Dan Brown was here
15 grudnia 2018, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C
This is the real Priory of the Knights of Malta, at the intersection of via di S. Sabina and via di Porta Lavernale on the Aventine hill.
Although the property has been in their hands for centuries, Czytaj więcej
Bath: Royal Crescent or Diocletian?
15 grudnia 2018, Włochy ⋅ 🌙 6 °C
The Piazza della Repubblica impressed me for what is not there any more. It was formerly known as the Piazza dell'Esedra because it was laid down on the remains of an exedra (a semi-circular open room Czytaj więcej
A church I liked!
16 grudnia 2018, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
Behind the scruffy facade on the North side of the Pazza della Republica, behind the scruffy ruined walls, lies the church that Michelangelo built by order of Pope Pius IV on top of part of the cold Czytaj więcej
More Santa Maria degli Angeli
16 grudnia 2018, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
A few more photos of this impressive church.
+ Chapel
+ Modern painting
+ Skylight
+ Front door
+ Back door to the rest of the ex-baths
+ An impressive organ, recently bought, has 5,400 tubes but Czytaj więcej
Just in time
16 grudnia 2018, Włochy ⋅ 🌧 9 °C
In the 18th century a meridian sun dial had been built in a Spanish church that, while Christian, was not in Rome. To rectify this disparity of grandeur Pope Innocence XII had the meridian line clock Czytaj więcej
Amalfi
30 grudnia 2018, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
Heading South to my next job, I followed the coast road South from Rome, avoiding the hills where one is obliged to carry snow chains after Nov 11th, and expecting a beautiful and picturesque Czytaj więcej
Calabria
2 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Still going South I hurry through bandit country. Well, that's what everybody told me but I had no problems with the Calabrese who were friendly, hospitable and waiting to join their relos in Czytaj więcej
Another ferry
2 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
After an interesting couple of hours in the ports commercial parking area, where a steady stream of cars with single people inside cruised past inquisitively but only one wound down her window to Czytaj więcej
Caltagirone, Sicily
17 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ 🌧 9 °C
Caltagirone, a UNESCO world heritage site, is one of the eight towns of south-eastern Sicily known as the baroque towns of the Val di Noto, which were almost entirely destroyed and rebuilt after the Czytaj więcej
Caltagirone views
17 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ 🌧 9 °C
Another taste of town
+ The Taking of the Bell of Altavilla to Caltagirone, (Polychrome maiolica mosaic in the square of Santa Maria del Monte.)
+ The bank and the church, not quite joined at the Czytaj więcej
A subtle warning to all husbands!
17 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ 🌧 9 °C
The Moors dominated Sicily around the year 1100.
At that time, there lived in the Kalsa district of Palermo 'a beautiful girl with pink skin comparable to peach blossoms at the height of flowering and Czytaj więcej
Logos or mythos?
17 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
The Triseklion is the symbol of the Isle of Man as we all know, but Sicily has its own logo, a female version called the Trinacria.
Apparently, 3 nymphs danced around the world gathering the best Czytaj więcej
Flight of fancy
17 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
What raises the blood pressure of the Caltagirone people is this big staircase, the Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte, which rises from Piazza Municipio to the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte, at the Czytaj więcej
Noto bene
20 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
This hillside town was called Neas, founded by the Sicans.
Conquered by the Syracuseans, it absorbed Hellenic customs and rites, before falling to the Romans when it became a federated city. Later its Czytaj więcej
Something fishy
20 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 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 Czytaj więcej
The end of Sicily
20 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 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 Czytaj więcej
Dead space
26 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 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 Czytaj więcej
My hosts
27 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 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 Czytaj więcej
Pinella's house
27 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 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 Czytaj więcej
Inside the winery
27 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 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.
Pile of dirt
27 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 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 Czytaj więcej
Stalag
29 stycznia 2019, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 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, Czytaj więcej
Ceramics
1 lutego 2019, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 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.
A Treasure
2 lutego 2019, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 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 Czytaj więcej
Catania
4 lutego 2019, Włochy ⋅ 🌙 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, Czytaj więcej


























































































































Tony HammondCertainly beats what the butler saw!