A Taste of Sicily...

Today was a nice day in Messina, Sicily. We had rehearsals in the morning so I didn't get to go on to any fascinating tours to Mt. Etna or Taormina today. We also have a show tonight so it would've been exhausting anyway. I went off on land after rehearsal though and just "got lost." Sometimes that is the best way to see interesting things. It was Sunday anyway and almost everything was closed for the day. All except the postcard stands or the souvenir shops around certain tourist sights. A random café or gelatoria would be open as well. I just started walking through town. It was an odd weather day. It was cool on the outside decks because of the strong breeze, so I wore jeans and took a jacket. A good 15 minutes into my walk I took the jacket off because it was still warm in the sun. I realized later that the jeans were kind of warm as well. Especially with the hilly landscape of the town. It was freakishly quiet today. As I walked through the streets I could hear the sound of my footsteps on the pavement. When I was a good hour into my walk, I realized I should've brought my iPod, but then again the silence and the natural sounds around me were very nice. The flowers were all blooming bright and vivid colors wherever I went. It was so gorgeous. The city is built mostly on a hillside as well so the living spaces offered some interesting views and perspectives. The old style in the architecture was everywhere. Right in the center of town is the astronomical clock. I was told everyday at noon it goes off and there is a 20-minute presentation of the glockenspiel clock with many moving pieces and a story line. I missed it today since I was in rehearsal, so I hope to catch it next time around. We do come back to this port again. I walked up the hillside to the cathedral at the top for some fascinating views of the city. It was so beautiful up there I didn't want to come down. I didn't spend much time out since everything was closed for the day, but it was a lovely escape from the madness that was our rehearsal today with this horrific sound system.

We had a great time in Palermo, Sicily as well the other day. Between ports was Valetta, Malta but we are there another few times. Palermo was a one-stop port. We got out early and started exploring. It was HOT! Whew! It didn't look like much since we were in the main city and it was crowded and all. The streets were very narrow and the city was overcrowded with cars. We walked along the streets stopping occasionally to look into a boutique or two before they closed for siesta. We stumbled upon a palace and church up the ways that was the beginning of a wonderful day. We go lots of pictures here since the gardens were so beautiful. There was a park along side of the palace that was just sprouting with new life. My allergies weren't so fond of the beauty, but my eyes were very pleased with it. There was a cool breeze blowing at times to take the bite out of the heat. Once we were through with all the sightseeing, we stopped at a local café in the park. We saw a delight in the window we could not resist. A Sicilian pizza. It was on a roll though, but it was ever so tasty. It was a roll with a layer of garlic butter, then prosciutto, then pesto, then fresh tomatoes, and finally spices and cheese on top just baked to perfection. Yum!!! It was so good I had two. No sauce at all! Just tomatoes. Yum. Afterward I had some real gelato. I was in heaven. We sat there for a while just enjoying the atmosphere. We were in the middle of the park as people walked by. Feeling very satiated, we headed back to the ship. The heat and sun were very exhausting. Its days like this I'm happy to be traveling the world. Our next stop is the mainland of Italy with stops in Naples and Rome. I can't wait. Then we're off to Greece. Woo hoo!! The Med is definitely my favorite area.