I’ll let you in on a little secret. My family’s nom de plume is Murphy. That law that you’ve heard about? We live it on a daily basis, and this day was no exception.
Sorta like being in the airplane’s middle seat, but with better beverages
I won’t bore you with the details. Instead, I will share some helpful hints so that YOUR embarcation goes more smoothly than ours.
Parking at the port was easy. We arrived a little after noon, drove to the terminal (entrance is on 55th and 12th Ave– the ship was berthed about another block or two south of the entrance) where porters were waiting to help unload the luggage.
If by any chance you have forgotten the preprinted luggage tags Disney sent out with your cruise package, not to worry. The porters had extra and quickly solved the problem.
Dad parked the car, while mom, the girls and aunt (that would be me) made our way inside to a terminal that was not crowded at all. Cruise parking at the Manhattan terminal is $40 per 24 hours, payable in advance.
The girls met some very friendly greeters. In case you’re wondering, their shirts say “My aunt is the coolest”.
Two other members of our group (my sister/girls’ grandmother, my nephew/ girls’ uncle) who drove from Massachusetts, reserved off site parking that charged half as much as the port. The best part–their service included driving you to the terminal in your own car, and helping unload luggage. Good thing too, because between more than one stretch of bumper to bumper traffic and getting lost, they almost missed the boat. They had no time to spare, to look for a space in the Port parking lot, park the car and high tail it back to the embarcation area. There’s a lot to be said for arriving the day before departure.
IF you arrive around 12:30 PM, with proper documentation, you could probably be on the ship by 1:00 PM. If, however, you happen to be missing a legal document, such as an official birth certificate for a child, you CAN have someone either fax or photograph it and email or text it to you. See if you can figure out how I know this.
By the time some of us were on board, (2:15 PM) our rooms were ready. Checked luggage arrived around 5 PM.
All’s well that ends well, with everyone checked in and aboard by 4 PM. The wonder and glory of sailing out of NYC might have been lost on the smallest member of our group, who was far more interested in her burger, but the rest of us loved watching the city’s skyline and Lady Liberty roll by.
Mother, daughter, and a young, cool grandmother also known as my niece, great niece and my “little” sister
About those Fish Extenders (FEs) that I mentioned in a previous post? This is what they
look like. Notice the metal fish above the room number? That’s where the name came from. The idea is that group members leave little surprises for each others’ children in their FEs.
Wanna know how great some of the other passengers were? My niece discovered the Facebook group (and FEs) about a week before departure–too late for her to create or purchase surprises for other group members. Despite her inability to reciprocate, people STILL left gifts for her girls. The white board was one of the gifts–another was stuck inside the fish. No extender necessary.
Lots of VERY kind, considerate shipmates were aboard!
Every now and then you have to experience a very different kind of travel, and for me, that time is tomorrow. I’ve never been on a big cruise ship, never chose a cruise that featured only one port and never cruised with children. If those things had been on my bucket list, I’d be getting ready to cross them off.
Disney’s Magic sets sail tomorrow from Manhattan’s cruise terminal for a 4 night trip to St. John, New Brunswick, then back. Just getting ready for the cruise has been a learning experience. For example, Cruise Critic is NOT the “go to” place to get information about THIS cruise. Nope. My niece discovered that the happening site is Facebook, where she located a private group just for our particular cruise.
Let me tell you, there is quite a Disney culture out there. People have been getting ready for this event for some time, creating their “FE’s” and special gifts to put in the FEs. Until yesterday, I had no idea what an “FE” is, and I bet you don’t either. It stands for “Fish Extender” and it is some sort of container that you hang from your door. Does that help? I promise a future post will include at least one photo of a Fish Extender, so if a Disney Cruise is in your future, you can decide whether or not you want one.
The people on the page are all very helpful and friendly, so I’m looking forward to a great time. The theme for this cruise is Halloween on the High Seas. Not only is there an opportunity to wear a Halloween costume, but there is also “pirate night”. There IS a costume, of sorts, in my luggage. I’m going to be a princess. I know, not very imaginative, but SOMEONE has to lower the bar, right?
Speaking of princesses… right now these two are en route from Massachusetts, with mom and dad. Arriving shortly. The excitement level is sky high!
If you plan on vacationing in Italy, why not extend your visit a smidgen and hop over to Malta? This amazing little country has an abundance of things to see and do, especially if you are interested in history and archaeology. We spent five days there in late May, and felt that our timing was perfect…perfect weather, not too crowded, reasonably priced. Yep, there was a whole lot to like about Malta.
It is very easy to get to Malta from Italy. Although we could have taken a ferry from Catania, we opted for the less expensive, faster way, via Air Malta.
The title of this post is “RANDOM Reasons” to visit Malta and that’s exactly what you are getting. Not order of importance, or magnificence–just the order in which they popped into this lazy blogger’s head.
1. The Grand Excelsior Hotel
It’s beautiful, it’s just outside Valetta’s wall, it’s close to buses that can take you wherever you want to go, the service is great, the pool is fantastic, the views from the restaurant and bars are incredible, and it is relatively inexpensive (at least it was in May, with several months advance booking. )
The Excelsior’s pool at sunset
Be forewarned, though. The hotel is located below street level. 88 steps below, to be exact. The steps aren’t steep, but you WILL get your exercise. Which can be a good thing, if you eat as much as WE did.
The hike up those stairs is so worth it, because where else can you find…
2. Flower Shaped Gelato
Although there is an abundance of gelaterias in Malta, Amorino was our favorite. You can’t miss it–it is on Republic Street (the main street), on the right, if you are coming through the city gates. Your flower can have as many flavors as you want.
It doesn’t get much better than that!
And since we are on the subject of food, we discovered this wonderful restaurant close to the Blue Grotto.
3. La Cucina de Bettina
The owner of the restaurant was also our waiter. That’s him, in the black tee, explaining the menu to customers.
I’m ordinarily not a HUGE seafood fan, but this was incredible–the best tuna I have ever tasted! Fresh? Well, the owner told us our lunch had been swimming in the ocean just a few hours before. Take a look.
No, that was not the serving size, but close.
We also had a wonderful antipasto platter, and a bottle of wine recommended by the owner/waiter. I should have made a note of what we spent for this feast. All I can remember was that it cost MUCH less than we ever expected!
I could go on and on about the Malta food, but I’m sure you get the idea. It was delicious, varied and affordable.
4. Valetta
Let’s just start with the festive Republic Street.
Yes, it does look a bit crowded, but if you want a more peaceful experience, all you need to do is duck down a side street. Cruise ships dock in Valetta, so when multiple ships are in town, you do get throngs, but after 5, the city is yours.
The Grand Master’s Palace is on Republic Street, and there IS a guard changing ceremony every day.
Other activities in Valetta definitely deserve their OWN number, like…
5. The Malta Experience
Perhaps you arrived in Malta without doing any research at all. You know NOTHING about its history or the history of its many invaders. Not to worry. All you need to do is buy a ticket to The Malta Experience, then sit back and enjoy. You will be quickly brought up to speed! There are other options on the island, including one that promised you a 5D experience (moving seats, water spray, air blasts and leg ticklers) but this was the one we chose and we were not disappointed. Now if we had been traveling with children, we probably would have opted for the multi-sensory extravaganza.
6. St John’s Co Cathedral
It is impossible to capture the majesty and magnificence of this building. It doesn’t look like much on the outside. In fact, we walked past it a couple of times without even noticing it. But walk inside and WOW!
We’ve hit a lot of churches and cathedrals throughout Europe, and the Americas, but this has to be the most jaw-dropping one I have ever encountered.
“The Beheading of John the Baptist by Caravaggio is in the Co-Cathedral, but just off to the side. I needed to ask directions to find it.
The painting is HUGE–it fills a wall. You can’t get close to it, so I was unable to verify whether Caravaggio’s signature was formed by the blood flowing from the Baptist’s neck. TIP: If you go, bring binoculars or opera glasses to get a better view.
You are not allowed to photograph the painting. If caught, supposedly they confiscate your photo card.
No, I did not break the rules. This is a photo of a postcard, purchased from the gift shop. A poor substitute, but better than nothing.
7. Transportation Alternatives
Here’s another tip: forget about the Hop On Hop Off buses here. You are better served riding the regular city buses. They are far less expensive, and more frequent. Normally we are huge fans of HOHO, but this one had a host of negatives. Its headsets were not reliable. Some worked–some didn’t, and the information they provided was not that great. There were long periods of silence, causing me to wonder whether the headset had stopped working. I was frequently consulting the brochure to try to figure out where we were.
We soon discovered the HOHO doesn’t necessarily stop in front of attractions listed in their brochure. But it DID stop at listed attractions that were closed.
We made the mistake of buying the two day, (red and blue) pass, so never tried out the city buses, but we sure saw a lot of them. Next time, city bus will be our preferred mode of transportation.
If you DO decide to go the way of the HOHO, you can get aboard near the bus station close to the Grand Excelsior.
8. Tarxien Temples
If you are into archaeology, you’ll love the Tarxien Temples. Full disclosure. We had wanted to see the Hypogeum, but that was completely booked. And the Tarxien Temples were supposedly on the HOHO route, (not exactly, as noted above, but we found our way), so why not?
These four temples date back to the Neolithic age (3600-2500 BC). The Romans, 2000 years later, used the site for agriculture. The original structures were discovered In 1913, when local farmers complained about the large blocks of stone they were striking while plowing.
There are other ruins for those that are really, REALLY into prehistory, but this was enough for us.
9. Gozo
We wanted to spend a day touring Gozo, and after our experience with HOHO, decided to book a private tour through the hotel. We were not disappointed with our choice. Marco picked us up at 8:30, drove us to and from the ferry and around Gozo, making sure we spent our time the way WE wanted.
View of Gozo harbor from the Ferry
We drove by Popeye’s village, now a tourist trap, formerly the set for Robin William’s 1980 movie, stopping just long enough to take a couple of photos.
I remember suffering through the Iliad and the Odyssey during my Freshman year in college. Maybe if I had known I’d be visiting the cave of the nymph who bewitched Odysseus, I would have enjoyed the books more. (But probably not). The cave was closed because of “geological movement”, so we could only look at a hole in the ground, partially hidden by bushes, but the view of the nearby beach with its red sand was quite lovely.
Gozo had lots of beautiful ocean vistas, a lovely cathedral, a great multimedia show in Rabat, (the old center also known as Victoria), fantastic food—AND this rather graphic painting of St. Agatha. Seems the Roman suitor she rejected got a bit miffed and decided to cut her breasts off in retaliation.
She looks remarkably unconcerned, maybe because the little angel hovering over her head (holding a crown) told her that in years to come, the Maltese and Sicilians would create a pastry in her honor. Think I’m kidding? Take a look. They are called “Minni di Sant Aita”. Honest.
The Azure Window would definitely have made the list had we traveled to Gozo in 2016. Unfortunately for us, in March of 2017, the arch tumbled into the sea, so we had to content ourselves with this post card image, and a view of the site where it once stood. Still a scenic and lovely area, though.
10. Mdina
The oldest city on the island of Malta, Mdina was built and inhabited by Arabs until they were expelled by the Christians in 1250. Another fortified city, it has the mandatory moat and gates.
It also has the requisite cathedral, old buildings repurposed as cafes and gift shops, but MY favorite thing was the Palazzo Falzone, a 13th century building loaded with an incredible collection of antiques and the very coolest sound system ever.
You just put on the headset, point the wand at a plaque on the wall and voila, you have a narrative about the article/ room you are viewing!
Olof Gollcher, a Swedish philanthropist and heir to a shipping fortune, purchased the building in 1927, and used it as a repository for his collections of art, silver, furniture, weapons and books.
There you have it. This lazy, random blogger got you started. These ten highlights barely scratch the surface of all that is wonderful and glorious about Malta. The rest is up to you!
Okay, be honest. Before the G7 meeting, had you ever heard of Taormina? If I had, it didn’t register, until we booked this trip.
But before heading to Taormina, we still had lots to see and do in Catania. I’ll tell ya, I was totally unprepared for how much I enjoyed Catania. What a pleasant surprise. It was easy to get around, with lots to see, and of course, with an abundance of great restaurants.
The city was conquered by the Romans in 263 BC, and as with other areas in their empire, the Romans left their mark, which the city has wisely preserved.
I love the way the old and modern structures coexist. This amphitheater lies beneath the modern city
Yes, Catania has the requisite number of churches, fountains and statues. It also has lots of interesting streets, like this one. It isn’t immediately apparent, but as you climb all those stairs,
you are rewarded with views like this.
As one would expect of a city smack dab on the ocean, Catania’s fish market was HUGE, as were its products. Check out that swordfish.
Coming from coastal Massachusetts, however, this girl wasn’t all that impressed.
I DID get excited about the market’s fruit, though, especially those cherries. I don’t know who was more excited about my purchase–him or me? To show his appreciation, he gave me a slice of the most delicious cantaloupe I’ve ever tasted. Fresh, delicious fruit… aah, that’s what I call quality of life!
But I didn’t fill up on cherries. Good thing because we had yet another incredible lunch at a little outdoor cafe off of the main square, across from the cathedral. You’d think by now I would remember to write the cafe’s name down or take a picture of the menu, but I did neither. Sorry, future visitors to Catania. I believe it was on the corner, facing the elephant’s behind, where the tan umbrellas are.
On to Taormina, where security was tight. Good thing our group was in great shape, because we had to walk quite a distance. Bus access into the town and to the amphitheater was limited, even though the leaders would not be arriving for another week.
Notice the two different uniforms of the military/security people in this photo. I think every country must have sent their own people. There were LOTS more milling about!
The amphitheater was the perfect spot for a group photo. And what a group we were! All seasoned travelers, everyone was considerate, friendly and easy to be with. Of course I had my favorites (and they know who they are), but I would be thrilled to see any of them on a future trip.
Great traveling companions! Back row: Tom, Maxine, Jane, Sharon, Ann, Carol. (Ann should have been in the front!) Middle row: Sue, Sue, Lavonne, Al, Joel and Henry Front row: Mike, me, Daniel (way in front), Shirley and Owen.
The Greek Amphitheater is still used for outdoor concerts, but those white plastic chairs are not normally in place. People usually sit on the stone steps, bleachers or the grassy sections. The plastic seats were set up for the following week’s G-7 conference.
The view from the site is unforgettable. See that cloud of smoke in the distance? That’s Mount Etna.
And that’s where we were headed on our last day in Catania. But first, one last shot of Taormina. Yes, the streets in the city are a bit steep, but none of our group needed a golf cart to get around. (I’m just sayin’…)
Okay, so I’ll admit it. I was absolutely thrilled to be able to hike on an active volcano. Of course, this being OAT, we were accompanied by Marco, our expert local guide who made sure we were safe at all times. Marco came equipped wth visual aids, walking sticks and hard hats!
We learned our group was unique, in that EVERYONE made the hike and descended into the lava tubes. Apparently this was a first for Marco. He said on all his other tours a couple of people waited at the base and didn’t take part in all the activities. Yay us!
Here’s one of our guide, Daniel’s, photos. As you can see from our clothing (and my hat) It was cold and windy on the volcano. I was glad I’d packed my fleece!
That’s not OUR group in the distance. I wasn’t that brave (foolhardy) to stay behind to get that shot! In fact, WE were up higher than they, as you can see from the angle of my shot.
So why did we need hard hats? Well, when you climbed down into a lava tube, it’s a good idea to protect your head and turn your head lamp on.
Yet another one of Daniel’s photos–the group inside the lava tube.
If you think this blog post was a whirlwind, you’d be right. And that’s how it felt to be on the trip. A very nice, interesting, FUN whirlwind. We definitely got a lot for our money!
We said good-bye to our new friends at that night’s farewell dinner.
Once again, thank you Daniel!
Most were headed home, but very early the following morning (5 AM), Mike, Owen, Shirley and I started our Malta adventure, which I’ll be posting about next.
For the last three days of our OAT tour, we were based in Catania. Enroute, we stopped in Syracusa, the birthplace of Archimedes. Remember him? He’s the guy in the bathtub, who shouted “eureka” when he discovered something of great importance? I don’t remember what he discovered, but I sure did like his word choice.
If you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering why he’s holding a mirror, instead of sitting in a bathtub, like a Cialis commercial. Well, there are a couple of stories: The original legend was that Archimedes developed a parabolic mirror that captured the sun’s rays and then directed them toward the invaders’ wooden ships, setting them ablaze. Valeria, our local guide, said it was more likely that the mirror was indeed used to capture the sun’s rays, but was probably more effective temporarily blinding the enemy. You are free to pick whichever version you prefer. Archimedes also invented a crane with a metal hook that could pull a ship out of the water, known as “Archimedes Claw”. Now THAT would have made one hell of a statue!
We didn’t spend much time in Syracuse, instead moving to the fortress island of Ortigia, another lovely Sicilian town just packed with Greek and Roman ruins, Medieval Norman structures, and Baroque buildings, plus great restaurants and lovely boutiques. We weren’t there long enough!
Typical street in Ortigia. Lots of pedestrian only walkways.
We made a stop by the Fountain of Arethusa. You’ve all seen fountains before, so I decided to share a photo of this plaque instead. Don’t you just love it when there is an English translation? I hope it comes through large enough for you to read it!
Arethusa was one “wiry” nymph who didn’t rejoice in the “gifts of her body”. What a great translation!
After lunch we took a boat ride around Ortigia Bay. (This photo is courtesy of sweet Daniel, our guide, who shared the photos he’d been taking of us during the entire trip.)See that bridge? Wonder how we were able to fit under it?
Don’t worry. I’m going to show you…
Our captain instructed us all to scrunch down, then the awning was lowered. Okay, so it isn’t the best photo I’ve ever taken, but I’ll bet got the idea!
Something else to wonder. How do people on boats get take-out delivered? Wonder no more, because once again, I’m going to show you.
Yes indeed. That IS a pizza being lowered.
Our day wasn’t over. We had one more stop before we checked into the hotel. The World War II Museum commemorated the allies landing in Sicily. My favorite part of the museum was entering the replica of a Sicilian town, hearing the air raid sirens go off, piling in to the bomb shelter (which shook as the “bombs” went off) then exiting to see the devastation that took place.
There was lots more to see, but I decided to share this poster with the folks back home.
Lucky Luciano was sprung from a US prison so that he could communicate with his Sicilian Cosa Nostra connections to ensure that the US knew exactly where to land. As you can imagine, this was somewhat controversial, especially because some claim the US support of the Cosa Nostra leaders only strengthened their hold on the region after the war ended.
After settling in to the Katane Palace Hotel, Daniel took us for a quick tour, pointing out Catania’s version of “Restaurant Row”, where we had a wonderful dinner.
The perfect ending to a fantastic first day in Catania.
Full disclosure. This is no longer coming to you “live”. We have been home for a week. My blogging just couldn’t keep pace with our activities. We were BUSY! And when we weren’t busy, we were recuperating from the busyness… and drinking…and eating…and drinking.
Speaking of recuperation, the good news is that our friends recovered in time to join us the evening before we left for Ragusa. Daniel, our wonderful guide (We all love you, Daniel!) sent a doctor to the hotel in Palermo, then arranged for a driver to pick them up and bring them to our next lodging–the beautiful Agriturismo Berlingeri. AND while they were in Palermo, he had them moved to a larger room so they could be more comfortable. Pretty thoughtful!
Looking good after taking advantage of the Italian medical system!
So, about Ragusa. It is actually TWO towns–lower and upper Ragusa. After the earthquake in 1693, the majority of the population moved upward, but fortunately, some stayed behind to rebuild what is now Ragusa Ibla, the old town.
The two towns are connected by a LOOONG staircase. Graciela, our local guide, packed us onto a bus (and we were indeed packed) to the upper city so we could walk DOWN, which gave us ample opportunity to take in the panoramic views.
I didn’t count the steps, however it was NOT a strenuous stroll, especially given our frequent pauses–bathroom break, cold drinks, ogling everything. Graciela’s interesting stories kept us entertained and engaged all the way down.
See, not too bad.
Take a look at the underside of this balcony. Graciela pointed out that the top figure on the left is asking the top figure on the right for more food and drink. The figure on the left is responding with the universal hand signal for “go do something unmentionable to yourself.” Too bad the central figure is missing. Wonder what HE would have had to contribute to this interaction.
Lesson learned: take time to look UP. Cool things are EVERYWHERE!
Is it just me, or are some of these characters in dire need of dental care?
Our walk ended at the cathedral, where St. George plays a prominent role. Here’s HIS story. Initially, St. George was portrayed as a Roman soldier, who saw the light and ended up slaying the dragon. Graciela explained the dragon symbolized the pagans who were threatening the Christians.
Sometime during the middle ages, St. George got a make-over, becoming a medieval knight. This time the dragon was more specific; he represented the Muslims and Turks who were battling the Christians for control of the holy land. THAT St. George is portrayed in the huge painting on the cathedral wall. Nobody seemed bothered that George was killing dragons in two different centuries!
I bet you’re wondering what that silver and gold box in the middle of the cathedral is all about. Nope, it doesn’t hold the 10 Commandments and it isn’t a casket–but close. It holds 32 relics! Fingers, toes, pieces of the original cross–who knows? We didn’t get the specifics. One of our guides later commented “How many fingers and toes do you think the saints had?” Let’s ponder that for a while, and commend the entrepreneurs of the middle ages.
After our tour ended, we had free time to enjoy this lovely little mountain town.
Although there is a little trolley that can take you on a tour, we decided to walk off some of the great food and wine we had been consuming. Good thing, because the next day we headed off to a farm for a “Day in the Life” of a Sicilian family.
All OAT trips include a home visit or some kind of cultural exchange, and this trip was no exception. Here are Maria and her son John Baptiste, welcoming us to the family farm. John Baptiste, an archaeologist by training, is restoring the farm, which was his mother’s childhood home.
I know this looks like it could be an instrument of torture from the Spanish Inquisition, but it is actually the original wine press.
We didn’t make wine, but we DID help with the cooking, sorta the way my little 3 and 4 year old nieces help with cooking. The woman in the brown shirt and white apron? If it weren’t for her, the result would have been VERY different!
The food was magnificent! We could even tell ourselves that WE did some of the cooking.
Check out the oven. Doesn’t get more authentic than this.
So what else would you need to know if you are going to visit Ragusa? Well, the hotel we stayed at–the San Giorgio Palace Hotel– is ideally located. It is at the edge of town, carved into the hillside, and is within walking distance of everything — all of the restaurants, shops, cathedral and park. There is a nice patio on the 4th floor, where you can sip a glass of wine and watch the sun go down over the hillside. It was quite wonderful.
No one knows for sure who lived in the Villa Romana del Casale. Some think it might have been the country home of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius; others theorize a provincial governor lived and conducted administrative duties here.
It was constructed in the middle of the 4th century AD, and owes its remarkable preservation to the mudslide that covered the villa in the 12th century. The building remained hidden until the 1950’s excavations.
Katya, our local expert, explained that we were going to view some of the finest examples of Roman mosaics in all of Europe, with scenes ranging from Homeric escapades to depictions of daily life, at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Katya was excellent, and that was true of all the local guides on our trip. We learned that our main guide, Daniel, had a choice of 4 or 5 different local guides for each site, and I have to say, he chose very well. Katya was interesting and so informative, a delight to listen to.
We began our tour by the aqueduct, which was the source of water for the baths–starting with the hot bath, and ending with the frigidarium, the cold bath.
The slaves kept the fires going in these ovens so that the baths were at the proper temperature.
I wasn’t taking notes, so don’t hold me to it, but I THINK this was the frigidarium. Or it was something else. Whatever. It was impressive.
The main attraction of the villa is the floor mosaics, and they are absolutely magnificent.
Probably the most famous room, the 10 maidens are exercising, wearing the ancient version of bikinis. And look, someone appears to have won the swimsuit competition, earning her a crown and a palm leaf to wave around.
Not quite so famous, but certainly as intriguing were these: one example of the many scenes of a hunt.
This woman’s clothing indicates she was from the eastern empire, possibly Muslim. There is another mosaic of a similarly attired woman, being carried off by soldiers. It isn’t hard to imagine what that mosaic was illustrating.
No commentary necessary for this one.
I particularly liked the depiction of the theater. Looks like the legend of the Cyclops was being featured.
Those white squares on the mosaic–I thought someone had been littering, but no. They were placed there intentionally to absorb moisture.
Here’s a close up of Cyclops. I really DID like that mosaic! Isn’t it amazing what the craftsmen were able to do with little colored stones?
One last look at the countryside and we’ll be on our way. Our timing was fantastic. We were leaving, just as hoards of tourists were arriving!
It seems like every tour we’ve been on has had its own version of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and Sicily is no exception. In Modica, we careened through the narrow streets in vintage fiats. No seat belts or other sissy stuff in these cars. It’s just you, your driver, and two other passengers sandwiched into these tiny vehicles. I was wondering whether Mike would be able to get into one of these, and if he did, would he ever be able to get back OUT?
Okay, so now we know the answer to the first half of the question!
I was also glad to see that Jesus was riding along with Mike. In fact, it looks like he’s sitting in Mike’s lap. Jesus’ name was undoubtedly invoked multiple times during our race through the alleys that the locals mistakenly think of as streets.
A few weeks ago, someone on the OAT forum asked whether WE would be able to drive a Fiat 5000. After looking at the clearance on either side of the cars, you’ll have your answer. Unless you have a death wish, you wouldn’t WANT to! The streets of Modica are ridiculously narrow, with blind corners, sharp turns, and steep hills. I was very grateful to have an experienced local behind the wheel.
You definitely had to be there, but these photos will give you an inkling of what it was like!
Being by far the largest woman in the group, I decided to ride with smaller companions. That scored me a front seat, from which I took those photos.
Here we are: Sue, our driver, me and Ann, still smiling after our ride ended.
The intrepid travelers assembled on the steps of one of Modica’s many churches for a group photo.
The views from the cathedral area were breath taking!
We ended our evening with a visit to a chocolate shop (yes, I made purchases, which could possibly become prizes. My sisters, nieces and cousins know what THAT means!). As usual, we had an amazing dinner. As usual, there was far more food than I could possibly eat.
A special treat was an unexpected visit to the local community band’s practice session. We could hear them from the street, so Daniel (our wonderful guide) got permission for us to go inside. Check out that young boy. He was an AMAZING drummer.
They very nicely played John Phillip Souza’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” just for us! What a wonderful memory.
I know. You are all just itchin’ to find out how we are getting from point A to point B on this island. Well, itch no more, because not only will I TELL you, I’m also giving you the visual. We have been traveling in comfort on this lovely bus. There are only 16 of us, plus our guide, so we have LOTS of room to to spread out.
The view from these huge windows has been amazing. We definitely chose the right time to visit Sicily–the wild flowers are blooming, everything is lush and green, and the temperature has been perfect!
We are all so grateful that Marco, our bus driver, is manouvering along these winding, VERY narrow roads, up and down the hillsides. All we had to do is sit back, relax and take it all in.
Once again, we will be time traveling, all the way back to Ancient Greece. I don’t know why, but I just got a flash back to Mr. Peabody and his boy, Sherman, of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. (“Every dog should have a boy”. God, I loved that show! ) How sad that so much of my knowledge of history, at least what stuck, came from cartoons and Walt Disney! But I digress.
When we arrived at the Valley of the Temples, we were greeted by another Marco, our guide for the site. An archaeologist, he came equipped with maps, diagrams, and an abundance of enthusiasm.
Sadly, the site had been picked clean by those successive waves of conquerors, so it was difficult to extract much information about the lifestyle of the original Greek inhabitants of Akragas (as the area was once known) from artifacts, bones, shards, etc.
Fortunately, though, eight Greek temples remain at this UNESCO site, all built between 510 and 430 BC. The best preserved temple, called “Concordia” by the non-archaeologists, (because the archaeologists didn’t have sufficient info to determine the correct names of the temples) was saved from being scavenged by the locals because it was transformed into a church by the Normans. Walls were built between the pillars, and the entrance was changed, then at some point (and yeah, I forgot what Marco said. Sorry!) it was all changed back.
From the valley, you can see the modern city of Agrigento, just beyond Greek temple F (the archaeologists’ name for Concordia. )
What Marco COULD tell us was that these arches were once the entrance to Greek tombs, that were later repurposed by the Normans for shelter, with the actual grave used as a manger for their animals. The Greeks dug shallow graves — only about a foot and a half deep– and covered the hole with rocks. Who knows what the Norman’s did with the remains they found when they moved those rocks!
My favorite part of the site, however, was this incredible sculpture of Icarus, who fell from the skies because he flew too close to the sun. Clearly, HE hadn’t been under water for 2,000 years! Also clear was that he was a modern addition to the site.
After our tour, it was time for lunch at this lovely private home.
You’d think we would have figured it out by now. What we THOUGHT was the lunch, was actually just the antipasto, followed by several other courses. We have concluded that we need to get much better at pacing ourselves! But if the food wasn’t enough, there was yet another surprise in store for us: The owner’s grandfather had been a renown craftsman, creating donkey carts that were truly works of art.
The paintings on the sides of the carts were of historical events, like this one depicting the assassination of Julius Caesar.
Even the spokes on the wheels were intricately carved.
Here’s our hostess, who also functioned as guide, cook and server.
These magical interludes are a big reason that Mike and I travel with OAT. We NEVER would have been able to arrange for some of these fascinating encounters on our own!
By now, we were completely sated with food and culture, ready for our one night stay at Vecchia Masseria in Piazza Amerina.
And yes, it really WAS that beautiful. Another agritourismo, in a pastoral setting with delicious, locally sourced food. Life is good.
What an island! Strategically placed between Africa and Europe, the east and the west, Sicily was home to successive waves of conquerors, and for our second day, we visited one of the conquering heroes’ settlements. The Phoenicians, originally from the area that is now Lebanon, were among the first waves.
But first, we took a close look at the commodity that gave us the word “salary”. Sal (salt) was once used by the Romans as currency. Unlike other parts of the world, where salt is mined, the salt here is extracted from the sea. The water evaporates from shallow beds, leaving behind a substance that is low in sodium, high in potassium and magnesium. The Trapani salt is practically a health food! The sea, the wind, the sun all work together, with a little help from human workers, to create this miracle ingredient. Doesn’t get more natural than that.
After learning more than I ever thought possible about salt, we boarded a boat for the little island of Mothya, where almost 3000 years ago, Phoenicians built a fortress and a settlement.
There’s not much left on Mothya, just some walls, (header photo) and a museum that once was the home of Giuseppe Whittaker. Whittaker, in fact, owned the entire island. Fortunately, he was interested in archaeology and history, left his home and property to the public.
The salt museum contained this rendition of what the settlement was imagined to be.
It’s not a big island; we were able to walk from one end to the other, working up an appetite for this amazing feast!
Our last stop was at the place the Arabs called “Marsa Allah”, the Port of God, now known as Marsala, for wine tasting. Check out the size of those barrels. That’s a whole lot of Chicken Marsala!
It is rare indeed that my wine glass is still full after a wine tasting. In fact, I would say that this was a first. To me, Marsala is way too sweet. Okay for cooking, but definitely not my choice for drinking.
It’s beautiful, it’s just outside Valetta’s wall, it’s close to buses that can take you wherever you want to go, the service is great, the pool is fantastic, the views from the restaurant and bars are incredible, and it is relatively inexpensive (at least it was in May, with several months advance booking. )
Perhaps you arrived in Malta without doing any research at all. You know NOTHING about its history or the history of its many invaders. Not to worry. All you need to do is buy a ticket to The Malta Experience, then sit back and enjoy. You will be quickly brought up to speed! There are other options on the island, including one that promised you a 5D experience (moving seats, water spray, air blasts and leg ticklers) but this was the one we chose and we were not disappointed. Now if we had been traveling with children, we probably would have opted for the multi-sensory extravaganza.
See that bridge? Wonder how we were able to fit under it? 
Destination NOW 