Reflections

LUXEMBOURG

We were very happy that we had chosen to spend a few days here before the boat-bike tour. Luxembourg is a very clean, attractive city with lots of impressive historical sites. It was an easy place to be without a car, as everything we wanted to see was within walking distance of our Air BnB. Our flat was great for the four of us -two bedrooms, only one bathroom, but that wasn’t an issue. Having the washer and dryer was good so we could start out the bike tour with fresh clothes. We enjoyed our train/bus trip out to Vianden as well, as it gave us a chance to experience a rural area and small town. It was easy to get by, as most people spoke English and some French, so communication was not a problem. We found people there to be friendly and helpful. We didn’t find it overly pricey there - groceries were reasonable, as was eating out. The great find was the hostel only five minutes away where we could go for a really good breakfast!

BOAT/BIKE TOUR

I very much enjoyed the tour.  Took a bit of adjusting to get used to the touring bikes, as they are a little more unwieldy than a mountain bike. But once I got the hang of it, I found it easy to manage. Most of the riding was flat, with the exception of the odd hill or two, but nothing we couldn’t handle. The scenery throughout was spectacular!  Riding through forested areas and vineyards and picturesque small towns and villages was absolutely lovely. So many interesting sites along the way. We found it easier to navigate than we did in the Netherlands, as the maps and directions seemed more straightforward and clear. The boat part was equally as great - very good meals, friendly and helpful staff, roomy cabins. The only big minus was the fact that Irv fell off his bike the first day and messed up his leg, which meant he couldn’t cycle, and which was an issue, mobility-wise for the rest of the trip. We enjoyed the company of Karen and Steve, who we had met before and spent some time with in Phoenix a number of years ago. They were good company both on the boat and on the cycling part.

SICILY

Sicily was amazing, on many fronts. The places we stayed, the meals we ate, the sights we took in, the historical significance of so many places - it was all we could have hoped for. The first part was a little stressful in terms of the driving, since they wouldn’t let Richard be a driver on the car because he didn’t have the actual drivers license card, only the temporary paper version. And even though Irv had obtained his international driver’s license, with his injured leg, there was no way he could have driven, the car being a standard and the driving itself being so challenging. So Mer ended up driving for the first part. But it was very stressful for her, with the narrow, twisting, hilly streets, the lack of parking spaces and the crazy Italian drivers. So eventually Richard took over the wheel and we just crossed our fingers that we didn’t run into any trouble. He is such a great driver and rarely got flustered even though we were in some very tricky situations manoeuvring in the smaller hillside towns. It was also a bit stressful not having a clear itinerary after our initial stay near Catania. I would never do that again, even though it turned out fine. The places we chose to stay were great, we had nice accommodations, and we didn’t feel like we were rushing to get from one place to another. Staying 3 or 4 nights in places meant that we didn’t see as much, but it also meant that we felt we had really visited those places. And all the more reason to return!

MALTA

Initially I was a little leery of going to Malta, as it wasn’t a place I had ever thought about visiting, and I didn’t do a whole lot of research on what there was to do and see there. Plus it didn’t seem to be that easy a place to get around in. However I needn’t have worried in the least!  Rick and Tasha were the most amazing hosts you could ask for. Not only did they give up their apartment for us to use (they booked into a nice hotel not far away), but they toured us around the whole island and then some. We never would have experienced as much of this beautiful island country had it not been for them. They were literally our full-time tour guides the whole time we were on the island. They even rented two vehicles so we would all fit comfortably. I can’t say enough about how much we appreciated their hospitality.

Malta is a most interesting place with a wonderful history and tons of sites to take in. And both Rick and Tasha know enough about the island and its history to share that information with us. Plus they are both very interesting people themselves. They both work in very high-level jobs and travel a ton for work. But they also like to travel themselves and have been to more places than anyone I have ever met. They rent the apartment in Malta, own a flat in London, own a house north of Malmo, Sweden and I believe Rick also rents an apartment in Stockholm. Tasha is a patent lawyer and Rick works as a director for the Church of Sweden, which ranks right up there with the Catholic Church in terms of prosperity.

With all the uncertainty that accompanied this trip - our lack of accommodations, our lack of real planning about where we wanted to go in Sicily, the challenges of Dad’s health situation prior to the trip, I was feeling very trepidatious about the whole thing. But travelling with Mer and Richard was a real bonus.  They are much more travel savvy than we are, and far more tech savvy, which is a real bonus in this day and age of travel. They were also very patient and understanding about Irv’s limitations. Plus Richard’s exceptional driving skills and Mer’s navigational skills made for much easier, though not always stress-free, travel throughout Sicily.

All in all, a wonderful holiday with many great memories made to treasure when we are sitting in our rocking chairs in the nursing home!!

Homeward Bound

A very early (4 a.m.) get-up to grab our Uber to the Malta Airport for our flight to Heathrow. Checkin was as seamless as we’ve experienced in a long time and soon we were winging our way, London Heathrow bound. Once we had checked in there for our flight to Calgary, we grabbed a bite to eat, then waited for our plane to take us a little closer to home. The flight was uneventful, just how I like it! Funny thing - I was glancing at the person’s screen ahead of me and they were watching the new Indiana Jones movie. At one point the Ear of Dionysius was mentioned and that was one of the places we had seen in the Archaeological Park in Siracusa. So then I just HAD to watch the movie to see how it fit into the plot. A rather hokey movie but entertaining and served to pass some of the 8 hours the flight lasted.

We landed in Calgary for our almost 6 hour layover before our flight to Edmonton. Unfortunately, we landed in the midst of a snowstorm! We had planned to just go home with Mer and Richard and hang out there, which we did. But when we got to Mer and Richard’s, I got an email, saying the flight would be delayed. We finally left for the airport, they dropped us off, and only ten minutes after we arrived at the gate, the flight was cancelled. Luckily, we were able to grab a cab back to M&R’s where we ended up staying the night. Thank goodness we had that as a backup, because it was relatively painless. Got an email in the middle of the night saying they had rebooked us on a flight at 1:00. So we had an extended visit with M&R! Which I’m sure thrilled them, having put up with us for a month already! As luck would have it, Ryan was off work just about the time our plane landed, so he came and picked us up!

It felt very good to walk in our front door, knowing we were there for the duration. Travelling is wonderful, but it is always good to be home!

Gozo

Our tour guide extraordinaire, Tasha, had a full day lined up for us with an excursion out to Gozo, an island off the coast of Malta and a short ferry ride away. Had we just been walk-ons, we could have taken the ferry from nearby Valetta, but since we wanted to have the car, we had to drive quite a ways over to Cirkewwa on the exact opposite end of the island from Marsascala to catch the vehicle ferry. It is only about a 20 minute ride over to Gozo. On the way, you pass by Comino, a very small island in between Malta and Gozo, which is inhabited by only a handful of people. One attraction on Comino is the Blue Lagoon, a sweep of turquoise water ringed by sandy beaches that you can just see as the ferry passes by. One interesting thing we observed on the way were scores of jellyfish in the water. They are yellowish in colour and are called fried egg jellyfish because that is exactly what they resemble - sunny side up fried eggs!

Our first destination on Gozo was the Cittadella, which is an old fortress in the middle of the island. There is archaeological evidence that it was inhabited as far back as neolithic times, and has undergone numerous transformations from acropolis to fortress to historical site.

As luck would have it, when we arrived, there was a cultural event going on just inside the entrance, with traditional singing and dancing, as well as some handicrafts. It was very entertaining! We continued on our tour through the Citadel, taking in the beautiful old buildings and, of course, the numerous churches within its walls.

After all the walking around, we decided to stop for a drink and snack - a shared cheese plate and a drink each. Which came to the princely sum of 47 euros! Probably our most expensive ‘meal’ of our whole trip!!

We continued our tour of Gozo with a visit to what remains of the Azure Window, an arched rock formation created by wave erosion, which provided a photo-op-view of the sea caves beyond it. Unfortunately in 2017, during a massive storm, the arch collapsed into the sea.

After that, on to Ta’ Pinu Basilica, a very impressive church, one of 46 on Gozo. In the courtyard leading up to the church itself are four curved walls covered in mosaic pictures of various aspects of Jesus’ life. They are very beautifully crafted and intricate in their design.

Given that it was nearing gelato’clock, we headed to a small beach area in Marsalforn to suss out a place Tasha knew about. We all got our daily fix and it was delicious. Haven’t yet come across a gelato I didn’t like!! Mer was going to go for a swim but opted instead to just walk along the beach and dip her feet in the blue Mediterranean waters. We saw more of the fried egg jellyfish here as well.

At that point we decided it was probably time to head back to the ferry and get back home, since we still had to have dinner and get packed up for our flights tomorrow. The ferry ride back was uneventful, but unfortunately once we got off there was a huge traffic delay and it took us over an hour to crawl along at a snail’s pace to get only a couple of kilometres, and then a rather longish drive back to Marsascala. Stopped at a restaurant near where we had dined the first night we were here, then home to tackle the packing up.

Thanks to Tasha’s incredible driving skills and her extensive knowledge of Gozo, we had another amazing day here in Malta!

Mdina, Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk

Our wonderful hosts-cum- tour guides, Rick and Tasha picked us up late morning and took us over to the older part of Malta, Mdina and Rabat. Mdina is a fortified city, completely surrounded by walls and was the capital of Malta up until the medieval period. It was replaced as the capital by Birgu in 1530 when the Order of St. John appeared on the scene. Outside its wall is the city of Rabat. Mdina is also known as the Silent City and has, like the whole of Malta, a plethora of grand churches within its walls.

After touring Mdina a stop to pick up some pastizzi, fluffy pastry formed into specific shapes and filled with ricotta, peas or chicken. They are quite delicious, but very messy to eat. Right beside the pastizzieria was a gelato shop, so we just HAD to pick up some of that as well. The apple pie one was amazing!

And just because we needed more food, off we went to the south coast to a place called Dive In, a popular restaurant that sits up on the cliff above a popular swimming site where you can dive from the rocks into a natural pool. After that, over to the Blue Grotto, a complex of sea caves on the south-eastern coast. Unfortunately it was a very windy, choppy day, so you couldn’t really get the beautiful azure colour of the water for which the area is named.

Back in the cars headed for Marsaxlokk (pronounced Mar-sa-schlock), a small picturesque fishing village on the south eastern coast. It is the largest fishing village on Malta, and also home to Malta’s power station. Its harbour is filled with colourful fishing boats, all with the iconic eye at the front to ward off evil spirits. The greater part of the fish sold on the island are caught by fishermen from this village. It is a delightful place to visit!

At this point it was getting late in the day, and Rick had to catch a flight to London, so we returned to the apartment. Since Tasha had kindly stocked up on pastizzi for us, we opted to stay in and enjoy this traditional food for dinner, washed down by the bottle of German riesling we had brought with us from our boat-bike tour.  A walk around the harbour for the three more ambulatory members of the crew and we called it a day!

Arrivederci, Sicily!

Another travel day, this time a very early getup for our flight from Catania to Malta. We had to get to the airport early so that we could return the rental car. The flight was a short one - only 40 minutes!

Richard’s friend from waaaay back, Rickard, and his partner Tasha, picked us up and drove us - two separate rental cars, mind you - back to their apartment where we will be staying for the next three nights. They have moved into a nearby hotel in order for us to stay at their place. Talk about accommodating!! They have a lovely two bedroom apartment here. Tasha is a patent lawyer who works out of Malta, while Rick is a director for the Church of Sweden and works all over the world.They also have a flat in London and a house in Malmo, Sweden, where Rick is from. Tasha is originally from Wales.

After we got settled in, they took us down to a cafe on the harbour where we could have a bite of breakfast, since we didn’t have time for anything before catching our flight. After that, Tanya left to do some work and Rick took us on a ferry ride across the harbour and then for a bit of a tour around an older area of town. We had to get up to the upper part using the Barracka Lift, an elevator that extends several stories upward. We had a great view of the harbour from up above, then wandered through a lovely garden area, and then into the streets of Valetta  It was very hot (32) and quite humid, so after walking for a time we stopped at a cafe on the main walkway for something to quench our thirsts. The cafe was right beside St.John’s Co-cathedral, built between 1573 and 1578 by the Knights of St. John as a place where they could worship. It has a very plain façade, which belies the over-the-top ornateness you find inside. Merrilee and I decided to pay it a visit, while Richard and Rick headed off to visit the War Museum, and Irv headed back for some non-walking time in the park near the Barraka Lift.

The Co-cathedral is certainly a sight to behold inside, with its ornately carved walls and altars and ceilings, many of which are covered in gold leaf. There is one main section with a huge altar area, as well as many equally amazing side areas. It is almost overwhelming in its grandiosity. One of the main attractions in the cathedral is Caravaggio’s work The Beheading of St.John the Baptist, his largest work, and the only one known to have been signed.

After that we headed back to the lift to rendezvous with the boys and headed back to the ferry which would take us back to where we had parked the car and where Tasha met us. We returned to the apartment for a little down time, which was sorely needed after our early get-up this morning.

Mer and I took a short walk around the area to suss out the coffee shops and see a little of the neighbourhood. The apartment overlooks a harbour and there are lots of cafes and restaurants. After nap time Rick and Tasha came back and we headed out to that same area for a bite to eat and then a stop at a gelateria for a tasty treat. Just can’t get enough of that! And sooo many good flavours to choose from!

On to catania

Today we left Agrigento to head back to Catania where we would catch our flight to Malta. But on the way, we stopped at Villa Romana del Casale, another UNESCO World Heritage site. This is a large and elaborate Roman villa dating back to the 4th Century. While the villa itself is an amazing example of the architecture of the time and remarkably well-preserved, the true stars of the show are the mosaics throughout. They are the best in situ example of mosaics in the Roman world and are truly outstanding in the quality and quantity, not to mention the intricacy of the designs. The floors of every part of the villa are covered in mosaics, many of which portray stories from the time, stories from the myths as well as beautiful designs. The site is set up well for viewing, as they have elevated walkways through the various parts of the villa, so you can look down on the floors and get a good view of the designs. The fact that this glimpse into the past has been so well restored and preserved is a testament to the hard work of many dedicated archaeologists. A most worthwhile detour from our drive to Catania.

We arrived in good time and checked into our little apartments, which are but stone’s throw from the airport and very well-appointed. We tried to head out for an eat-out dinner, but after several failed attempts, once again thanks to Google Maps, we ended up stopping at a little trattoria and just getting takeout. But it was actually quite delish!

An early to bed, since we had to get up at 4:00 in order to get to the airport, return the rental car and catch our flight to Malta.

La Scala dei Turchi

Today we visited the second site that we had come to Agrigento to see - La Scala dei Turchi, or the Turkish Steps. This is a series of white cliffs along the coast, where in the 1500s, Saracen pirates, misnamed Turks by the locals, would land in the sheltered bays and use the terraced cliffs to access and plunder the coastal villages. In the past, you could actually walk and climb on these formations, but that is now prohibited. But you can get stunning views of them both from up above at the belvederes (bel -good; vedere -to see - a good place to see) and from the beaches below. We did both!

By the time we finished at La Scala, it was lunch time, so we sussed out a street-side café in Realmonte that proved to be a real gem. The boys both had pannini, while Mer and I opted for a Caprese salad and two different kinds of bruschette that were delicious.

A return to the flat where Irv and I stayed while Mer and Richard went off to watch a soccer game with the semi-pro team from Agrigento. They said it was an entertaining game that ended in the home team winning in a shoot-out.

A search for a dinner venue had one strike, but then we found a little place called La Burgato which turned out to be very good. The boys had spaghetti carbonara which they both claimed to be delish, while Mer and I opted for Insalate Mista, which was also molto bene! Since Mer had a hankering for gelato, she asked the server from the restaurant where there was a good place. Unfortunately good old Google Maps took us on another joy ride to get there, but it was indeed worth the drive. The gelato was amazing!

As we had been driving back and forth at night, we had noticed that you could see three of the temples lit up, so we ventured over to get a closer look and some pictures.They are beautiful to see during the day, but something special all illuminated. And thus our day ended.

Irv’s Happy Place Day

Today was one that Irv had been looking forward to all trip. We haven’t had a lot of chances to experience wine tasting here, as so many of the wineries are very small scale and do not offer cellar door tasting like we have become accustomed to in North America. You pretty much have to arrange for a tasting beforehand to visit a winery. Plus they are very busy at the wineries, being in the midst of, or just finishing up harvest. So other than the tasting at Murgo near Etna, we have had to restrict our wine sampling to dinners.

But today, through his connections at Vines, Irv had pre-arranged a visit to Planeta, a winery whose wines they carry at the store. Planeta is a family owned and run winery, or actually group of wineries in Sicily, with locations in Vittorio, Noto, Etna, Capo Milozzo and their original winery in Menfi, where we went. They began planting in 1985 and produced their first wines in 1995. However the history of the family in the agricultural life of Sicily extends back 17 generations.

Thanks to Google Maps’ stellar directions (not!) we ended up driving to the estate by the barely-a-road route, with many twists, turns and bumps. But found it eventually and were welcomed by Deborah and staff. Our tour was held up a bit because another couple was also doing the tour and they had got lost on the way. Turned out they actually had a car and driver, a local, and even he got turned around!!

We first had a look at the vineyards surrounding the winery, then a tour of the facility, including a trip down to the cellar where the barrels are stored. Deborah, whose English and wine knowledge were both excellent, explained that the philosophy behind Planeta is the quality comes before quantity. When they set out to make wine they wanted to showcase typical Sicilian grapes, but also wanted to produce good quality wine from more international varieties. So their first production was a chardonnay. She explained that each of the different estates produces only wine from the grapes that are grown at that location. Given that each estate is in a different part of Sicily, this means that the wines vary due to type of grape, terroir, and climate.

Once we had finished the tour, we headed in to the tasting room, where Irv and I, along with the other couple, tasted a variety of their wines. Mer and Richard, being driver and navigator, took one for the team and did not taste. The other couple were from Baltimore, and he was interesting to talk to, or should I say, listen to! He is a physician and a professor, specializing in organ transplants, and has been to both Calgary and Edmonton several times. He had much admiration for our medical system in Canada. A bit self-involved, but pleasant enough company.

After the tasting we headed out to the patio to enjoy a sumptuous lunch, accompanied by more of their delicious wine. Even Richard and Mer enjoyed a glass. Irv picked up a couple of bottles to either take home or consume here, depending on what we do next.

After that great experience, we headed to a rather quirky place that Mer had discovered through Atlas Obscura, a website that she follows that highlights strange and out of the way places in the world. We visited a place called the “Enchanted Castle”, which was neither. It is actually a property in Sciacca on which a rather odd man named Filippo Bentivegna spent most of his life carving faces on rocks, which he then put out all over his property. Apparently he carved over 3 000 of them. He was a bit of an odd duck, having sustained a brain injury in a fight over a woman, with a rival suitor. The property is quite extensive and has hundreds and hundreds of these carved rocks all over it.

After such a filling lunch at the winery, none of us felt much like dinner, so we just finished off the rest of the leftover pizza from the night before. A couple of games or cards and dice and we were ready ro call it a day.

Valley of the Temples Day

One of the main reasons we came to Agrigento is so that we could visit the Valley of the Temples. This amazing collection of Greek structures is truly mind-boggling! Located in a valley not far out of Agrigento, it consists of a collection of ancient temples dedicated to many of the Greek gods. Some of the temples are relatively complete, others not so much. It is a vast area, which requires a great deal of walking, which, in the hot sun was quite tiring but well worth the effort. Even Irv managed to do the whole thing, which was great, considering that his leg is still giving him grief.

We started out at the Archaeological museum, which was a good place to give us a sense of how significant this site is. The museum houses a vast collection of artifacts dating back to the fifth and sixth centuries BC, and some items being even older than that. One particularly impressive piece is an almost complete telamone, one of the statues of a male figure that was used as a support in the temple of Zeus. It is some 8 metres high and stands in one room of the museum stretching to the height of two floors. We were amazed at how many different artifacts are here and how well-preserved many of them are,

.The site itself covers some 1300 hectares,and consists of a number of different temples, including the Temple of Concordia, the best preserved Doric temple in the world. It was saved from the destruction that faced many of the other temples because it was once converted into a Christian church and thus spared the looting of many of the other temples on site. In front of it is a more modern sculpture of Icarus after his failed attempt to fly. Only nine of the original 38 columns of the Temple of Heracles remain and only the remnants of the Temple of Zeus. There is a replica of the telamon that is in the museum on site at the Temple of Zeus, one of 38 that supported the temple itself. Also to be seen are four columns of the Temple-of Dioscuri, which have become the symbol for the city of Agrigento. The Temple of Juno is another of the better preserved ones, with 16 of the original 30 columns still standing.

Even though it was a rather long and hot day, with lots of walking, this was a place well worth experiencing.

For dinner we headed out to a place that got great reviews for its pizza - Pizza e Cori. The pizzas were huge and we could easily have done sharesies. I had a tomato, buffata and pistachio one that was most delish. Unfortunately the wine left a little to be desired, but the waiter was friendly and the pizza was good.

On to Agrigento

A travel day as we shifted locations from Noto to the Agrigento area. We are actually staying in Villaggio Mosè, not far from Agrigento. Not a very exciting day, except for a stop at an old water mill on the way, that we serendipitously found. Mulino ad Acqua is an old watermill that was used centuries ago and is still in use today, in a limited fashion. The guide/host is apparently a descendant of the original miller. He didn’t speak any English, but he called his wife to come down from their house on the property, and her English was quite good, enough to translate what he was saying. He explained about the earliest methods of grinding grain, using two rocks. The next modification was a hand driven rock wheel. The next step up was using water from the river to drive a horizontal wheel below the mill, which in turn moved the grinding wheel. The mill still works so he was able to demonstrate its operation. It was a fascinating lesson on milling back in the day, and the man and his wife were obviously proud of their little mill and most keen to share their knowledge.

We kept on driving, thinking we would stop for lunch somewhere, but it being Sunday, nothing was open. I hate to admit it, but we ended up eating at a McDonalds!!

Soon arrived in Villaggio Mosè, our home for the next few days and were greeted by Gaetano, who spoke no English but was able to show us around the apartment. It is a lovely place, very spacious and well appointed. It will be a great place to stay for the next few nights. We headed out to find the Conad store to pick up some groceries, and ended up at a great big shopping mall, which was so crowded we couldn’t believe it!! Back home with the groceries, another good home cooked meal and it was the end of that day.

Siracusa and Ortegia

One of the places we had really wanted to explore was Siracusa, along with its island counterpart, Ortegia. Syracuse is a city on the Ionian coast of Sicily, known for its ancient Greek and Roman ruins.

Because Mer wasn’t keen on driving into Siracusa, we had sussed out the day before how to get there by bus from Noto. Turned out to be a good decision. The place we had to catch it was not all that far from our flat, cost only 3.60 euros and was only an hour ride!

When we got there, we headed straight for the Archaeological Park Neapolis, where the ruins are found. The most well-known of these is the Teatro Greco or Greek Theatre, which was built in the 5th Century BC and rebuilt in the 3rd Century. Beside the theatre is the Latomie del Paradisio, a limestone quarry where stone for the ancient city was extracted. It is full of catacombs, and was where the 7 000 prisoners of the war between Syracuse and Athens were held in 1493. Another interesting part of the park is a grotto known as the Ear of Dionysius, which is shaped like a human ear, and where the tyrant Dionysius was said to have eavesdropped on his prisoners. Also in the park is the Roman Amphitheatre, which dates back to the 2nd Century and which was used for horse races and gladiatorial combats.

After all that walking we decided we needed some fortification so stopped for lunch. Well, more like dessert. My bad influence sister talked me into getting a brioche filled with two kinds of gelato. Needless to say it was VERY decadent but probably some of the best gelato I have ever had!

After that we wandered over to Ortigia, which is part of Syracuse but actually a separate island which also has several important archaeological sites from the Greek settlement of the area, dating back as far as the 8th Century BC. The first we visited was the Temple of Apollo, built in the 6th Century BC. Then we headed over to take in the Fountain of Diana, built in 1907 to honour the goddess Diana. On then to the Arethusa Spring, a natural spring near the sea. It is said that the nymph Arethusa, tired of being pursued by Alphaeus, appealed to the goddess Artemis who enveloped her in a blanket of clouds and turned her into a spring. Talk about ghosting someone! We continued walking along the seawall path to Maniace Castle, built between 1232 and 1240 and a formidable fortress on a promontory, protecting the island of Ortigia from invaders.

Our last stop was at the Cathedral of Syracuse, once a Greek Doric temple dedicated to Athena and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The present cathedral was built in the 7th Century and incorporated some of the Doric columns from the original temple. After the 1693 earthquake, the cathedral was rebuilt in the High Sicilian Baroque style we have come to know from our exploration of Noto.

Having taken in just about as much historic and archaeological information as our legs could take (some 20 000 steps!) we headed back to catch the Interbus back to Noto.

After a brief rest we decided that a dinner out was in order and headed down to the main area to a restaurant called Il Libertyno. It was on one of the many side streets and proved to be an excellent choice.. We shared a yummy charcuterie board, followed by a most delicious salad of green beans, tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, accompanied by four of the best meatballs in tomato sauce I have ever had.

A walk back to the flat to get a bit organized for our departure tomorrow, and another day in Sicily was put to bed.

Exploring Noto

Today was a day to explore Noto, a small town of some 24 000 inhabitants, with I think a church for every 10 citizens!! I suppose one should expect a plethora of religious buildings in a place like Italy, but it sure seems like overkill to:me!

Our first stop was the tourist office to grab a map and get some sense of what we should be seeing while here. The woman there was most helpful and even assisted us in sorting out how to get the bus from Noto to Siracusa tomorrow.

With Irv’s bum leg he isn’t moving very fast so we decided to split up and explore at a less hurried pace, and let Mer and Richard do their own thing. Our first stop was the Church of San Carlo of Corso, where, for a mere 2 euro, you could climb up the 80 spiral stairs to the roof for a fabulous view of the area. Irv chose to find a shady spot to sit while I did the climbing. It was a bit of a claustrophobic grunt, but made worthwhile by the views once you got up there.

We kept wandering down Vittorio Emmanuele, the main street of the old town, arriving at the Tina Di Lorenzo theatre where the Tourist Train departs from. We took the 45 minute train ride which takes you all around the old town and points out the highlights. It did have an English commentary, but it was pretty much drowned out by the sound of the engine. We met up with M&R when we got off the train and decided to take in the tour of the two theatres before sussing out some lunch. Both theatres are very ornate and obviously catered to the wealthier strata of society.

Mer had noticed a place that specializes in arancini, the traditional Sicilian street food dish that is essentially a rice ball made with other ingredients, and fried in a crumb crust. They are very good. We consumed ours in the shade in a small park adjacent to the cathedral. At this point Irv’s legs had had enough so he and I returned to the flat. But I hadn’t seen enough, so I ventured out once again.

First stop was to see the other set of painted stairs we had seen on our train tour. We had seen one set on our walk down from the flat yesterday. Next, I hoofed it over to the Porto Ferdinandea, the Royal Gate leading into the main area of Noto, which is preceded by a lovely tunnel of overhanging trees. Motoring on, I headed down to the Cathedral of San Nicolò, a most impressive building right in the centre of the main area It is, as most religious buildings are, just as impressive on the inside as the outside. One thing of note were the sculptures inside constructed by the artist from the remains of migrants’ boats. My next destination was an art exhibit inside one of the main buildings. It was actually three exhibits in one. The first was a collection of paintings from a variety of artists, the second was a sculpture exhibit that was a bit “out there”. The third was an installation of a collection of acrylic flowers set in a garden arrangement, and upon which were cast an ever-changing light display, accompanied by music. It was a very 60’s psychedelic vibe!

I high-tailed it back to the flat in time for our pre-arranged 3:30 FaceTime with Shannah for her birthday. Once Mer and Richard got home we headed out to the grocery store to pick up some supplies for dinner, followed by a rather hair-raising return to the apartment, only because the narrow streets getting to the flat are more like a maze than actual streets! A good homemade dinner and a dice game ended our evening.

On to Noto

Today was a travel day, where we bid farewell to Trecastagni and headed southward to Noto. We waited to say goodbye to our genial and most helpful and accommodating host, Giuseppe. He was of great assistance in giving us advice about what to see and do while in the Etna area.

Mer did a great job of getting us to Noto, but finding our AirBnB was a bit of a nightmare. It is in an older part of the town with very narrow streets and of course like most of Sicily, nothing is flat. With Richard’s help we managed to get to the flat and find a place to park. Once we had dropped off our bags and got oriented, we headed down to the old part and grabbed a quick lunch. We decided we would explore Noto more tomorrow, but today wanted to head out to Vendicari, a nature preserve not too far from Noto along the coast. It is an area where there are lagoons, cut off from the sea, where many migratory birds, such as storks, pink flamingoes and herons, find sanctuary. Also there are the remains of a tuna processing plant which dates back to the 1600s. It is a lovely walk through the reserve and along the coast with several beaches where you can relax and enjoy the sea and sun.

Headed back to Noto with a stop at a grocery store to pick up some supplies for our stay here. Back to the flat to rendezvous with Irv, who chose not to come with us to Vendicari. His leg is really giving him grief and we noticed this morning a large bruise on the back of his leg from where he fell off his bike on the first day of the bike tour. He’s been a real trooper, but is in a fair bit of pain, especially walking downhill, which here is a real issue!

We decided that takeout would be the thing to do for dinner so Mer, Richard and I set out to find a pizzeria and a homemade pasta place. The pizzeria we found no problem and left Richard there to order his pizza. But it seemed to take forever and a lot of winding our way to get to the pasta place. But it was worth the walk. The ravioli and sauce were delicious. We found our way back much more quickly and enjoyed our dinner, washed down with the bottle of wine Irv had bought at Murgo yesterday. A game of dice ended our evening.

A Luscious Lunch and Wine Tasting

Mer had been wanting to take Richard out for a nice dinner on his birthday Monday, so she asked our host, Giuseppe, for a suggestion for a nice restaurant nearby. He suggested one at a winery called Murgo. Unfortunately it is very popular even in this shoulder season, so she wasn’t able to get reservations till today and only for lunch. But as it turned out, it was perfectly delightful.The vineyard and restaurant are set high on the hillside of Etna and have stunning views of the surrounding countryside. The meal was amazing!! Four courses: aperitivo - stuffed mushrooms, panini with onions and tomato, flatbread with spinach and ricotta, and zucchini slices filled with ham, then cabbage and roasted veggies, plus a cheese and salami plate.; primo - two different types of pasta; secondi - meatball, veal, sausage and salad; dolce - chocolate cake. We were almost full after the first course!! Irv and I opted to do the tasting along with the meal and had five different wines from their cellars, all very tasty. We were able to sit outside and it was lovely, enjoying the views of the vineyards and the verdant valleys.

We basically waddled out of there, out to the car and home again to do some planning for our next part of the adventure down in the south-eastern part.

Thar She Blows!

Well, not really, thank goodness! But today was our volcano day, where we headed up to explore Mt Etna, Italy’s tallest peak south of the Alps, at 3 357 m (11 014 ft) It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest of Italy’s three active volcanoes, 2-1/2 times the size of Vesuvius. It is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and is almost constantly in a state of activity. Its last was in August of this year. Unfortunately Irv was feeling under the weather, so did not join us.

Getting up to the rim of the crater is quite the adventure. First you take the cable car up, then hop into what resembles a tundra buggy for a very bumpy ride up to 2 850 metres,, then you connect with a guide who leads you up to the rim of one of the craters at 2 900 metres where you have a great view of Mt Etna spewing her clouds of steam (not smoke) out of the top. The walk is a bit of a slog, because you are on lava sand and rocks, so it’s not unlike plodding along a sandy beach, except it is up and down. We thought we were going to take a different path back to the bus that would have led us around the rum of another crater, but partway there we got stopped by one of the other guides, so had to turn around and go back! Back on the bus for another rocky ride back to the cablecar, a quick lunch (free, thanks to our host for the coupons) then back down the cable car and then back to our place.

After a bit of down time, Mer and I decided to try a walk that our host had suggested, not far from the house. It is actually the path around an ancient crater, formed from an eruption of Etna back in 1030. You actually walk around the whole rim of the crater, which is now covered in lush vegetation. It provides a spectacular view of the surrounding area from Mt. Etna right out to Catania and the sea.

Got cleaned up, then headed into another town, Zafferana Etnea, for dinner at what looked to be a very nice restaurant. Unfortunately when we got there it was closed, as in for good! So much for Google maps advice. Instead we wandered down and found a delightful place not far away where we had a delicious pasta dinner. There was a kids’ birthday party going on in an outside part of the restaurant, and we marvelled at the number of pizzas those kids went through over the course of the evening!

Back to the house to sort out our next day’s adventures.

A Beach and Taormina

A bit of a lie-in before we headed out to explore a bit of this area. Richard’s birthday, so his pick was to head to a beach. Our host had recommended Fondachello, so that’s where we set off for. Merrilee did a great job of getting us there, despite the challenges of driving here. It is definitely not for the faint of heart, between the serpentine routes and the crazy drivers! Arrived in Fondachello and had a walk along the beach, which was not the sandy type, but more small rocks. But there were still lots of people out enjoying themselves. And of course there is the beautiful blue ocean!

Since we were so close, we decided to visit Taormina, a city on the coast famous for its wonderful views and an ancient Greco-Roman amphitheatre that is still in use today. It is very touristy, and even in this shoulder season, still lots of people in the streets. Parking is also at a premium so poor Mer had to navigate the narrow streets to find a place to leave the car. Since we were a little peckish, stopped at a little cafe and had a most delish lunch - pasta for the boys and Mer and I had a yummy pomodoro (tomato) salad and cheese plate. We set out for the Teatro Antico, but when we got there, the lineup for tickets was longer than we wanted to endure, so Mer and Richard headed out to explore, Irv found a comfy bench to take a break, and I went wandering to see what interesting photos I could capture.

When we met back up, decided to take the cable car down to the bottom and check out the beach area. Great views again from the cable car but not much at the bottom besides a beach area. Took the cable car back up and headed back to the car to set off back to Trecastagni.

Because it was Richard’s birthday, Mer had wanted to go out for a nice dinner, but the restaurant we had chosen was unfortunately full, so we opted for takeout pizza instead. But that was an adventure in itself. There are several pizza places in Trecastagni, but some of them were closed permanently, or not open till 7. We finally found one around 6:30, and the owner took pity on us and took our order early, so our pizzas were ready by 7. A stop at the grocery store and then back to Casa Etnea for Richard’s birthday dinner.

Another Travel Day

A rather challenging night last night for Irv. I think I mentioned in an earlier post that he had fallen off his bike into a ditch on the first day of cycling (shades of our bike trip in Holland). Well turns out he really did a number on it, because he wasn’t able to cycle the rest of the trip! (Again - a repeat of Holland!) Last night, after having walked all day on it, and then went for a short walk near the hotel, all of a sudden he had a very deep pain in his thigh. I went and got ice from the front desk and he iced it for a time. But when he went to lie down in bed, he couldn’t get his leg to straighten without a great deal of pain. So he ended up sleeping sitting up in the chair, with half of the duvet over him and half over me! Probably a good thing we had to get up at 3:00 anyway to get to the airport for our flight to Catania.

Made it to the airport and our flight, albeit very slowly. Arrived just before noon, but then had drama getting our rental car. Turned out that Richard, driver extraordinaire, was not allowed to drive. His license expires on his birthday, which is tomorrow, and he hadn’t received his new license before we left. But he did have his temporary paper license that they give you till your real one comes. Well the rental company wouldn’t accept that. Irv had gotten his international drivers license to be the second driver, but with his bum leg, not sure how much driving he can do, especially since it’s a standard. So Merrilee ended up signing on as a driver and driving us from the airport up to our AirBnB which is about a half hour out of Catania way up Mt Etna way. It was a bit tricky getting there, to say the least, including a very rough road for the last km or so.

The place is lovely - an old home way up on the slopes of Mt. Etna that has been refurbished somewhat and has an amazing view! Its name is Casa Etnea and we are staying in the Volcano suite! The only drawback is that it is so challenging to get here. Our host, Giuseppe, was there to greet us and gave us some great tips on what to do and see in the area.

We headed back into Trecastagnia, the nearest town, to check out the little festival they had going on, with lots of interesting artisans work and food booths. We snagged some lunch - delicious arancini - and wandered around a bit, then decided to head to pick up some essential grocs before heading back to the flat. A quiet evening in and an early turn-in, as it had been a very long day!

Travel Day to Frankfurt

Turns out we didn’t have to be off the boat right after breakfast, so Mer and I took a quick tour of Koblenz so she could see some of the things we had seen yesterday. I had wanted to find the “Spitting Boy” fountain that we had somehow missed, and it turns out it was right across from the bank where we got money! Not sure how we missed seeing it, but maybe because we were so focussed on finding a bank! Managed to find a pharmacy so Mer could pick up some sinus meds for Richard who was feeling quite awful. I also picked up some paracetamol for my aching body!!

Back on board for a bit, then the three of them went into town for a coffee while i stayed with the luggage. Took a cab to the train to catch our train to Frankfurt for our flight to Catania tomorrow. Funniest thing - at the station was a huge group of what we assumed might be university students, mostly young women, who were dressed in the traditional Oktoberfest dirndl skirts. They were singing and dancing and generally just having a blast. Turns out their train was over an hour late, so they had been there a long time! At one point a small group of them started doing the Cotton-Eye Joe line dance. When their train finally arrive, they were whooping and hollering as they boarded! It was great fun!

Our trip was not nearly as lively, and we arrived at the Frankfurt airport train station. Now that is one busy place! Took us a while to get oriented and find a cab to our airport hotel, the Moxie.

Once we got settled in, Irv and I went for a walk in a nearby park and then stopped for a beer and a radler. Connected with Mer for an early dinner, because Richard still wasn’t feeling much like eating. Mer and I went for a short walk, then we called it a night because we had to get up to catch a cab to the airport at 4:30 for our 6:50 flight to Catania, Sicily.

Not cycling day six

Today we all decided that we would give our weary legs a rest and stay on board for our last day, travelling from Cochem to Koblenz.  It is a much different experience to be cruising along the river, because you get a full view of all the towns you pass by, plus a better sense of the scenery you pass through. It was very interesting as we passed through the locks as well.

One thing you see lots of as you cruise along are castles, which are an indication of how far back many of these small towns and villages go, many into the 11th and 12 centuries. Some are not much more than ruins, but many are still in relatively good shape and have been incorporated into restaurants, mainly because the views from them are so spectacular.

Another thing we noticed both cruising on the ship and cycling is the plethora of caravan parks along the rivers. They are chock-a-block full of motorhomes, trailers and tents. We also discovered that they are a great place to stop for a morning coffee when you’re cycling because most of them have some sort of cafe on site.

Once we got to Koblenz, Mer and Richard grabbed a couple of bikes and headed off for a short ride, while Steve, Karen, Irv and I decided to explore Koblenz. First destination was a special clock where there is a face whose eyes move back and forth and on the hour and half-hour, he sticks out his tongue at the people of Koblenz. Wandered through several squares admiring the beautiful buildings and interesting statues. Found ourselves at the Electoral Palace which I assume is their government building. It is very impressive and very extensive! While there we observed what looked like a photo shoot, with a girl in a huge red dress that took six people to carry as the model walked.

When we returned to the ship, the other three decided to head in, but I wanted to see the place where the Mosel and Rhine meet, so I hoofed it down to Deutsches Eck, or German Square, where there is also a monumental statue of William I, the first emperor who was instrumental in the unification of Germany.

It was the Captain’s reception and dinner, so we had a glass of bubbly and were re-introduced to the crew who have looked after us so well on this trip. It is not a large crew so they work their butts off, especially the kitchen and wait staff. The meals on board have been excellent and the service very attentive. I would certainly not hesitate to recommend the company, SE Tours, again.

An early turn in, so we could pack up, seeing as our bags have to be out by our door by 7:30 tomorrow morning and we have to disembark after breakfast.

Cycling Day Five

From Zell, we headed to Cochem, another relatively easy day - only 40 km. Pretty typical ride through the vinelands, so lots of beautiful scenery, picturesque towns -ho hum!! Several interesting places to stop along the way. Stopped on the bridge to watch a ship going through the lock -not ours, but she would be coming along later. Cycled on to Bremmer-Calmont where we marvelled at the world’s steepest vineyard, at 65% grade. It is just mind-boggling to think of how challenging that must be to plant, tend to and pick the vines on a slope that steep! Not far from there we saw across the river the remains of a monastery that dates back to the 12 century.

At Beilstein we pulled in to have lunch and then hiked up to the ruins of Metternich Castle, which also dates back to the 12th century. It has been developed with a restaurant attached to the castle. Mer and I decided to climb up to the top of the tower for a panoramic view of the surrounding area. It was up a one-person-at-a-time spiral staircase, but well worth the effort for the amazing view of the Mosel from there!

Continued on to Cochem, with a stop just shy of there to take pictures of the 11th century Colchem Castle, which sits high on a hill overlooking the town. Arrived back at the ship in time for afternoon coffee and treats, followed by an even better treat up on the top deck - the bottle of Piesporter Reisling that Mer and I had picked up for Irv when we rode through there.

Another delicious dinner, a quick walk along the waterfront to try and capture the castle all lit up, and then back to the ship for Tombollo night. This is essentially a raffle where you buy tickets for draw prizes. There were some good prizes as well as some pretty lame ones. Our table was not a lucky one, unfortunately. Mer won a bag of chips! Several of the passengers won multiple times. Guess the Tombollo gods were just not smiling on us!