Traveling in style!

Breakfast with all local, fresh, and some home-grown ingredients

Variety of pastry, bread, cheese and bread at every breakfast

Cava Ispica

Cava Ispica is a canyon in the Ragusa region. People lives inside the walls of the cliffs, concealed from the outside world.

View from the inside

Inhabited from medieval times (5th century forward) until as recently as 1960’s

Caves and tombs built into the limestone

Sesame field

Harvesting is done by hand. Sesame plants are bundled and left out to dry. When dry, pods open and bundles are shaken to extract the seeds

Módica

Classic

During lunch, we heard a family speaking Hebrew. They were from Kfar Saba. I texted Shimone for a’small world’ moment and then….

Noto

Dinner at Crocofisso (Crucified)

Pool at the Country House Villadorata

Biking the coast of Vendicara and Marzamemi

The cutest lab puppy!

Tuna cannery, fisherman’s museum and wall and tower from Byzantine era

Marzamemi

Back to Noto for dinner; simply pizza and pasta at Geranio. Sat at a table on the steeet and watch the teens chasing each other. We wisely asked our driver, John, for a place to get gelato instead of the ‘touristic’ gelato spot.

Gelateria L'Artigianale Noto

Altar for sacrifice to Zeus

Eat of Dionysus

Protective hand built canyon to protect the city

Greek theatre in Neopolis

Amphitheater

Gladiators did battle here, 1st century BC

Capuliato

Sun dried tomatoes, capers, olive oil almonds and pistachio. Pin pasta or on bread with grated pecorino and lemon zest

Typical Sicilian market in Ortigia, old town in the Greek center of Siricusa

Temple to Apollo

Fountain to Artemis

This Mikva was hidden behind a wall and buried with debris and pottery for hundreds of years. Found when building was remodeled for a hotel

Church of St. Lucy, patron saint of Ortigio

Miracles of St. Lucy when was being forced to convert. Oxen could not budge her, and when she was covered in pitch and set on fire she did not burn. Was finally murdered as a witch with a dagger to the neck

Montacino Di Terre Nere in Zafferana de Etna

View from our room.

Wine cellar built in an old cistern

800 bottles? Looks like way more on 3 levels in the cistern

Tartar

Albacore

Hotel label white wine

Crisp and delicious! Somewhat full bodied

Active and smoking!

Yellow on edge is sublimated sulfur

Lava tube

Formed by layers of magma sliding under previous hardened layers

A cave is formed when the lava gathers and then erupts to the surface

Etna is the largest volcano in Italy, 2.5 times larger than Vesuvius.

Surprise snack

Local sparkling Spumante with all local fruits and nuts. Simple toasted pistachios, prickly pear, beautiful strawberries presented by and agricultural consultant

Tennuta di Messina winery

The white wine should age a few years in the bottle, and will get better for next 5 years

4th course of a ‘light lunch’

Convivium bar at Monaci Di Terre Nere

Tonight we bailed on a sit-down dinner…bar food and a delicious spicy drink called Lava. 5 cherry tomatoes muddled with chili pepper, pinch of salt to muddle 5 Ck tequila, 3 Ck lemon juice, 1.5 cl agave syrup

A lovely small town perched on a mountaintop

We just missed the Walnut Festival!

Tight squeeze!

Turi drove us again today, and our guide/translator was Saveri, an IT specialist for the UIS Navy. Works in Catania

Steps up to private homes

View from the square

Kids in school checked us out while we checked out the view. 2 other castles in view across the valley

Single family home in Motta Camastra

3 levels of terraces covered in flowers with a friendly little old lady watering plants and greeting us

Catalania style puppet

Sicilian puppetry is famous! The Palermo version has knees that bend

Private collection in an old olive oil pressing room

MariaAngela explains

Village church

The Macaroni Mamas!!

Dough is rolled around thin wires to make the macaroni. In the old days, umbrella spines were used!

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Also no caption!!

So nice of another little old lady to come out to say thanks by offering to clean Diane’s house!!

Not actually our ride to Taormina

Room with a view

The Four Seasons Taormina, aka The Whote Lotus Hotel. Delicious dinner at Tischi Toschi, a tiny restaurant near the hotel, then drinks in the beautiful courtyard

Archway to pool

Four seasons pool

Four seasons hotel entry courtyard

Breakfast overlooking the gardens

Afternoon tour of Taormina with Daniella

View from the streets of Taormina

Greek Amphitheater

Greek Amphitheater

Jew from the town square

Dinner at La Capinera

Another home run tasting menu, with another great Etna white wine

Lounging

Arrivederci, Taormina!

Leaving Positano Pier

The ferry was full, but the ride was smooth

Heading to Pompeii

Just an hou away are the ruins of an amazing Roman city which was covered in ash by Vesuvius in 79 AD. Lava did not reach the city, and the people died of asphyxiation.

Casts of \240a family

Bodies were preserved in ash, so when homes were discovered, air pockets indicating bodies were detected during early excavations

Plaster was poured into the air pockets, the ash was removed, and plaster casts remained

The forum with but of Zeus in the backgrpund

Rodeo Drive

Bumps in the middle are ways for pedestrians to cross. Carriages and carts were 5’ 9.5” wide, and high enough to roll over. Railroads in the US are exactly this width

Restaurant

Grain mill and wood burning oven

Home of the wealthy Vetti family

This area was just re-opened for the first time in almost 70 years this week

Central garden

Doing room

Frescos in dining room

Cupids are featured in scenes from ancient lore

Basin of irrigation system

The aqueduct and rain water supplied water to cupids on each side of the basin. When it overflowed, the runoff watered the garden

Cupids pee in the basin

High speed train to Rome