New attempt for Oct 5 2012

Our Italy Trip: Southern Sicily Part 1

A church in Syracuse.  It is special because it is ancient.  It is a converted Greek Temple!  The original columns are integrated in the church walls.

Greek columns in a church wall

Another special site in Syracuse is the Greek theatre.  Extra special because of the theatre kitties, so friendly much like our Siamese home in Maui. 

Friendly Siamese at the Greek Theatre

A view of the Greek theatre in Syracuse.  An impressive sight.

The Greek Theatre

A well at the theatre, fed by an Greek viaduct, still intact after more than 2000 years!


The "ear" cave.  Because of it's special shape you can hear a whisper inside all the way outside the cave.

The "ear" cave

Our Italy Trip: Southern Italy part 2

Italian scene in the village of Noto.  Older man talking at a fountain with a beautiful church in the background.

Favorite passtime of older man?

Mainstreet, Noto in the in evening.

Gerrit in Noto at night

 Another Italian wedding in a beautiful church, this time in Modica

Italian Wedding Picture

 Our van parked under an arch leading to the main square in Ragusa

Our Van in Ragusa

 A view of Ragusa.

Ragusa

Our Italy Trip: Napels, Ferry to Sicily and Toarmina

Our next stop is Napels. Literally a complete stop.  Traffic is not moving most of the time.  Everyone knows Italian drivers are crazy AND the Napoli drivers are worse.  Seems like there is only one rule in traffic: If you have an inch of space YOU TAKE IT! No one there ever heard of the meaning of red traffic lights or lanes.  Lots of fun if you have 'nerves of steel' and do not care too much about having a perfect, dentless car. All Myia could do was laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.  And somehow it all seems to work for them!

Just a street in old Napels

In Napels there are also lots of weddings with beautiful brides in beautiful churches, sometimes even handsome grooms.  And often beautifully dressed bridesmaids.

At a Napels wedding

On the bay of Naples  we look back at the lights of the city of Naples at the bottom of Vesuvius.  Looks like the lava it once brought.

Looking back at Naples from across the bay

Arriving in Sicily via the ferry our first real stop is the town of Toarmina, a cute, very touristic mountain village.  Typically European, or is it Italian nightlife - families strolling allong squares and little streets in the evenings.  Busy and very nice with great views over the coastline.

Toarmina by night

Our Italy Trip: Heracleum

Heracleum and Pompei were hit by an eruption of Vesuvius around 2000 years ago.
Pompei is a very famous town, it is way bigger than Heracleum.
However, Pompei was basically distroyed, only fundations are left.  While Heracleum is still mostly intact.
Here are some pictures Myia has taken of this remarkable town:

 Even the more than 2000 year old wall decorations are intact in some places



A bench in one of the houses, look at the legs!



Courtyard with fountain

Overview of the excavations, still in progress.

Our Italy Trip: Luca and Pisa

A nice Italian Fishing village with the boats sitting on the boatramp in the middle of town.

This is Luca, very beautiful historic town, close to Pisa. Does not have a leaning tower but is nicer and has a great old center with beautiful buildings.

Of course we have to include the tower of Pisa, interesting to learn the history. It already started sinking while contructing. During renovations they decided not to put it up straight, but keep it at an angle, it was already a tourist attraction.

There is also a beautiful church on the same square in Pisa.

One of the gorgeous sunsets we saw in Italy, more to follow:

Our Italy Trip: The Black Forest and the Alpes

First 'destination' of
our trip:  The Black Forest.
       A German area with rolling hills,
       forests and cute towns,
       like the picture on the right.













A waterfall in the Alpes, coming for the top of the mountain, falling all the way down.

Some pictures of the "Jungfrau" Aerea, beautiful mountains and valleys as far as you can see.
We visited a little village there, Gimmelwald, not very known, only reachable by foot or cable lift.