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[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Cinqua Terra

One of the things that has been the most fun are our day trips from where ever we are staying the week.  But sometimes you need more than a day – so while we were staying in Siena, we packed an overnight bag and got a last minute condo in Vernazza – one of the five villages that make up “Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre” – and headed out.

Cinque Terre is a beautiful area that was only sea assessable for almost 1000 years.  These little villages are built into – and I mean “INTO” -  the mountains in their beautiful national harbors.  

These villages have been connected by a foot path for as long as they exist and that original foot path is a now a National Park Trail – one that  is amazingly hard to maintain due to rock slides that are much too common after rain.  The easiest way to get to these towns is to park your car in La Spezzia and board the train – which is OF COURSE the route we picked.

While the drive to these little villages would take hours of switchbacks and driving on the edge of the world with white knuckles and sweaty palms -  the trip from La Spezzia takes only minutes – really.  And the trip between the little villages takes between 2 and 9 minutes.  We decided on Vernazza the 4th village from south to the north – and we were there in a flash after our 2 hour car trip from Siena to La Spezzia.

I wasn’t exactly sure where the condo was – and you can imagine my joy when I discovered it was located at the bottom of the steps from the train platform.  We called the number we had been given and within a few minutes a charming young man appeared to show us our condo.  PERFETTO!!!!

We walked around Vernazza...

 ..and then we decided to hike the Vernazza to Monteroso, but a little more than a quarter of the way into the 2 hour trek, we ran into this:

We were ecstatic!  We had been climbing steps and climbing steps and climbing steps into this hike – with hardly a period of walking – even on a slope – without climbing the steps.   Hurray for making us quit!!!!

We took the train to different towns and did a little exploring, finally setting on Monterosso al Mare for dinner.  We had to walk a long way to find a restaurant, but it was worth the walk - and it would have been wrong, wrong, and wrong it we hadn’t started our meal with local white wine and sardines.  DELICIOUS!

My favorite city was Riomaggiore.   I’m not sure why - but I loved that place

We are lovin’ Italy!!

Ciao, Ciao

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

San Marino - Hill Country!!

So, I took a big risk when I decided to get a condo in San Marino - because the place was 3 hours from our last place, we had to drive over mountains and who knew if San Marino would have snow or not - but I decided - WHY NOT!!   And I booked it.  Turned out pretty darn good!!!

This place is spectacular!  The vistas from every direction are glorious!

This teeny country, very close to the size of Ann Arbor houses 33,000 residents and is run by two - yes I said TWO -  presidents elected every 6 months.  I am currently thinking a 6 month presidential term is a wonderful idea!!

This country touts that it is the oldest Republic in the world and since the country was founded in 300 BC - it has to be true.  The history of how this happens to be a country and not part of the united Italy is easy to understand provided you are willing to skip the civil wars that raged for almost 100 years in an effort to unified the multitudes of independent kingdoms in the united kingdom of Italy.  The Reader’s Digest edition of this is that Guiseppe Garibaldi, now considered the father of unification, and also a general leading his own army got trapped by 4 other armies at the base of the Titano Mountain, the home of San Marino.  He knew he was in BIG trouble so he sent an ambassador to beg the council of San Marino to protect his army.  And they said - “OF COURSE!!  BUT we will never join the unification movement and we don’t even what you to ask us again.  EVER!!”  And the deal was struck.  Luckily for San Marino, Garibaldi ended up surviving and went on to be a significant player in the building of the Kingdom of Italy and he kept his promise.

Things are very much the same and yet different here.  Everyone speaks Italian, but there are no sales taxes.  The buildings are not brick and stone like most cities we have seen, these homes are stucco and painted - more like Cinque Terre than other places.  People here are proud to be Sanmarinians.  If you would like to own property you must be a Sanmarinians or married to a San Marino native.  Gaining citizenship here through naturalization process is not an option.

There are no borders restrictions or need show your passport.  San Marino is not a member of the EU, but enjoys all the privileges that members enjoy.  The currency is the Euro.

Castles and towers and forts abound. And the views are spectacular!!!

We were very lucky on our first day to have  sunshine and clear skies because day two left us with a valley covered in heavy fog.  Still beautiful!!

But the best thing about day 2 was meeting shopkeepers Susan and Valero Costa, where we spent most of the day chatting with these wonderful former Michigan residents.  They are without a doubt our new and best friends from San Marino!!

Thanks to HS friend, Dusty, for hooking us up with these wonderful people.  We are loving San Marino!!

Ciao,ciao!

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Siena

Ciao!  This hill town would fall under the category of HILL TOWN FROM WHICH WE ALMOST COULDN’T ESCAPE!  We visited Siena early in the morning when very little traffic was present - so we drove right into town.  Teeny - tiny lanes with cars parked on one or both sides and one way streets galore.  We drove right to the duomo - and WOWZA!

There were other people there - which seemed kinda’ weird to us - but we parked illegally and got our tickets to enter the duoma when it opened.  We then decided to seek out legal parking - but no matter which way we went we ended up back at the duomo.  Not just once or twice either....  sigh.... Finally, we figured out a way out of the duomo maze but found ourselves in a do-loop somewhere else.   AGHHHHHHH!!!

At long last we escaped the crazy teeny steep streets and found legal parking.

After lunch, wine and lots of sunshine in Piazza del Compo  - 

where the world famous Palio horse race is run 2 times a year - we headed back to the duomo to experience the inside.  But before I get into that, you might want to watch this.  The Palio is a BIG FREAKING DEAL!!  BIG!!  BIG!!!

And so is the interior of the Siena Duomo:

We had to share this place with the most tourists we have had to deal with the whole trip.  There were AT LEAST 30 people in the duomo when we were there.  TRULY irritating!!

And one more thing - the outside of the duomo is fantastic!!

Ciao, ciao!

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Hill Towns, Part Due, Monteriggioni & Volterra

Hill towns abound - but the SMALLEST HILL TOWN we visited was Monteriggioni, north of Siena.  We were driving down the road and as we rounded the corner we saw this:

We have a little adventure story here in that when we first saw this we jumped off the road and seeing a 2 track - obviously leading to the fort/castle/whatever medieval structure it was - we took it.  Now, the small Peugeot that we have rented is not really designed for this type of terrain nor incline - but Mark manipulated the gears and up we went.  Once we were there, we discovered the was no place to turn around - or park, so Mark got out to take a peak and stayed with the car.  At this point - we thought it was an abandoned fort.  But Mark discovered that it was really a city AND that the real road was located in a different spot - complete with a parking lot.

How he turned that car around without plummeting over the cliff - I do not know due to the fact that I had my eyes closed!  But going down turned out to be harder than up - and our car protested and died.  Warning lights flashed - including a big red “STOP” that appeared on the instruments panel.  Now - I would have PANICKED - and did - but not Mark.  He started that sucker up and continued on - RED FLASHING “STOP” -  “SEEK IMMEDIATE MECHANICAL   ASSISTANCE”  - “OIL LOW” be damned.  Of course all of these messages - excluding the “STOP” were in Italian

He drove the car to a nearby “Bar” and went in for a coffee to let the car cool down.  When we returned - me a nervous wreck, Mark cool as a cucumber - he checked the oil - low and super dirty - and then started the car.   We drove home - with warning lights flashing.  He drove to a gas station - and bought some “olio” - added a quart, then doing so mumbo-jumbo, with turning on the ignition and pumping the brakes 3 times and saying Abracadabra or something - the warning lights turned off.  Grazie mille Marco!!!

So today - we went back.  Took the gentle rise paved road to the town and discovered a beautiful place - just for us.  We walked every street - which took less than 45 minutes and then we headed to a wonderful restaurant for “vino locale,” “senza glutine” with wild boar ragu and a sampler platter of lamb, rare t-bone slices - OMG!!!, pork and sausage. 

A 5 star restaurant in a tiny hill town practicing for the tourist season to begin.  Lucky us!!!  We love Italy.

BEST SURPRISE HILL TOWN - Volterra

I have to say that we knew what we would be finding IF we went here - but seeing it - instead of reading about it - was AMAZING.  Volterra is a beautiful hill town that was first a Etruscan city, then a Roman city, then - what we see now - a city built in the 1300s.  Below are pics Roman ruins and Etuscan ruins.  The city itself it awesome - but no denying this is the bonus gift.

The palace inside the city is amazing as well - but the list of “leaders”  - illustrated by the coat of arms is awesome.

We loved visiting Volterra - and the weather FYI - was perfect!!!

Loving Italy.

Ciao ciao!

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Hill towns - Cortona, Castellina in Chianti and San Gimignano

We learned very early in this trip that hill towns are not a one in a million but just about everywhere in Italy.  After all, staying safe by building a castle, fort or walls was a fact of life in the 1300s - so these delightful places abound.  We have visited so many amazing hill towns they are starting to run together in my brain - but thankfully I have photos chronically our hill town adventure, so here is a look at some of our favs.

THE COLDEST HILLTOWN - Cortona.  Cortona is the Under The Tuscan Sun, Cortona, but the day we were there the Tuscan Sun was on holiday.

We were dressed for the temps - around 8 degrees C (mid 40s F) but we were NOT dressed for the wind.  We found the piazza empty and yet dominated as always by the main church - or duomo - and city hall.  At 1,600+ feet, the views are spectacular and just getting there was eye candy.

Like most of the hill towns - steps tell the story.  The little lanes that lead from the main street - the street with cars - just go up, up and up some more.

We walked to the main promenade built by Napoleon - FYI - and you could see for miles.

But after exploring the cold and windy city, we went in search of a lovely caffe and ended a delightful day in Cortona with a wonderful meal and a bottle of “vino locale.”   We love the food all over Italy and the regional wines - while very different - are all wonderful.  Make sure the wine say D.O.C on it to be sure it is made a from grapes grown in the region and bottled there too.  Salute!

QUICKEST VISIT TO A HILLTOWN - Castellina in Chianti.  This quaint town hill was discovered on our way to Arezzo - and amazing modern walled city.  We decided to check it out, so off the main road and up we went.  Ideally we would explore the city, have a coffee (espresso for Mark and Alan - cappuccino for Lynette and I) at a local caffe, use the “toilette” and be on our merry way - but there was not a sole to be found.  The caffes said had signs that read “chiuso per ferie” wihich means “closed for vacation.”  The entire city was closed - truly and it wasn’t in the 13:00 - 16:00 time frame when the whole cities close normally.   So, we walked around, undisturbed, took some photos, then walked back to the car and headed down.  Total time - less than one hour.  But here are some of the things we saw.  It was a BEAUTIFUL closed little thing!

CLEANEST HILL TOWN - San Gimignano.  San Gimignano has it’s very own write up as it should.  It is beautiful and we spent 5 days there, but the cleanliness blew me away.  Street cleaners came EVRY DAY and different parts of the city were power washed EVERY day.  We never saw litter of any kind - not even cigarette butts - which are WAY TOO FREQUENT here.  It is truly a beautiful hill town and I would go back in a minute!

We are loving Italy and it’s many, many, many beautiful hill towns

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Loro Ciuffena

As usual - sometime during a trip I have a tough time posting, so I’m trying this one more time - a week later.  GRRRRRR!

Feb. 6

Ciao.  We are living in a lovely little condo built in a former mill in the teeny village of Loro Ciuffenna deep in Tuscany.   Phew!!  We can hear the Ciuffenna River run alongside our place and it is simply delightful.

The village is just down river and is home to a working mill along the gorge carved by this amazing river.

Streets are narrow, turns are tight and no one veers from the 1:00 - 4:00 PM WE ARE CLOSED model.  Still a mid afternoon walk about the deserted town is a blast.

We are close to lots of other villages and towns, but far enough away to enjoy our quiet spot on the river and enjoy a meal at the on-site restaurant.  It doesn’t mean we won’t be traveling though....

Ciao, ciao

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

So, everyone recognize the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but did you know that it was supposed to be the bell tower to the cathedral - but the HEAVY bells made it increase the “lean” so out they went?  I didn’t think so....  

So here are a lot more useless pieces of information about this very iconic tower - and FYI  I just lifted most of this stuff from a website published by the Tower tourism group.  I did add an occasional editorial comment.  :)

The construction of the Tower of Pisa began on August 9, 1173. Originally designed to be a bell tower, the tower actually stood upright for over 5 years, but just after the completion of the third floor (1178) it began to lean. The citizens of Italy were shocked as it began to lean ever so slightly.

The foundation of the tower, only 3 meter deep, was built on a dense clay mixture and impacted the soil. As it turned out, the clay was not nearly as strong enough as required to hold the tower upright, and so the weight of the tower began to diffuse downward until it had found the weakest point.

After this, construction halted for 100 years. The government hoped that the soil would settle, giving it enough strength to hold the weight of the tower. As well, the country was focused on its war with Genoa, which was quite brutal and ravaging at the time.  And SURELY someone 100 years in the future could fix this little problem.  NOPE!

After the 100 year hiatus, Giovanni di Simone stepped forward in 1272 and began to add four more floors to the tower. He actually managed to cause the tower to lean over more when he tried to compensate for the original lean by making one side of the upper floors taller than the other.  I certainly sounded like a good idea.

In 1284 construction was halted again, this time because of the Battle of Meloria, in which the Pisans were defeated by the Genoans.

In 1319 the 7th floor was finished. The bell-chamber was added in 1372, and then the tower was left alone until the 19th century.

In 1838 Alessandro Della Gherardesca, an established architect, dug a pathway near the base of the tower so that people could see the intricately crafted base. Now y’all - even I know this was a bad idea!!! The tower began to lean even more as a result, likely due to the decreased amount of support available within the soil.  

WWII was brutal and bloody for the entire world, and its effects were felt everywhere from America to rural Africa. In relation to the leaning tower of Pisa, however, it is pure luck.

When the American soldiers invaded, they were ordered to destroy any and all buildings in order to neutralize the thread of enemy snipers. There were no exceptions to this rule, and hundreds of buildings were blown up as the forces steadily advanced over the Italian countryside. The only thing which prevented the leaning tower of Pisa from being destroyed was a retreat that took place shortly after the arrival of the Americans, necessitating no need to destroy the national monument.  (PHEW!)

In 1964, Italy asked help to prevent the Leaning Tower from toppling. They wanted to keep the lean though, because of its importance for Pisa's tourism. A team of engineers and historians came together on the Azores to discuss the problem. As a temporary measure, a leaden counterweight (800 tons) was installed.  (These weights are not there now - which is good on the eyes!)

In 1987, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site, along with the entire Piazza Del Duomo.  YAY!!!

In 1990, the Leaning Tower was closed. The bells were removed and the tower was anchored.

IN 2001 the tower reopened for tourists and the leaning tower of Pisa is finally sturdy and safe.  We did not climb to the top because it was just too expensive - says I.

It is beautiful and the lean is startling - and I’m really glad we visited.  But the whole complex is the real story.  I am aware however that without this crazy tower very few people would bother to visit.  So - hurray for the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

Ciao, ciao

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Pisa

Buongiorno!

Feb. 2, 2017 - Happy Birthday to Bowen and Uncle Larry.

Pisa is just a beautiful 90 minutes from San Gimignano - so with the added pleasure of a car - we hit the road early.  Pisa is home of the...

but it is also home to so much more that is not given it’s due - so this post will be about that.

The Cathedral of Pisa is spectacular!  Building began in 1063 and was completed in approximately 30 years - remarkable.    Pisa was a naval power house. Pisa's fleet  reached Sicilian coasts, the northern Africa and Sardinia. And to let you know how powerful they were - he first archibishop of Pisa, Daiberto, ruled Pisa's fleet during the First Crusade and he became the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Thanks to the power of the fleet, Pisa founded colonies in the Middle East and spread economical relationships with the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world. Pisa founded many colonies in the northern Africa, and in different centres of the Bizantine Empire, such as Costantinople. 

Back to 1063 - The kingdom of Pisa’s soldiers had just returned from Sicily where they had participated in driving out the Muslims and pillaging Palermo.  They had LOTS of great columns and art as part of the booty - and the kingdom was rich, rich, rich - so time to build a cathedral

The Cathedral was a proverbial middle finger to Rome too because they opted to build it OUTSIDE the City Walls sending a clear statement to all - including Rome  - that they feared NO ONE.  The Cathedral could have begun immediately BUT the site was a cemetery - so time to “transplant - so to speak.

Take a look at this seldom talked about place.  The leaning bell tower gets all the press.

An up close and personal look at these columns is required here:

Anyway back to the “complex”.  Not only is there a cathedral by the leaning bell tower - but also a huge baptistry...

 and Camposanto Monumentale  - or monumental cemetery, which is QUITE impressive.

The place is “covered” in graves - in the floor and in and on the walls and on pedestals.

From the 1200s to current day - the dead who’s who in Pisa are RIP in this HUGE building.  There are even some vacancies - so Mark picked out a lovely spot.

We were struck BTW with all the skulls and crossbones on the tombs but after a little research we discovered it was the way of the dead person sending  a message to the onlooker.  “LOOK OUT  - YOU ARE NEXT!”  It even has a name -  “memento mori.”  CREEPY - huh?  I prefer to read it as - “Live life to the fullest - while you can! 

And finally the other thing contained in the Camposanto Monumentale is an impressive relic room.  According to documents one can find in this room 2 pieces of the True Cross, a thorn from the crown of thorns worn by Jesus, bones from 11 out of 12 disciples (no names here - but I’m guessing who didn’t make the relic quest) and a piece of cloth from Virgin Mary’s dress - just to name a few.  And while we are on important religious symbols - the actual bowl used by Jesus to turn water into wine sets in a prominent spot in the cathedral. No comment.

I close with the alter piece from the cathedral that was covered while restoration work was being done.  We could only see a teeny piece of it - so Google to the rescue.  It is mosaic - FYI!

And since I really didn’t talk about the tower - which has a very interesting history - I will save that for tomorrow.

Ciao, ciao.

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Beautiful San Gimigano

Buongiorno!  

We have spent the last few days exploring San Gimignano and the surrounding area.  The weather is beautiful with temps trying hard to reach 60!

San Gimignano is this amazing hill town that dates back to 300 BC and was once the home of many,70 or more towers  - all for the individual protection of the wealthy citizens of the city.  When they fell under the control of Florence in the late 1300s many of the towers were eliminated.  Originally called Silvia the name was changed in 450 when Bishop Gimignano - long dead FYI - appeared and spared the town from the armies of Attila the Hun.   A church was dedicated to - now - SAINT (”San” in Italian) Gimignano - and the town grew and grew, happily enjoying the extremely delicious local Vernaccia wine, cheeses and bruschetta.  (Ok - I made up the bruschetta thing - but maybe.  The local olive oil is wonderful!)

All was well for many years until 1348 when the plague ravished the town leaving more than 75% of the population dead.  The town really never recovered and rested for many years as a relative ghost town, when in the late 1800′s a revival occurred drawing people once again to this beautiful town.

Now tourism rules - but not this time of the year.  The down side is that not all the stores and restaurants are open, but the museums, cathedrals, ramparts and towers are and having the run of the place - without all those obnoxious tourists - is pretty damn cool!  Alan, Lynnette and I climbed the Torre Grosso yesterday and while I certainly lost count of the steps - the views were worth the effort.  I’m sure you will agree.

We have a great little “apartmento” built into the city wall and we are loving all things Italian INCLUDING espresso made with our teeny tiny moka pot.

The buildings are medieval beautiful and many are decorated with frescos.  

 Today we left the city walls and headed to a small organic winery for a little taste.  I’m sure you can tell we are loving San Gimignano.  Tomorrow, Pisa!  Stay tuned.

Ciao ciao!

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

The mistake that wasn’t - FLORENCE!

So, after having someone monitor every detail of our lives during our trip to Sicily, we are finally on our own and although we made it to Orvieto with no problem - our next step - GO TO FLORENCE AND PICK UP A CAR - didn’t go so well.  We managed to get the right train to Florence but....

First of all - maps and especially maps on our phones SUCK!  (There MIGHT be a user error factor here - but I’m admitting NOTHING.)  So our 8 minute walk from the train station to the auto rental place became a much longer walk - but even had it been a one minute walk the place closed at noon and our train arrived at noon plus a lot of minutes.  SORRY - closed.  Come again tomorrow - UNLESS tomorrow is Sunday  - WHICH is is - then come on Monday.  DAMN IT!!!

BUT because we are all “lemons to lemonade” kind of people - we punted.  We got a mediocre hotel -  for a lot of money  - near the car rental place (and other AMAZING PLACES) and set off to enjoy the beauties of Florence in a weekend.

Ponte Vecchio:

The Duomo:

Inside and out:

Some wonderful food and wine - walking miles and miles in the beautiful weather and then it was Sunday.

Even if you have seen it before, Michelangelo’s DAVID will blow your mind.  The size, the craftsmanship, the symbolism and the fact that Michelangelo simple “freed” him from a block of marble.  it is hard to move past this look at some of the other things in the Galleria dell’ Accademia - but we did....

Finally it was time for Uncle Mark and Aunt Gayl to stroll slowly back to the over-priced hotel via the beautiful Arno River, while Alan and Lynnette took a ride with a guide on the guides “Ferrari.”

Florence is freaking amazing and San Gimignano will wait until Monday.  PERFETTO!!  Much better than originally planned.

We don’t have lemonade - but we have limoncello - WHICH IS WAY BETTER!   Life is good.  Si, si, si!

Ciao, ciao.

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Beautiful Orvieto

We have left Sicily and officially arrived in the boot!  We had an hour and a half flight from Catania to Rome where we planned to meet up with nephew Alan and his wife Lynette.  I worried about this because is Rome’s Leonardo DiVinci airport is HUGE and we were arriving from Italy and they would be arriving via the International Terminal – BUT all that worrying was for naught – as worrying always is.  They had cleared customs in Paris, so thanks to the EU – they were also arriving on an internal flight.  We were in the same terminal and met up with ease.

 Our next adventure was getting train tickets to Orvieto.  2 trains, 1 funicular and a bus ride later we were dropped on at the Piazza del Duomo in Orvieto. 

This is what we saw!!

 So, sounds like all was well – but finding our appartemento was harder that it would seem.  Luckily for us, we ran into 3 men who were more than willing to help us and we followed them to our beautiful appartemento. PERFETTO!  To say Alan and Lynette were tired was a great understatement, but they soldiered through and after a wonderful dinner, some delicious “vino locale”, we called it a night about 9:00.

 We were not anxious the next morning to hurry, so after a leisurely breakfast – we headed out to visit the interior of the Duomo of Orviento.  WOWZA!!

   Next we went to St. Patrick’s Well. 

 Orvieto is set high on a very steep cliff.  It would be very hard to dig a well - so the town for hundreds of years carried carried water from down below - but in 1527 the city was fighting a war against a neighboring city and the cardinal of the town - the town’s religions leader - ordered that a well be dug that would be big enough to walk donkeys down and bring them up again.  

10 years later the well was complete.  What is AMAZING about this well is that it has one way up and one way down - like 2 spiral staircases on top of each other.  The well is more than 175 feet deep and has 70 windows to bring in light.  The water is still there - at the very bottom.  The people of the town would walk their donkey down, down, down these steps with empty containers strapped to therm.  Fill the containers and walk the donkey’s up.  WOW!!  The well was very cool and I was very tired when I got back to the top.  By the way, I wasn’t even carrying water.  PHEW!!!

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Arrivederci Sicily

Our amazing trip of Sicily all too quickly drew to a close in Catania.  We spent 3 days exploring the wonderful town of Catania and its neighbors.  We spent the day at the family farm - a day i will not soon forget.

We visited the Greek/Roman theater in Taormina and the foothills for the majestic 11,000 ft Mt. Etna. 

We even did a little bit of spelunking!

We loved Ragusa - the city that literally hangs from the cliff 

- and our little visit to Modica was a blast as we careened about the city in Fiat 500s - the car that changed Italy!

Our new travel friends and our wonderful guide Giuseppe made our adventures just that much better.  We finished our adventure with dinner in a recently restored Byzantine Chapel.  There was singing and laughter and love of all the many facets of Sicily.  

Tomorrow we leave Sicily and head to Rome where we will meet up with nephew Alan and his wife Lynette - and the start of a new adventure.  I never dreamed Sicily would be so amazing - but it was beyond my wildest dreams.  Special thanks to dear friend Diane who pushed us to see her ancestors homeland because she KNEW what we did not.

Arrivederci Sicily.  We will be back!!

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Villa Romana del Casale

Ciao Tutti!

1,700 years ago a very, very, very rich and powerful Roman decided to build a mansion to use as a hunting lodge in a beautiful area of Sicily called Piazza Armerina.  The lodge was used for only a few hundred years by descendants of the original owner, when during a period of many rains and storms a horrible landslide occurred and the mansion was completed covered by 50 feet of mud.  An entire town was destroyed by this great disaster and many many people lost their lives and the area was abandoned

Many ancient Roman authors had written about this amazing hunting lodge but it had simply disappeared.  Then in the 1950 Gino Gentilli decided he would try and find this lodge - and he did!  The unearthing of the lodge is still continuing today, but with the help of UNESCO we can visit and imagine what life might have been like for this family and their close friends when they decided to go to their “vacation home.”

The top 2/3 of the mansion were completely destroyed in the mudslide, but the foundation, the amazing floors and columns holding up the roof survive.  This mansion was built in less than 10 years and experts believe that 40,000 slaves - most of them Arab worked on the construction of this huge place.  Undoubtedly the magnificent floors were done by Arab slaves using the beautiful mosaic technique for which they are famous.  Check this out:

This vacation home - which was 40,000 square feet -  had 2 indoor swimming pools, 2 hot tubs,  a woman’s gym and a man’s gym, several dining rooms, a huge Basilica and lots of guest rooms plus the private rooms of the owners.  The floors of many of the rooms tell a story, while some are just decorative.  The original building also had many places with stained glass domes.  AMAZING!! 

UNESCO has built a structure on the remaining walls to give you an idea of what the place looked like.  This is the best preserved example of Roman mosaic floors in the world.  This wonderful treasure has more than 300,000 visitors per year but we had the place completely alone. COMPLETELY ALONE.  As we left we met 3 other people - but they were just buying their tickets and bothered us not one bit. 

FYI Here is a great YOUTUBE of the site:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys6cN046j5s   Enjoy!

Ciao  ciao

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

All I can say is WOW!!!

Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017

Ciao Tutti

We have been so busy the last few days that there has been no time to write.  Add to that that I have been sick and have a cough that sounds like I’m going to die – and that explains why my blog has been empty for a long, long time.

This trip is FABULOUS!! Our group is delightful – and I apologize profusely to them for this obnoxious and ever-present hacking.  Our guide, Pepe, is above and beyond!!

Sicily is truly a land of wonder.  Its strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea has placed it under the rule of conqueror after conqueror:  The Greeks, the Romans, the Normans, the Spanish, the Arabs – to name a few.  As is always the case the conqueror knocks down a lot of the works of the former ruler – but not all, and what Sicily has gained in its long history of conquest is a wide and beautiful palette of architectural jewels.

From the Greek temples, available in many sites, to the spectacular ruins of a Roman mega villa, to the starkness of a Norman castle, and the beautiful lines of the Arab buildings and the over the top Baroque over the top style – Sicily is simply eye-candy.   Did I mention the island is setting in the breath-taking Mediterranean Sea?

Above - The Baroque homes of Ragusa Ibla  and Below -  just one mosaic floor from Villa Romana del Casale built in 300 AD

But to say this trip is mainly about visiting ruins or castles or cathedrals would be wrong.  We are doing so much more.  We visited an area where sea salt is harvested by hand and had lunch at a farm where the food we ate and the wine we drank came from the land we viewed.  We visited a wood carver who “frees” his amazing works from the roots of olive trees. We had a Sicilian cooking class - and may I just say “Mama Mia!”

We crossed “the granary” of Sicily where the soil and sun create a perfect formula for growing much of the food consumed on the island.  We boarded a small boat to visit an island where Phoenicians built a massive settlement merely 2,700 years ago.

We have been to hill towns and sea ports.  We have visited a theater made from ships, visited the home of a family that made Sicilian Carts, listened to a pianist in his home that looked like a museum and had the wonderful opportunity to be given a concert by our guide and his beautiful wife. And the food - OMG - the food!!

Today, while I am FINALLY feeling better - I begged off the trip.  Mark is taking lots of photos and lots of notes and today he will learn for two.  I’m resting trying to quiet my “bark” and just reviewing this wonderful adventure.  Traveling in low season is amazing.  Yes, we have had some cool weather - especially at the high altitudes and we have had a little rain - but we have clothes to take care of those issues.  Being the only people at a site that draws 300,000 people a year is worth those minor problems.  Plus who knew the oranges and tangerines would be sooooooooo good!!!

Ciao ciao

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Always much to do and think about...

After visiting Monreale and having a great time in the local market tasting local foods, we had an opportunity to meet with two men to discuss the history of Cosa Nostre in Sicily.

One of the things I really love about OAT is knowing that you will be introduced to topics that are pertinent to the area even if they are highly controversial.  For example in Tanzania we met with a man with albinism who has started a group to help people with albinism escape from Tanzania. There exists a belief - perpetrated by witch doctors - that your life will be magically improved if you kill an albino.   Albinism exists at a higher than normal rate there and “blending” in is impossible when the population is black.  A baby born with albinism in Tanzania is a great risk yet little recognized outside of the country.  Months after our return we heard an story on NPR about this situation - but before we visited we had no idea.  In India we met with “SHEROS”, women who were victims of acid attacks.  The horrific act is committed by a family member to a woman who is not “behaving” and has gone relatively unpunished.  We met these brave disfigured women who talked about their individual situations and how they have worked politically to have the acid sales banded and to seek punishment for the attacker.  But who knew....  Every trip has been like this and I so appreciate hearing from the locals who are dealing with these issues.

Since the first thought that crosses most people’s minds when you hear the word Sicily is Mafia - I thought it was brilliant to deal with this on Day 2.

Our speakers were themselves “experts” in that one was a son of the tailor to be mob bosses - turned researcher/historican - and the other was the son of a famous mob boss who was banned by his father from participation in his father’s profession.  We had no idea that when we landed in Sicily that we were landing in the airport named for two judges that were killed by the Mafia during a major crackdown.  The airport, Falcone-Borsellino is named  in memory of the two leading anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino who were murdered by the Mafia in 1992.

This history was new to me but I confess I was not surprised to hear that the organization began in the small town of Corleone.  The Mafia started as a group of people who protected their own people against the “outsiders” that have ruled Sicily over the years.  But as time progressed the “protection money” grew into other things and when Italy united in 1847, the government in Rome turned to the Mafia to help solve problems in Sicily.  The Mafia was left to it’s own devised until the rise of Mussolini who clamped down on the group - which by the time had expanded to the US.

With the end of WWII and the American occupation, the Mafia took hold once again making sure all the ports were running seamlessly for the US plus a whole lot more..  It wasn’t until the 1990s - that they were challenged again, during a period called the “Maxi Trial” and finally broken.

Many Sicilians believe that the Mafia is the worse thing that ever happened to Sicily and many object to sales of tourist items that present the Godfather movies, etc.  But the Mafia still exists today but without the clout of yesteryear.

Having an opportunity to talk with these men gave us insight and understanding into “Cosa Nostre” which means “our thing.”   Fascinating and frightening! 

Ciao

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Cathedral of Monreale

Friday, Jan. 14, 2017

Today we took a quick trip out of Palermo to visit the Cathedral of Monreale.  My mind was blown!!  I have NEVER seen anything like this building.  Photos do NOT do it justice, but I will post some of mind and then give a link to a web site of professional photos.

What you are seeing here is gold- real gold -  mosaic tile.  Gold leaf was covered with a thin layer of molten glass, front and back, then very small tiles were cut to begin this massive project - and all in the 1170.  The photo of above is mine and  it is shown illuminated with light from a overcast day.  The light allowed is to see the mosaics very well and outstanding step-on guide, Lara, took us around the cathedral narrating Bible story after Bible story.

But just as she finished her narration the sun peaked through changing the interior into a blazing brightness.  Look at the contrast with the different light.  We were so lucky to have had both views!!

Before I go any further I want to say how happy I am to be traveling in the off season.  Yesterday our group of 14 shared this must see cathedral with a few groups of two.  We had the place to ourselves and it was glorious.  Our guide told us that by April there will be huge lines - sometimes more than 2 hours just to get in the place.  Our bus was alone in a HUGE bus parking lot - and it was a beautiful thing.

Now back to Monreale. This amazing work of art was built at the very end of the Norman rule at the order of Willian II or William the good - the 4th and final Norman king of Sicily.  The cathedral is built on the ruins of a mosque and the mosque is built on the ruins of a church - of course.

The weather today was cool and windy - depending on where you were walking and we had a even had little rain - but that was just fine.  It rained on the bus both coming and going - but not a drop on our way or down the 92 steps to reach this amazing place.

The Norman’s ruled Sicily for only 4 reigns and while the leaders of the Norman knights were from the same clan as William the Conqueror - 1066 conqueror of England, the brothers, Roger and Richard and their band of mercenaries captured Sicily in 1071 from Arab rule..  Richard took the lower half of the Italian boot and Roger got Sicily.  Roger I reigned over a peaceful land in which religious freedom was supported.

This peace lasted for only 100+ years, but during that time Monreale was built by William The Good, great-grandson of Roger I. What makes this cathedral so over the top is the fact that the building was built by blending the Norman style with the Arab style and Muslims, Christians, Jews and pagans workers worked hand-in-hand with in building this wonder.  The Arab influence is very apparent in the tree of life motif that rings the cathedral - no one tree like the other.

Also each and every mosaic line the separates the panels of marble around the room are indeed different.  No two alike.

Another thing that was interesting was the political statements found inside the church. This cathedral was built during the time the Norman King in England was fighting with the Church - aka - Thomas Becket - and winning by having him killed.  William the Good who was married to a person related in some way to the King of England - that I can’t remember - and he was having his own battle. with the powers of the church.  The Archbishop had just started building the Cathedral of Palermo when William the Good announced the building of Monreal Cathedral.  GAME ON!!

The political touches involved a giant mosaic of Jesus crowning William the Good, King.  Handy!  The mosaic is built over a throne.  Directly across from William the Good’s throne is a much smaller throne for the archbishop positioned perfectly to view the heavenly coronation.  Additionally,  the saints under giant Jesus include Archbishop Thomas Becket - a subtle remember to the Archbishop to remember your place unless you would like to be next to Mr. Beckett.

Lastly the floors are also amazing with mosaics surrounding slices of great columns many form Egypt.  Truly awesome.  

This was an amazing experience and I am so happy we had an opportunity to visit Motreale.  We are LOVING Sicily.

http://www.wga.hu/html_m/zgothic/mosaics/5monreal/

[dybdahlsinitaly2017]

Arrivederci Selinunte

Il Tempio di Hera, Enzo and Rita’s beautiful B&B has been the perfect place to settle into Sicily, recover from our jet lag and gear up for our tour.  (Thanks Diane!!!) We highly recommend these lovely accommodations, with friendly and helpful hosts, whenever you visit.

We feel that we had been here long enough to love this sleepy town enjoying the down time but awaiting the tourist season.  We have walked the streets, shared food and wine with locals - who are so friendly -  and soaked up the sunshine and a some sprinkles as well.  The views of the Mediterranean Sea are stunning and ever changing.

“Modern” Selinunte is build into a hill.  The streets are narrow and steep and so are the steps that lead from one block to the next.  Kevin, who is our driver extraordinaire, doesn’t even flinch as he bobs and weaves up and down and around the town and adjoining country.

One of our favorite spots was a traffic circle just a few yards from our B & B.  It never failed to bring a smile to our faces each time we drove or walked around it.  Mark liked it so much that he is planning on putting a similar one in our driveway.  Check it out.  I also want to say that with the town so deserted, failing to abide by this “circle” would have been easy - but we saw no violators - NONE!!  We LOVE it!!

While we toured the Selinunte ruins we locked down another memory and that was our “tour dog,” Blondie.  Dogs are everywhere here and about 5:00 AM they break into song.  So, we were not really loving these dogs sleeping on the pavement at every turn, but then there was Blondie.  As we entered the Archeological Park, this blond dog trotted up to us.  We all ignored her except for the occasional “shew!” but she led the way.  If we switched directions (maybe in an attempt to lose our faithful companion - she doubled back and got in front of us.  She did stop a couple of time to hunt up a tasty mouse/shrew/something gross snack, but then back on the job.  Soon, Mark and Joan were calling her Blondie - despite my repeated warnings “DON’T NAME IT!!  DON’T NAME IT!”  She never left our side as we climbed around for several hours.  When we walked out of the park, she simple laid down on the sidewalk, awaiting her next tour, I guess.  Even Joan - not known for her love of dogs - said too bad we didn’t have a bone to give to Blondie.  :)

About 16:00 we returned to our B&B and headed out on a little road trip.  OF COURSE it was a blast seeing the artwork that IS agriculture as we drove the twisty country roads and ran into a little touch of reality to remind us that Sicily has many faces. 

Loving Sicily!!  Arrivederci Selinunte!  NEXT!

Ciao