Sciacca
2019年2月13日, イタリア ⋅ 🌬 12 °C
I spent a couple of warm nights in Sciacca, a pleasant fishing port on the South coast. There was nothing particular to see, which added to the relaxed atmosphere. They are probably glad that theもっと詳しく
I said 'Doric' columns dear, D O R ic
2019年2月12日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
+ Heracles. Men chisled these stones 2600 years ago,
+ The temples were sited up high so that they could be seen from the sea.
+ Juno (without an invasion of American tourists)
+ Girgentana goat. Theもっと詳しく
Akraga
2019年2月12日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
A semi-circular ridge binds the 'modern' hilltop town of Agrigento to the sea,and half way down on a plateau overlooking the sea between the rivers Hypsas and Akragas, the town of Akragas wasもっと詳しく
Villa Romana del Casale
2019年2月11日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
An Unesco World Heritage Site mainly owing to the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world - there are 3535 square metres of them. Built as a hunting lodge starting in the late 4th century, itもっと詳しく
Piazza Armerina
2019年2月11日, イタリア ⋅ 🌫 10 °C
I stayed in Piazza Armerina in order to visit the Roman Villa; another town spreading over the hills like an eiderdown.
Started in the 10thC by the Saracens, these streets are 13thC although Iもっと詳しく
Hill Towns
2019年2月10日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Terrain here can be described as very hilly. The towns, most of them unsettled to a greater or lesser extent by volcanic earthquakes, are universally built on the tops of these hills, with sidesもっと詳しく
A question of taste
2019年2月6日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Around a central paste, in this case a meat ragu in the dark one and pistachio in the other, a basket of rice is patted into the shape of Mt Etna before cooking.
Called 'Arancino', Sicilians snack onもっと詳しく
Brutal but I think I like it.
2019年2月5日, イタリア ⋅ 🌬 12 °C
I first met this architectural style in the middle of Sydney, where the Masonic centre is a technically proficient example of 'brutalism'. Basically, the building is built from bare concrete, isもっと詳しく
A bit of theatre
2019年2月5日, イタリア ⋅ 🌬 9 °C
Here are the two arenas: the semi-circular Greek and the oval Roman one. The former mainly for culture and the latter for war sport.
The majority view of the specialists in antiquities is that theもっと詳しく
Latomie du Paradis
2019年2月5日, イタリア ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
Greek LITOS means stone and TEMNO, cut leading to the name of this ancient quarry.
The mine, dug underground from solid rock, provided the best stone from the deepest levels. Unfortunately for theもっと詳しく
Been there, done that, yawn
2019年2月5日, イタリア ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
What? Another 4th century BCE ruin?
Sorry Hadrian, that won't get anybody's blood pressure up.
Syracuse
2019年2月5日, イタリア ⋅ 🌧 12 °C
A descendant of Hercules, one Archia Bacchiadi originally from Corinth, founded the town on the islet / promontory Ortygia in 734 BCE. It remained Greek for over 500 years becoming the richest Greekもっと詳しく
Catania
2019年2月4日, イタリア ⋅ 🌧 9 °C
Can't resist throwing in a photo of a Norman castle found in the middle of town.
And a couple of street scenes ..
Pumicient elephant
2019年2月4日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C
Most popular sight appears to be the elephant in Piazza del Duomo carved from lava and impaled on a granite shaft.
The Piazza is another Unesco World Heritage site.
Inside the cathedral I discoveredもっと詳しく
Catania
2019年2月4日, イタリア ⋅ 🌙 5 °C
Festival of Santa Agata,the patron saint of Catania, the town founded by the Greeks in 729 BCE.
This is the third largest display of public hysteria after those in Santiago and Sevilla. Similarly,もっと詳しく
A Treasure
2019年2月2日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
This site as been occupied since the Bronze Age, but the ruins look as though they are not more than 100 years old. The important part however, is the part you don't see. For buried underneath thisもっと詳しく
Ceramics
2019年2月1日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
This is an example of the sculpture produced by some masters in Caltagirone. They only sell for €150 or thereabouts which seems to me to be a bargain.
Stalag
2019年1月29日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
The Germans were here during WWII and left their camps behind. This one is a medium security prison, not more than 500m from the house. It is easy to see into the yard from the road outside the house,もっと詳しく
Pile of dirt
2019年1月27日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
My first Hugel.
This is a technique for growing veggies that was developed by central Europeans and now forms part of the permaculture bible. The bed is prepared like a compost heap, but starting withもっと詳しく
Inside the winery
2019年1月27日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
The old winepress, juice channels and vats have been incorporated into the main sitting room.
What used to be the animal quarters is now a large kitchen.
Pinella's house
2019年1月27日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Getting ready to leave this workaway in the Sicilian countryside.
The house was an old winery, converted by the present owners into a very attractive house.
Guess the name?
Prickly pears are regardedもっと詳しく
My hosts
2019年1月27日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Pinella and Luca have incorporated me into their families during my stay and have made me feel very welcome.
Luca is a criminal lawyer, (who has heard the old joke which is the same in Italian as inもっと詳しく
Dead space
2019年1月26日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
In the second half of the 1800s the town council of Caltagirone built in a Gothic-Sicilian style his monumental cemetery, which was recognised as a national monument in 1931.
The plan is square withもっと詳しく
The end of Sicily
2019年1月20日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
+ Castello Tafuri a palace built in 1933 by marquis Bruno di Belmonte. The walls were built with the stone extracted from the cave of the Isola delle Correnti. It was never inhabited by the family ofもっと詳しく
Something fishy
2019年1月20日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Marzamemi started and continues as a tuna fishing village. No Greek roots here! It was settled first by by the Arabs and originally called Marsa' al Hamen (which translates as "harbour of the turtleもっと詳しく


























































































































Vanessa ScripellitiI'm surprised you did not visit the Giardino delle Teste
Tony HammondGlad you didn't contract Sciaccatica while you were there!