Siracusa Boat Tour and a trip to Ragusa

I'm in heaven!  The rain is gone and its supposed to be sunny all week!  I took a boat tour this AM while Bob went to Ragusa.  I still can't walk well enough to handle uneven cobblestones, so I stayed at the hotel.  Several of our group invited me to go on the boat tour so I gladly accepted.  It turns out Siracusa is best seen from the water!

As we left the harbor we came to a very low bridge.  The boatman said in his limited  English, "Down."  We figured it out pretty quick!  Here are the shots.

We putt-putted along the coast to a grotto.  Not as good as the Blue Grotto in Capri, but not bad and a lot cheaper!

 The tour lasted about 75 minutes and was well worth the 15 € we paid.  It was lovely to get out and enjoy a real Spring day.

View of Ragusa

Meanwhile Bob went inland to a town called Ragusa, which was destroyed by an earthquake in the 1600s and rebuilt in the Baroque Style.  At least the Duomo was.

The Duomo

Another church

Someone's actual home, but it looks like a museum

Ragusa

Tomorrow we are off to Taormino for 4 nights.  We're going up Mt. Etna at some point.  Til' then . . .

Near Agrigento, this may be the highlight of the trip!

We visited an elementary school in a small town called Rafadali, about 30 minutes from Agrigento, which is one of many projects the Grand Circle Foundation supports.  I was prepared to be bored.  Instead, from the minute we walked into their gym and saw these darling Italian bambinos, dressed in costumes, smiling and so excited to see us, I couldn't stop smiling.  Their excitement and obvious happiness to see real Americanos was contagious.The school chorus sang a few songs in Italian, then the kindergarteners (ages 4-6) treated us to a 

darling rendition of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, complete with hilarious dancing!  Next we had the "stars" of the school demonstrating their ballroom dance moves.  

After some refreshment we then visited several classes.  We had a 3rd grade class, including "Mario", who came over to me immediately and asked "What is your name?" and "Where are you from?"  That seemed to be the limit of his vocabulary.  Understandably, as the alleged English teacher didn't actually speak English.  This I know because I was right next to her and she didn't understand anything I said.  I gave her a DVD I'd made of some videos of the Western US, with Yosemite NP, San Francisco, the Utah NPs and of course, Colorado.  Hopefully they can use it.  All she asked was if it was "for children?"   I wondered if she thought I'd maybe brought porn in!  

If you watch the KG video, pay attention to the two boys in the back on the right, when they start locking arms and turning.  One of them had no idea what he was supposed to do and a teacher came over and dragged him to a girl on the left.  I just love little kids!

Palermo, Monreale, Cefalu - Church days Mar 22-2

Obviously, I could not keep up a daily blog.  Or even a weekly one.  In my draft pile are several posts I started but don't finish.  Any posts no would have to be backdated.  So I'm putting the dates in the title.
So, to recap the week so far, we were in Palermo for 3 days, staying the the Grand Hotel Wagner, named after Richard Wagner who spent time in Palermo.  The hotel was a beautiful 18th century building that had been totally renovated but in the same ornate style.  It was certainly a big improvement over the Cesare Augusto in Sorrento, where the toilet didn't flush, the hair dryer didn't work and the bed was lumpy.  The only saving grace was a balcony with a bistro table and chairs where I could write and smoke.  In Palermo I also had a balcony but it was the Juliet style, very narrow so you could only stand.  But it served its purpose.

Palermo Cathedral

 Monday we toured Palermo.  Saw a cathedral, and an "oriatory" which was a church completely done in plaster with polished marble dust buffed in to make it shine.   .

.

Palermo Cathedral

Monreale

Monreale Cathedral - walls are decorated entirely in mosaic

All mosaics, each is only ¼ high

The highlight of the day was a short ride up to Monreale (royal mountain) to see its cathedral and walk around, have a cappuccino and people watch







The next day we drove to Cefalu (sef-a-LU)' a fishing village about an hour away.  It was cloudy that day, as it has been almost every day we've been in Sicily.  I'm really trying to keep a positive attitude but it's getting difficult.  Sunshine and blue skies make for such good pictures of some really stunning scenery.  As it is, with gray skies it's kind of yucky.  We had a wonderful lunch of fresh seafood, so filling that we skipped dinner.  Of course lunch here is at 2 and it is the biggest meal of the day for Sicilians.

Cefalu Cathedral

Cefalu

I really do love seeing these old churches.  I am almost always amazed at how stunning and rich the interiors are, even in some of the smaller parish churches.  This trip, like our last trip back in 2000, had a lot of church visits.

The Amalfi Coast

Today was just perfect.  We piled into a mini bus (there are only 14 of us) and headed down the Amalfi coast.  Past Positano, where we already were, onto Ravello, where we stopped for lunch.  I just love eating in Italy!  Prosciutto and mozzarella cheese (in a ball.  Who knew?)  Margherita Pizza, beer and sitting outside on a glorious day!  Then we backtracked to the town of Amalfi, where we took a private boat trip along the coast.  Then we had time to walk around Amalfi - which is not that big.  I had my first gelato of the trip (I have to double up now since my goal was to have one a day!), a sinfully  delicious double scoop of Hazelnut and Amalfi (white and dark chocolate in vanilla ice cream).

Today was the highlight of the trip so far.  The scenery is just breathtaking, and with every curve of the road you see something astonishing.

After a wonderful day, we went out to a restaurant called the Basilica.  It is owned by the same people who own Caruso's, a Michelin starred restaurant that is very expensive.  The Basilica is next door, shares the same Chef and the same kitchen with Caruso's at half the price.  I had Ossobuca to die for, and finished with creme brûlée.  Best meal I've had in I don't know when!

Time for bed.  If I decided to go to Pompeii, we leave at 7:45 in the morning!  The next day we go to Palermo to begin the main trip.  We have to get up at 4 AM, to drive to Naples, then fly to Rome to fly to Palermo.  This must be Italy.  

A day in Sorrento on our own

Sorrento in High season is bustling with activity, mainly swimming or taking a boat or bus somewhere else.  Sorrento in Low season is just taking a boat or bus elsewhere.  Today we opted out of the Optional trip to Capri.  We've been there before and Grand Circle was charging $140 per person to take the hydrofoil over, go up to Anacapri and have lunch.  It evidently did not include a boat ride around the island as our tour 15 years ago did.  So we decided to do Capri on our own.  I want to see the Blue Grotto, which we did not see before.

First step, catch the bus to the Marina Piccola.  Just around the corner from our hotel we arrived at the bus stop at 10:50, and it was due at 11:05 - the last bus until after siesta at 4:30.
We waited and waited an waited.  By 11:40 we decided to bag it and walked across the street to the a restaurant for coffee.  Of course, as soon as we sat down and ordered the bus arrived.  Que sera.

After a leisurely meal of a cheese omelette and 3 cups of very expensive coffee - 3.5 € per cup.  Hint: when the waiter asks if you want more coffee, you may think its a free refill, but it isn't.  Just say NO.  Although I was so desperate and the cafe Americano was so good I probably would have had 2 cups anyway, but with 3 the coffee cost more than the omelette!  Sitting outside on a beautiful day in a cute restaurant can definitely get expensive.  

We wandered around town for awhile, but frankly it all seems the same after a time.  There really is nothing to do in Sorrento except visit the Cathedral (closed for siesta until 4:30) or one of 2 small museums.  Of course there is the beach.

To get down to the water is a vertical climb down a few thousand steps.  These steps are next to the restaurant where we were.

Then you have to get back up.  We were told there was a bus back up but we know how the busses are here and I really didn't want to have to camp on the beach waiting.  I read on Trip Advisor that there is a lift and Bob managed to find it.  For 1 € each way we rode in comfort 1000 feet down.  I went to have another cup of coffee (also 3.5 € ) while Bob went to get the info on taking a ferry to Capri.  The cost was only 28 € each, and the last ferry left at 2:30. Of course it was 2:29 when Bob got back to the restaurant.  I had just gotten my coffee, so we waved to the ferry about 100 yards down the pier.  So much for Capri today.  Too bad because it was sunny today and 63 degrees. At least the view was spectacular!

 Our only other chance to see the Blue Grotto is on Saturday when the group is going to Pompeii, another place we visited 15 years ago.  Cost of that excursion is only $100 per person.  Bob doesn't want to go again, but I know they've excavated a lot more since we were there in 2000.  If the weather is as bad as predicted we definitely won't go to Capri.  The Blue Grotto depends on the weather and the seas, meaning if the sea is at all rough they can't get the little boats through.  Pompeii is away from the coast so maybe it won't rain there.  Another day spent in Sorrento, especially if its raining, does not appeal.

The TV in our room looks like an old PC monitor.  Only BBCNews and CNN are in English.  I did hear about Tunisia, which makes our trip to Malta a little worrisome.  Hopefully the barbarians will stay on their own side of the Mediterranean.

I almost forgot.  Last night we went to a musical production of Sorrentine singing and dancing.  Bob didn't want to go but he ended up liking it quite a lot.  For me it was much like seeing "CATS" again, and about as interesting.  I fell asleep in both.  I do have a few pictures however.

Last in the day's adventures was dinner at Chantecler's Trattoria.  I had the catch of the day and it was sea bass.  To die for.  Plus starters of pasta Bolaganese  and Lasagna Sorrentine.  I do love eating in Italy!  I did not have coffee.  We had half a carafe of wine and one beer - 5.5 € .  Very reasonably priced restaurant.
I'm off to bed.  Tomorrow is an included tour of the Amalfi Coast.

Sorrento and Positano

Asian tourists walking down to the beach

Italian guys don't change their pants size either- resulting in this.  Sexy . . .

View from Sorrento 

This is the Excelsior Hotel, where the rich and famous stay.

We got into Sorrento yesterday around noon and by 1:00 PM I was in bed.  Usually we stay awake till dinnertime but yesterday I was so bone ass tired from that long flight over I couldn't do it.  I slept until 7:30 this morning, despite waking up in the middle of the night.  Bob assured me I would do that and not be able to go back to sleep, but I did and today my body is on Italian time!

We started the day with a 2 hour walking tour around Sorrento.  We have an Italian Program Director named Stefano.  He is adorable.  His English is good but heavily accented, so I miss a lot of what he says.   I have no idea what we saw but I took lots of pictures!  Sorrento is a great town for walking around, stopping for a cappachino in the morning or wine in the evening, topped off with limoncello cream (limoncello made with milk.  Its a little less strong than the regular lemoncello.  I think my tastes must have changed in 15 years because this time I found the limoncello to be drinkable, and the cream limoncello is actually very good!

We had the afternoon free so 9 of us caught a bus to Positano (where the tour buses can't stop any more).  The bus dropped us at the top of the 'Hill" and we walked down.  And down.  And down.  Do you know your hams and gluten can scream pretty loudly going downhill when it's that steep and that long.  With every step we wondered if we'd have to go back up on foot.  Fortunately, we got to the bottom and strolled up to the main drag, where we found a seafood and pasta restaurant where we dined outside with a lovely view of the Bay.  I ordered water.  We got 2 large bottles for the small price of 5 euros.  Worth every Eurocent!  I ordered a seafood pasta which was good.  Not anything special, although the homemade pasta was outstanding.  After an hour of recuperation at Bruno's (the restaurant) we walked another 50 yards uphill to the lower bus  stop, where our bus arrived as soon as we did.  Perfect timing.

Rick Steves says Positano is a nice picture stop, but there's no much else there.  He was right.  Positano is a vertical town, with houses built on the cliffs.  It's quite stunning, but not all that pretty.  The buildings are a bit rundown, crammed together, and not really matching architecturally.  Their appeal is where they are, not how they look.  Still, it was a nice afternoon outing and we were back in the hotel by 4.  Time to rest up, take our SNAP (Senior Nap) and get ready for dinner and a Taruntella show (Italian music) at the Teatro Tassa, I think.  Stefano's taking us so I don't need to know the details.  Positano photos follow:

Treasures of the Aegean Day 9, (June 11) - Santorini

Santorini is the most famous, most photographed  of the Greek Isles.  So much so that we pretty much knew what to expect.  We were not disappointed.  The scenery is obviously beautiful and there is a photo op everywhere you go.  We have amazing pictures from Santorini - but I guarantee you at least 95% of them were photographed in the same spot by thousands of other tourists,  just like us.  In one day.

There is nothing to speak of on the sea level part of the island.  You have to go UP.  Everything was built along the ridge of the volcano which formed the caldera that Santorini surrounds in a crescent..

 

There are two methods of ascent to the town of Fira,  cable car or donkey.  (The donkeys are just as likely to be mules.)

I recommend the cable car and this is why.

Experiences with donkey/mules going up and down that steep hill:

The mule (or donkey, or both)  concessions are owned by independent mule owner/operators, I think.  Some are good, some not.  In our group only 2 decided to risk the donkey because we had heard some horror stories about donkeys out of control, rubbing you up against a wall or into other people.

Our two brave people went up by donkey and had a very pleasant experience.  The animals were well-behaved and the owner supervised them well on the ascent.  They loved it, and I sort of wish we'd done it.  Bob would have been up for it but it was still an awfully steep hill.  My acrophobia  kicks in unless I am sitting, safe and secure, and sitting on a donkey doesn't qualify.  So I stuck with something more my speed.

  

Our hotel manager on the ship had an experience of the horror story variety.   She was basically put on the back of this mule and told "Go Up."  The group she was in started up and spread out immediately.  The animals weren't tied together, even though we saw another group tethered single file on our way in.  Her mule kept trying to crush her against the stone wall, or push her into other people.  It was horrendous and she was scared to death.  So much so that she walked down rather than ride those things.  She couldn't wait in the long line for the cable car for an hour because she was due back at the ship.  So she walked down.  Walking down a steep hill is very hard on your legs, particularly your knees and quads.  She said by the time she got back to the ship her legs were trembling so much she could barely walk.  But she's tough.  And young.  They recover quickly. 

If you decide to take the donkey ride, let the buyer beware.

And then there are the crowds.

Santorini has too many damn tourists.  It is the only drawback to the island.  It is so crowded because of the huge cruise ships that pull into the harbor for a few hours.   Katia called them "The Barbarians."  The Splendor of the Seas arrived around 8 AM, with its invading army.

They were less irksome in the morning because Katia got us up that cable car to the town of Fira before the big cruise ship passengers starting arriving in droves.  They had to tender in, whereas we in our small ship of 50 passengers max. were docked in a prime location, very near the cable car.
We walked through the small town Fira, gawking at the lovely vistas.  We stopped to visit a museum of Fira's archaeological heritage.  They've dug up some amazing ancient arts and crafts.

Primitive oven

Restored Fresco on the wall of the Museum

The museum was quite interesting.  There is also a big dig going on in Akrotiri, on the southern tip of the island.  That will be our last stop.  From Fira, we boarded a bus and drove along the spine of the island to the town of Oia.  Oia is where those famous pictures came from.  We did a quick walking tour then were left on our own for a hour or so to get our pictures, sit and have coffee or even a gelato.  It was such a beautiful place to just sit and people watch, I relaxed with a cappuccino while Bob went in search of the perfect picture.

Next we went back to Fira to drop off those of us not interested in going on the the dig at Akrotiri.  That was me and a couple of other old people.  After seeing Bob's pictures, I wish I had gone with them.

 I went back into Fira and that's when my mood started going downhill.  First, the downhill route we took to get to the bus now involved going back uphill.  The whole town of Fira is on a hill.  I went to the top of the hill, searching for a pack of cigarettes and couldn't find a tobacco kiosk anywhere!  I was directed partway back down the hill.  I still couldn't find it.  I'd say I walked around in 90 degree heat for at least 30 minutes just trying to find a pack of Marlboros.

Mission accomplished, I looked around for a place to eat.  I found a cute little place not on the main drag and had a wonderful lunch of moussaka.  I didn't think I liked eggplant, but in this dish it was delicious!

I finished lunch around one and started back up the hill to the cable car.  It was at this point that I ran up against the Barbarian hordes, going back to their ship.  As I pushed past the throng of people, I noticed they seemed to be in a line.  5 and 6 across, very unorganized, so I asked someone if this was the line for the cable car, and when he said yes I just kind of slid in the line behind him.  Yes, I cut into the line about halfway into it.  I stood in that line, in the hot sun,  moving forward at a snails pace.  By the time I got to the cable car I'd been in line for an hour. I was hot and tired and miserable.  My patience level had reached critical mass.

Descending in the cable car, I saw our small ship docked about 50 yards from the cable car.  As I exited I could barely put one foot in front of the other.  I staggered to the ship, and saw the line to get out to the Splendor of the Seas.  Those poor people, I thought.  Having just come out of the same awful line for the cable car, they now had to wait for a tender (lifeboat) to take them out to the ship.  Meanwhile, I ordered a pina colada and went to my private balcony to relax and enjoy the view.

Here is a tip to avoid long line to get back down the cable car.

To avoid standing in the sun for an hour or so amidst hordes of other tourists, ask one of them when is the last tender to the ship.  Then relax in one of the many cafes with astonishing views, or maybe find an out of the way garden restaurant that's a bit quieter, and wait until a little before the last tender leaves.  The Barbarians will have cleared out and you can ride down whenever you're ready.

If you can manage to visit in the late afternoon, the cruise ship crowds will be gone.  The afternoon light is spectacular, much more so that the morning light.