her as much as us. But it was worth it. It's just amazing that these towns could function with just horse and human power to get stuff up these hills.
Tomorrow, Siracusa
