Last pics from Palermo

Leaving Italy

Have been amazed at how much there is to see in Palermo, have mostly visited churches because that's where all the art and architecture is.  It's been a mix of Baroque and Byzantine with a bit of Greek thrown in.

A day in Monreale (well, we had to go to Montréal!) where the Norman cathedral is covered in Byzantine mosaics, allegedly the largest surface in the world.  It's basically an illustrated bible, both testaments, but we thought Noah and Rebecca got more than their fair share of wall space while Moses didn't get a look in!

Today a fair bit of Baroque, then a beautiful "basilica" with Greek mosaics and Baroque frescoes and a lovely plain church (nice change) with pretty cloisters, with a bit of arab thrown in the mix.

And just strolling the streets we have come across lovely buildings, as well as piles of rubbish and too much dog poo!  North Italy is pristine but the further south the more street rubbish and dog poo despite a strict regime of recycling.

Will be back home (churched out) tomorrow evening.  It has gone quickly - a brilliant trip.

More Palermo pics

Palermo

A lovely train journey across mountainous western Sicily to get to our final destination, Palermo.  It's very different, life is on the streets rather than indoors, reminds us a bit of Asia.

Went to the star turn - the Palazzo dei Normanni with its amazing Palatine Chapel - floor to ceiling mosaics from the 12th century, the whole place covered with scenes from the bible and various saints.

Then there was a trip around the royal rooms, more stunning mosaics and some large pieces of inlaid furniture.  The decorations of the rooms are lovely. 

The cathedral has a gothic/moorish exterior but rather plain but pleasing interior. Followed by a wander around the streets and the port. Out of the tourist hotspots it has a very friendly feel, people say buongiorno and ciao even to us.

And then we bought half a roast chicken and enough chips for 4 for the grand sum of 6 euros!

Sicily part 2

Went to admire a huge Caravaggio in the local church of Santa Lucia showing the martyrdom of said saint.  Impressive.

We then wandered into the old town which is, of course, full of tourists and attending stuff but pretty nonetheless.  Great cathedral which had been built around a Greek temple - very plain except for a couple of side chapels.

Hot day so then fled to a beach several kms away - a two swim day. The return bus didn't arrive so we had to hitchhike back - a big thank you to the young couple who stopped.  Dinner in a butchers shop which has 4 tables, you choose your meat.

A day out in Noto, a town destroyed in a 1693 earthquake but rebuilt in Baroque style.  Very impressive but we have rather OD'd on Baroque.

A long day to cross Sicily, bus, bus, train and bus again to Agrigento.  Really interesting watching the landscape change - very arid in the east then green(er) as we crossed the mountains and went west.

Agrigento is tourist town (but rather pretty anyway) because of the Valley of the Temples - lots of Greek ruins and apparently the biggest site outside Greece.  We were there for four hours, really interesting, couldn't face the museum.  Unfortunately didn't get to see the Roman site as it was shut but maybe enough was enough for one day.

Off to Palermo tomorrow.  The end is nigh!

Heading South

We paused for two days in Tropea (not St Tropez!) but a busy seaside resort up on the cliffs - very pretty but very touristy, especially lots of Germans.  Weather wasn't kind but the aperitivi were excellent.

Saturday (bad choice because all the holidaymakers were on the move) we headed for Sicily.  Had to change trains in a tinpot town but the cafe by the railway station had brilliant cakes!  The best yet.

The train was divided into two and both halves rolled onto the ferry to Messina - bizarre!  Then all the way down the east coast to Siracusa.  Lovely views but it was a long day travelling.

Great day in the archaeological museum (so much stuff) then the main archaeological site which is ok but strangely peppered with modern works of art mostly Icarus in various forms and bits.  

Surprised how many Greek and Roman settlements there are around, nearly all with amazing pots, statues and jewellery from burial sites.  

The gelato at the end of the day very welcome.

More photos from the foot

 Nutcrackers would you believe!

The sole of the foot

We stopped in Taranto, a town of three parts - around the station (scruffy), the old town partially held together with iron girders, and the new town which has nice buildings and traffic free boulevards, to visit the archaeological museum which was as impressive as the Rough Guide said. Mostly small artifacts from about 6000BC to 600AD (so much stuff) and some lovely mosaics. 

 Wandered the old town via the cathedral with its beautiful chapel with inlay marble panelling.  

Got slowed down by a very flash wedding - they arrived in a horse drawn carriage and left in a Lamborghini!

Now in Rossano Scala, between the town and the sea but where the bus stops.  Booked a hire car to visit the archaeological site of Sybaris and its  museum.  Had it to ourselves!  The city only lasted 200 years before being sacked by the neighbours who even diverted the river to try to wash it away.  But it did leave us the word "sybaritic" for excessive luxury.  

Up to the old town of Rossano where there's a 6th century 188-page illustrated manuscript of two of the gospels - the purple codex - only 4 or 5 in the world, the others being in places like St Petersburg and Paris.  Had another guided tour for two - an amazing day!

The heel of Italy...

...also known as Puglia was full of surprises.  We arrived in Lecce, so-called "Florence of the south" but from the train and bus it was rather unprepossessing.  Walking into the old town the next morning we were amazed to see coach loads of tourists!  Not so surprising when we got in the town, just about everything in carved stone - beautiful.  And the churches were proudly Baroque, not something we usually like but the basilica was pure stone, no gilding or fancy paintwork to spoil it. 

Friday on the train again but only local to the seaside town of Otranto, very touristy but can see why - lovely old town, great beaches and a truly fantastic mosaic floor in the cathedral.  

Then lovely frescoes in a small "basilica", reminded us of Armenia.

Lazed on the beach, swam a bit, just like being on holiday!

Today was a repeat, without the cultural visits.  Moving on tomorrow.

Central Italy, the Abruzzo

It's lovely here in Sulmona surrounded by mountains, it's quiet and hardly any tourists.  Took Sunday off just strolled the streets along with a huge part of the population, did virtually nothing, a bit of peace after all the art, architecture and travelling. 

Monday caught the bus to the medieval village of Scanno up in the real mountains.  

Real narrow roads through spectacular gorges, and villages stuck to mountainsides.  From Scanno we walked further up a track into the mountains passing patches of wild cyclamen and a strange little shrine.  Didn't see anyone else for a couple of hours!

On the way back down a couple of red deer trotted across the street in front of the bus in one of the villages!

Tuesday caught a bus to Pacentro, another lovely medieval town perched on a hillside.  

Chatted to a Canadian couple over snack lunch then walked back to Sulmona (about 7km) for a gelato.

Off to the heel of Italy (Puglia) tomorrow for a few days in Lecce.  It'll be a long day on the train.

Away from Rome

We headed back north into the region of Umbria, visiting Orvieto - off the train , stow the bags, up in the funicular - to see the amazing cathedral...

...where we also had a great Italian lunch before arriving in Perugia for three nights.  So much art and stuff to see, (pretty town as well) the head was quickly full but we did the whole first day.  

Wanted to catch a bus to Gubbio which is apparently one of the best medieval villages but the buses were on strike so took a train to lake Trasimene which was lovely and peaceful.  Walked a bit in the hills behind and spent some time in a gelateria - yum.

Up early today to catch a series of trains to Sulmona in the Appenine mountains, passing through spectacular scenery, the longest leg in a very local train. 

Here for three days in a rather smart apartment.  No great sights just lots of scenery and a rest from museums, churches and cathedrals!

Rome day 3 ...

... began with rain.  We headed for the Vatican to visit St Peter's but the queues to get through security were so long that we gave up.  That's the end of the queue on the left in the photo, it went all the way around the piazza behind us to the entrance on the right!!

Spent a few hours in another fascinating museum, ground floor was all exhibits, mostly statues, but the rooms on the first floor had amazing decorations - and when we came out 2 hours later the rain had stopped, hooray.  

Walked through the old town, piazzas, narrow streets, huge palaces and across the Tiber to a simple basilica with a great view.

Back in our apartment we had no hot water but we were talked through what to fiddle with to get it working again, so have even done a bit of DIY in Rome!

Rome day 2 extra pics

 

Rome day 2

Most of the museums are closed on Monday so we had booked tickets to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, the heart of ancient Rome.  Much as we hate the word - awesome!!  

More wandering in the afternoon, passing the Pantheon as the queues were huge but finding plenty of other fascinating things in the old town.

More pics in the next post.