Motherland Tour II/ Czech Republic
First Post of 2015!! Happy New Year !
First of all, I have been delinquent in posting because of the painful switch I am currently making from Aperture to Photoshop. I think that it is time to take the plunge, now that Aperature will no longer be supported. So Photoshop has had a strangle hold on all my “photo time”….so I may now just try to throw lots of pics and less text up on posts just to get them out.
But I digress….
As mentioned in my prior Motherland Tour Sicily series, I am an American expat currently living with my family in Switzerland. One of my goals while we are living in Europe is to bring my children to visit the places where their ancestors were born. Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Czech Republic with my family to visit the homelands of my children’s Great-Great Grandparents. The trip was especially exceptional because my father was able to join us from the United States on our journey, a journey that he and my mother had taken ME and MY siblings on in the mid 1970’s (then known as Czechoslovakia, behind the “Iron Curtain”) when I was a boy.
First stop..Valasske Klobouky…where a surprise party of extended (way extended) family awaited us on arrival! Some of these people I had met 37 years ago!!!
BEWARE OF TROLLS!
Troll Country, Sweden
This is what awaits you when you set off into the countryside from Hätteboda Wilderness Campground in the Småland region of southern Sweden. Did you see something moving?
I <3 This WC!
Decorative WC Door
Finding relief at Hätteboda Wilderness Campground in the Småland region of southern Sweden.
I Am NOT Here Right Now!
I am not sitting on the shores of this beautiful lake, but I wish that I was!
Another shot from Hätteboda Wilderness Campground in the Småland region of southern Sweden. Somebody hand me a fishing pole and a beer, please!
Reflections of Sunset , Hätteboda , Sweden
Reflections of Sunset , Hätteboda , Sweden
Reflection of a beautiful sunset over our campsite at Hätteboda Wilderness Campground in the Småland region of southern Sweden.
Hätteboda Sunset, Sweden
Hätteboda Sunset, Sweden
Beautiful sunset over our campsite at Hätteboda Wilderness Campground in the Småland region of southern Sweden. For those of you who are looking for a more remote and wilderness-style camping experience in Sweden, this is the place to be! Mostly tent campers, no RVs allowed. Very primitive camping by european standards. Complete with a wood-oven powered sauna on the lake!
Sunset Over Marstrand, Sweden
Marstrand, Sweden
Marstrand, founded in the 13th century, is a popular seaside destination on the western coast of Sweden for people who enjoy the culture, history, sun, sailing, and beauty of this rugged Nordic coast. It is also the host venue for the prestigious Match Cup Sweden sailing event, which is part of the World Match Racing Tour. This event draws the world’s best sailing teams to Marstrand in a gladiatorial battle of nerve and skill on the water.
Antonio Gaudi’s Magnificent Baldachin and Crucifix
Antonio Gaudi’s magnificent baldachin and crucifix hangs over the high altar in the Sagrada Família Basilica in Barcelona, Spain.
Click “The Most Uniquely Amazing Architectural Achievement in Europe is… ” and “Supervised by God’s Architect” for more Gaudi.
The Final Chapter of The Tour of The Motherland
Cefalù, Sicily (Motherland Tour Stop 8)
Finally, we make it to the last stop on the Motherland Tour of Sicliy, Cefalù. Cefalù is a small beach town nestled between a beautiful bay and the rocky granite cliffs of La Rocca. Located an hour east of Palermo on the northern coast of Sicily, Cefalù was a wonderful surprise at the end of our tour. A small town of winding Medieval streets and alleyways full of shops and restaurants serving FABULOUSLY fresh fish. Unfortunately, we only had time for a delicious dinner one evening and a quick dip in the sea the following morning before heading back to Palermo to catch our flight home. This town is definitely worth a one night stop if you have to fly in or out of Palermo, and is a nice alternative to staying in Palermo to begin or end your journey.
Ciao per ora Sicilia! Mi manchi già!
The Church of the Holy Grail
La Chiesa di San Giuseppe, Tusa, Sicily, Italy
La Chiesa di San Giuseppe, Tusa, Sicily, Italy
La Chiesa di San Giuseppe, Tusa, Sicily, Italy
La Chiesa di San Giuseppe, Tusa, Sicily, Italy
La Chiesa di San Giuseppe, Tusa, Sicily, Italy
La Chiesa di San Giuseppe, Tusa, Sicily (Motherland Tour Stop 7)
The highlight of my journey to Sicily was visiting my great-grandmothers birthplace, Tusa, and having the opportunity to photograph the church she attended for the first 13 years of her life, La Chiesa di San Giuseppe, before emigrating with her family to the USA. This was also the church where her father was laid to rest.
Finding the church proved to be somewhat more of an adventure then I had anticipated. We located the old town quite easily, and my daughter and I wandered up to three nice, older gentlemen sitting on a bench. I explained what I was looking for to them in broken Italian, but unfortunately the men had no idea what I was looking for or where to find La Chiesa di San Giuseppe. At first I thought that either my Italian was so horrible that they didn’t understand me or that I had the wrong name for the church. Just as I was about to give up, a young boy of about 10 years old came up to us and said “ So dove La Chiesa di San Giuseppe è, io so dove si trova!”. With this, he scurried off up the hill like a bloodhound on a scent and disappeared into the narrow cobbled streets of the old town. I took off after him, almost losing sight of him at every turn as he sprinted into the inner maze of Tusa. I immediately lost my family, but I was on a mission.
The boy soon found the small church door, and beamed a smile at me as he pointed the way. We tried the door, but it was locked. He then told me to wait, and went scurrying up the hill a little further and pounded on a door of a nearby residence. A middle-aged woman came to the door, and the boy relayed our quest to the lady. She then smiled at me, stepped out into the alley, and started yelling in Italian up another alleyway. Soon an older woman came out onto a third floor balcony, and another unintelligible Italian conversation ensued. The older woman next came down into the alley, took a large, ancient looking key from her pocket, walked up to the church door, and unlocked it for me. She told me to go inside and take as long as I wanted to look around.
The photos above are HDR images of La Chiesa di San Giuseppe. The church was built around the year 1600. The single nave with simple barrel vaulting, plaster walls, and tiled floor are likely unchanged for the last 100 years. Statues of St Joseph on the alter and side alters were carved by the local Sicilian artist Simeone Li Volsi (born in Tusa,1588), whose tomb is also located in the church.
Timeless Streets of Syracuse, Sicily
Ortygia, Syracuse’s Historic Center (Motherland Tour Stop 5)
(Click here to redirect to Stop #1)
Once the largest city in the ancient world, Syracuse now encapsulates Sicily’s timeless beauty. And no part of Syracuse does this better than the Ortygia, the cities historic center and most atmospheric neighborhood. It is an island separated from the mainland by a few bridges, and teems with medieval lanes and cafes which spill out onto dazzling baroque piazzas. Walk in any direction, and you are ultimately greeted with fabulous views of the surrounding sparkling blue sea. Stroll the streets, take in a puppet show at the famous Piccolo Teatro dei Pupi, and have some of THE BEST seafood in Europe!
Parting Glimpse…
Piazza Amerina (Motherland Tour Stop 4)
(Click here to redirect to Stop #1)
I couldn’t resist one last shot of the beautiful town of Piazza Amerina before we continue our counterclockwise circumnavigation of Sicily. Next stop…….
Rainy Night Shadows in Piazza Armerina, Sicily
Piazza Amerina (Motherland Tour Stop 4)
(Click here to redirect to Stop #1)
Happy New Year!
A Few More Mosaics from Sicily
Roman Spa Life: Villa Romana del Casale (Motherland Tour Stop 5)
Here are a few more shots of the intricate mosaics from the Roman spa that had been hidden for 700 years before being discovered by local farmers.
From the prior post:
Hidden in a wooded valley 3 km southwest of Piazza Amerina lies the Unesco-listed Villa Romana del Casale, a lavish ancient Roman villa which is decorated with the richest, largest, and most complex collection of Roman floor mosaics in the world! The villa was thought to have been built around the early 4th century AD, and was presumed to have been the country retreat of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Maximianus.
The site was abandoned in the 12th century when a massive landslide buried the entire villa under up to 10m of mud, where it then remained (protected from the destructive elements and looters) for almost 700 years. It was not until the 1950’s that serious excavation work began to uncover the remains. What was discovered was the most elaborate collection of Roman mosaics in the world. Covering the entire floor of the villa, they are renowned for their vivid detail and intricate design as well as the range of subject matter and color.
Here is a link to the original post describing the site.
Click here to redirect to Stop #1 of the Motherland Tour of Sicily
Roman Bikini Girls or Gymnasts in Sicily?
Roman Villa life in Southern Sicily (Motherland Tour Stop 5)
(Click here to redirect to Stop #1)
Hidden in a wooded valley 3 km southwest of Piazza Amerina lies the Unesco-listed Villa Romana del Casale, a lavish ancient Roman villa which is decorated with the richest, largest, and most complex collection of Roman floor mosaics in the world! The villa was thought to have been built around the early 4th century AD, and was presumed to have been the country retreat of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Maximianus.
The site was abandoned in the 12th century when a massive landslide buried the entire villa under up to 10m of mud, where it then remained (protected from the destructive elements and looters) for almost 700 years. It was not until the 1950’s that serious excavation work began to uncover the remains. What was discovered was the most elaborate collection of Roman mosaics in the world. Covering the entire floor of the villa, they are renowned for their vivid detail and intricate design as well as the range of subject matter and color.
The most famous mosaic depicts 9 (originally 10) girls in bikinis who are playing games and working out with weights. This scene is thought to be a depiction of the resident Roman aristocrats penchant for sponsoring gymnasts to come to the villa and engage in teams sports. And who says the bikini is a 20th century fashion creation?!?
This is the most unique and intact Roman site I have seen in all of Europe, and I consider it a “must” for anyone who travels the southern coast of Sicily!
Stunning Roman Mosaics at The End of the Sicilian Rainbow!
Piazza Amerina (Motherland Tour Stop 4)
(Click here to redirect to Stop #1)
Next stop, Piazza Armerina and the amazing Roman mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale.
We drove east from Selinunte on a day that was absolutely DUMPING rain, intending to tour the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. The Valley is one of the most outstanding examples of Greek art and architecture on the costal areas of Southern Italy and consists of seven temples dating back to the 5th century BC. These include the Temple of Concordia, which, due to its excellent overall condition, is ranked amongst the most notable edifices of the Greek civilization existing today. The skies were still dumping when we arrived, so we were only able to get a quick peek before continuing our long drive east.
We arrived in Piazza Armerina as the storm was clearing, and were treated to this amazing view of this 11th century town from our balcony. Piazza Armerina is the town which accommodates the guests who come to visit the nearby Villa Roman del Casale, which is the home of the richest, largest, and most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world (see upcoming blog entries!).
Scattered Remains from Hera’s Temple
I came across this item while wondering around the piles of remains of the once great Greek city of Selinunte in Sicily. Image is HDR with additional touch-ups including selective desaturation of the grass with Aperture.
Click here to visit the Selinunte Motherland Tour Stop introduction
Click here to visit the Sicily Motherland Tour introduction.
Greek Temple of Hera in Selinunte, Sicily.
3 images from Selinunte, Sicily (Motherland Tour Stop 3)
The ruins of Selinunte are some of the most impressive of the ancient Greeks. Selinunte was once one of the richest and most powerful cities in the world. Established in 628 BC, it was the most westerly of the Greek colonies, and grew to approximately 100,000 inhabitants. It was sacked and destroyed in 409 BC by Hannibal and the Carthaginians, and lay in ruin until excavations began in 1823.
Unlike the majority of Greek and Roman ruins in other countries, the Selinunte ruins are wide open to the public, allowing you to stroll in the temples and climb on rubble, which makes for a much more engaging experience, especially for the children. Views from the ruins over the Sea are spectacular, and this area is well worth the day trip. I don’t, however, recommend staying overnight in the nearby village as it has no appeal and is fairly run down and depressing.
Images were created from 3 handheld shots bracketed at 2 stops and combined with Photomatix. Please excuse the rain on the lens, it was terrible weather and my trusty camera assistant was off playing in the rubble.
Visiting The Center For The Cult Of Venus.
f/3.5 ISO 400 1/125 Nikkor 50mm
Eeerie Erice, Sicily (Motherland Tour Stop 2)
Next stop on the Motherland Tour of Sicily was Erice, a small medieval town situated high atop the legendary mountain of Eryx. This village supposedly has fabulous views looking west over the port of Trapani, but we were caught overnight and the next morning in the thickest and eeriest fog I have ever seen, and we were lucky to not bump into walls as we toured the streets. We were, however, able to locate the world-famous pasticceria “Maria Grammatico“, who is Siciliy’s most famous pastry chef and the subject of Mary Taylor Simeti’s book Bitter Almonds. I have to admit, though..although her cannoli were heavenly, the best cannolli were yet to be had until we reached the east coast of Sicily (check back for details!!).
Sicily & The Motherland Tour
ISO 200 f/11 Nikkor 10-24mm @ 22mm.
Stop #1: Scopello, a Stunning Hidden Mediterranean Gem.
You may have gathered from my blog that I am an American expat currently living with my family in Switzerland. One of my goals while we are here is to bring my children to visit the places where their ancestors were born. I had two great grandparents that were born and lived in Sicily and came over to the United States by boat around 1913. My great-grandfather, Gaetano Turrisi, died when I was young. My great-grandmother, Grace (Fazio) Turrisi lived for over 100 years and luckily I had the ability to know her very well while I was growing up. Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Sicily with my family and visit their birthplaces. The following posts with be a photo-journey of our circumnavigation around the island.
The first shot was taken in the tiny village of Scopello, about an hours drive counterclockwise from Palermo. The photo is the view of the bay and the Tonnara di Scopello, likely the only remaining evidence of the traditional Mediterranean tuna fishery industry. We happened to stumble upon this gem, and ended up spending hours here frolicking in the sun and warm sea. It was VERY difficult to ultimately leave and continue our drive to our next destination when it was finally time to head out. If you happen to be in the region, this is WELL worth a short lunch break.
Photo is 3 handheld images bracketed at 2 stops, combined with Photomatix Pro.
Modernista Flavor in Barcelona
ISO100 f/10 1/100 Nikkor 10-24 mm @15mm
Modernista Lamp Post designed by architect Pere Falqués for the city of Barcelona in 1906. Gaudí’s Casa Milá can be seen in the background. Image converted to B&W with Silver Efex Pro, touched up with Aperture, decreased noise with DFine 2.
Supervised by God’s Architect
f/3.5 ISO 100 Nikkor 10-24 @10mm
God’s Architect, Antoni Gaudí, appears to have designed this window to allow him to look down from the heavens and offer divine inspiration to those constructing his masterpiece.
Young Gaudí was a well groomed man with a penchant for expensive suits, gourmet food, and the theater. As he grew older, he became increasingly more devoted to his profession and less concerned with grooming and the fine life. He ate more frugally, dressed in old, worn-out suits, and neglected his appearance to the point where people thought he was a street beggar. In fact, on June 7th, 1926, Gaudí was taking his routine stroll to a local church when he was hit by a street car. People passing assumed from his appearance that he was homeless, and no authorities were contacted until it was too late. He later died after ultimately being transported by taxi to a local hospital.
Lightbox3D 