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.
The Holy Grail of The Motherland Tour
Tusa, My Great Grandmothers Birthplace (Motherland Tour Stop 7)
(Click here to redirect to Stop #1)
We finally arrive in Tusa, the town where my great grandmother was born and lived for 14 years. This is not the seaside resort of Tusa (Marina di Tusa or Castel di Tusa) but the remote sister village of Tusa Montagna (settled 403 BC!!) situated 600 m higher at the end of a wickedly serpentine 9 km road (more like a goat path, the girls were having panic attacks during the drive). Mind the goats in the road! Traveling this path was the equivalent of passing through a time machine. The streets were like a movie set, seemingly unchanged for millennia. With these spectacular views of the coastline and the Mediterranean beyond, it is a wonder that anybody would ever want to leave. But after her father died, the money dried up and her family was forced to leave and move to the United States, finally settling in Massachusetts. Up next, the chapel she attended as a child and named her son, my grandfather, after.
Don Cannoli
Taormina, From Ancient Greece to Modern Day Tourist Magnet (Motherland Tour Stop 6)
(Click here to redirect to Stop #1)
I like to refer to this gentleman as “Don Cannoli”. He is the patriarch of the Laboratorio Pasticceria Roberto , a cute little pastry shop which we found tucked away on a side street in Taormina. We had a quite a few of his cannoli while we were in Taormina, and they left us speechless. By far the best cannoli I have ever had!! The combination of the freshness of the cheese, the crispness of the shell, and ideal degree of sweetness…not to mention that fact that each cannolo is filled to order, guaranteeing ideal crispness. This is the cannolo that I have tried to imitate in my few attempts to make them myself. If you are in Taormina, I highly recommend you hunt this little bakery shop down and sample his delicious sweets!
What is a Sicilian mans second favorite pasttime?
Taormina, From Ancient Greece to Modern Day Tourist Magnet (Motherland Tour Stop 6)
(Click here to redirect to Stop #1)
All over Sicily I found older men practicing there second favorite pasttime…. sitting around and enjoying the company of old friends.
Taormina, Sicily’s, Teatro Greco and its Stunning Views
Taormina, From Ancient Greece to Modern Day Tourist Magnet (Motherland Tour Stop 6)
(Click here to redirect to Stop #1)
Next stop…Taormina, on the east coast of the island. Perched on a cliff high above the water, Taormina is one of Sicily’s most famous tourist destinations, having earned this reputation with its dazzling views of the Gulf of Naxos and Mt Etna, fabulous Greek amphitheater, and beautiful collection of medieval churches.
Founded in the 4th century BC, it developed in to a prosperous destination under the Greek and Romans, but fell into obscurity ofter it was sacked by the Normans in 1087. Having been “rediscovered” by Northern Europeans in the late 18th century, it is now back in full tourist swing.
If you go, be prepared for large crowds and abundant touristy shops. It is a little bit of a shock if you are arriving from the less crowded central and western parts of the island. Good food and wine abound, but you may have to dig a little or get a good recommendation.
I will start of the Taormina posts with two shots of the Teatro Greco, the 3rd century Greek amphitheater, and its dramatic views over the bay and Mt Etna.
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.
4 Million Bricks in Florence, Italy
f/11 ISO 100 1/100 10-24mm@10mm
Il Duomo di Firenze, aka The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (St Mary of the Flower), as seen from the adjacent Giotto’s Campanile (standing bell tower). Construction began in 1296 and was completed in 1436. The basilica is topped by Brunelleschi‘s revolutionary dome, which is composed of more than 4 MILLION bricks!
This is an HDR image. Three handheld images were bracketed at 2 f stops and then merged with Photomatix and fine-tuned with Aperture.
This post is dedicated to my good friend James.
Old Man Florence (Italy)
f/3.5 ISO 3200 1/15 10-24mm@10mm
I get the feeling that this old man standing silently on a quaint street corner in the Oltrarno district of Florence, Italy, has been keeping an eye on things for a loooooooooong time. If you do get to Florence, make sure you venture across the Arno river and get lost in the streets of the Oltrarno. Eat, drink, stroll, and fall in love all over again!
Ponte Vecchio Bridge, Florence (Firenze) Italy
f/11 ISO 400 1/250 55mm
First, I want tho say that IT’S GREAT to be back. I have been “offline” for quite some time and have neglected this blog that I had come to enjoy so much. I had some pesky cervical spine discs that decided to herniate over the years, and finally they got the best of me. Pretty much anything, even computer time, became an unbearable “pain on the neck” (and back, shoulder, arm, and hand). Also, carrying a bag as light as a camera bag was too much. The offending discs have since been removed, and I now have three fused vertebrae in my neck to show for it all! I just got clearance to carry more that a few kg, so hopefully carrying the camera will keep me motivated to pick up again with the blog.
This is a shot of the Ponte Veccio Bridge over the River Arno in Firenze (Florence) Italy. My wife and I visited for a few days last summer, and had a fantastically fun and romantic trip to the “Cradle of the Renaissance “. As Rick Steve’s says, Florence is a “Super Market Sweep”, and the groceries are the best Renaissance art in Europe! (and home of Italy’s best gelato! ). I was most focused on a tour of as many Michelangelo’s works as I could see, which Florence hosts many.
This is an HDR that I created from one source image. Three copies were created at 2 f-stops intervals, merged with Photomatix, and tuned in Aperture.
The Cinque Terre of the Italian Riviera
This is my last photo post on Vernazza and the Cinque Terre. Read my last posts on this region to read about the flooding disaster from Oct 2011. And please consider visiting the Cinque Terre some time in the future. They will surely appreciate your tourism dollars.
p.s. I usually load full size images, but I suspect that they may be too large and may load too slowly. Please let me know what you think.
Vernazza Harbor by Day
f/8 ISO 200 1/250 -0.33ev 18-200@24mm
On 25 October 2011, Vernazza was struck by torrential rains, massive flooding, and mudslides that left the town buried in over 4 metres of mud and debris, causing over 100 million euro worth of damage. The town was evacuated and remains in a continued state of emergency. Click here to read more about the disaster and to see images and videos. And please consider visiting Vernazza at some time in the future. They will surely appreciate your tourism dollars.
Vernazza Harbor by Night
f/16 ISO 200 30s 18-200@26mm
On 25 October 2011, Vernazza was struck by torrential rains, massive flooding, and mudslides that left the town buried in over 4 metres of mud and debris, causing over 100 million euro worth of damage. The town was evacuated and remains in a continued state of emergency. Click here to read more about the disaster and to see images and videos. And please consider visiting Vernazza at some time in the future. They will surely appreciate your tourism dollars.
Help Save Vernazza
f/25 ISO 200 30s -1ev 18-200@48mm
As I mentioned in my last post, my family traveled to Cinque Terra on the Italian Rivera in 2010. While there, we stayed in the village of Vernazza. Vernazza is the fourth town heading north, has no car traffic , and remains one of the truest “fishing villages” on the Italian coast. While doing a little background reading for this post, I was horrified to find out that on 25 October 2011, Vernazza was struck by torrential rains, massive flooding, and mudslides that left the town buried in over 4 metres of mud and debris, causing over 100 million euro worth of damage. The town was evacuated and remains in a continued state of emergency.This is an epic disaster which has seriously damaged one of the most beautiful villages I have ever visited in all my travels. Click here to read more about the disaster and to see images and videos. And please consider visiting Vernazza at some time in the future. They will surely appreciate your tourism dollars.
Boats in Cinque Terre’s Riomaggiore
f/7.1 ISO 200 -0.33 ev 18-200@66
Boats floating in the bay in Riomaggiore, a small village on the Cinque Terra coast of the Italian Rivera. Cinque Terre is a collection of “The Five Lands” , or 5 villages, which are built into the cliffs of this rugged coastline.
This is an absolutely beautiful region which is so breathtaking that it becomes a sensory overload. The area, including the Cinque Terre National Park, are actually UNESCO World Heritage sites. A huge part of their charm is their remoteness and their “car-free” environment.
AND THE FOOD….COME ON!! Our family is agreed that this is one of the two best culinary samplings that we have had in all of our travels through Europe! And if you LOVE seafood, you may never leave!
This image, and any more that I may post from this trip, are before my RAW days, so they are JPEGs untouched by post-processing.
Lightbox3D 