Sicily and Malta: Blog # 6

                        Messina, Sicily And Valletta, Malta: Blog # 6

                                          Messina, Sicily

Harbor Entrances Typically Have A Patron Saint Statue Welcoming And Protecting Locals and Visitors

Yes, We Know The Ship's Name Is Backwards. Jerry Has A New I-Phone And Just Figured Out How To Change Settings To Fix Issue

         Not Exactly Hawaii: But Still Unexpected and Pretty 

                    Sometimes The Lighting Is Just Right

          Jerry Loves Turkey. He Could Not Pass Up This Drum Stick

                                Yes, He Gobbled  Up -- All of It

                               Getting Ready For Dinner: 

      Several Specialty Restaurants - Difficult To Choose - All Great!

                                Food Presentation Is Quite Elaborate

Messina Has A True Mediterranean (Moderate) Climate: Pine Trees, Palm Trees, Etc.

                  Sicily Is Known For Its Fresh Sea Food


               Muscle And Clam Farming Is Also A Local Industry

  Locals Sell Bags Of Mussels And Clams On Side Of The Road 
            Tour Stops At A Local Pastry Shop For A Pit Stop

                                It's An Amazing Place
                                So is The Cannelloni  

                                     Interesting Flavor

Large Earthquake (1908) Followed By A 40 Foot High Devastating Tsunami Hit The Island.. Thousands Killed, Buildings And Homes Destroyed. One Of The Few Surviving Structures Near The Coast

                            Bringing Victory And Peace

Statues Typically Represent Mythological Figures And Associated Stories

           The Tower Is Famous For It's "Carousell." Music Plays 

               The Lion Moves And Roars. A Rooster Squawks 

                   The Apostles Move As Do Other Figures
    This 1500's Era Church Was Hit Hard By The Tsunami

        It Was Bombed In WWII. Very Little Is Original

                                  We  Lit A Candle For Health And Peace

On A Previous Trip To Messina, Our Guide Emphasized This Son Of  King Who Was Victorious In A Major Naval Battle. 

This Time, Our Guide Also Pointed Out A Metal Map Of The Area That Was constructed And Installed Onto The Base Of The Statue

By Zooming In, Ships In The Harbor, Waves, Home And Streets As Well As The Church (Middle Of Map) Can Be Readily Seen

                                          Valletta, Malta

                        Fortress At Harbor Entrance Is Iconic

                              Amazing Buildings Throughout City

                       A Gorgeous Day To Go Sight-Seeing

         There Are 359 Churches In Malta - Locals Could Attend Services At A Different Church Each Day Of The Year

                 Taking A Harbor Cruise Is Well Worth The Time

                        Leaving Malta -- Heading To Tunisia

                                            Great Meals

               Getting Ready For An Evening Of Entertainment

                            Lights...Camera...Action...(And Music)

                                            High Energy

                                 Enjoyed The Many Iconic Songs

                                      Sunrise Or Sunset?

                                                Sunrise!

                              Jerry Is Working On The Blog

               Wake From The Ship Looks Like A Painting

 It Almost Looks Like An Aerial View Of Snow Capped Mountains

Rome and Naples # 5

 Rome and Naples # 5

We Came Across A Rally While Leaving Rome

                                                         Rome's Justice Building

                            Amazing Artwork - Carvings And Expressions 
Heading To The Port; Also The Town Where Jerry Had A Medical Problem Leading To A Pacemaker Implanted in Santa Monica Ten Years Ago.

                                                         First Cruise Dinner

We Were On This Ship Several Months Ago - Left Arlene's Sandals And Jerry's House Key In The Room. They Kept It For Us In Their "Lost And Found!" We "Had To Take This Cruise" To Retrieve Our Things! 

Large Ferries Carry Passengers, Cars, Trucks And Railroad Cars To And From The Mainland To Various Islands

   It's Always Fascinating To See An Old Fortress "Guarding A Port" 

    We Had An Opportunity To Visit A Cameo Factory - Fascinating

         It Takes "Hours" and "Patience" To Make These Items From Shells

  For Some Reason There Was A Small Exhibit Showing The Motorcycle Used in Roman Holiday: Audrey Hepburn  And Gregory Peck

Historian's Rendering Of What Herculean Looked Like Near Mt. Vesuvius. Notice The Edge Of The City Was By The Ocean

 

Left Photo: The Lower Part Of The Land (Next To The Buildings) Was The Actual Beach Area. The Wall (And Grassy Area) Was Part Of The Volcanic Rock Covering The City. 

Right Photo: The Grassy Area Is On Top Of The Volcanic Rock Forming New Land (Perhaps 30-40 Feet High) All The Way To The New Beach Area!

Herculean Was Discovered Accidentally By A Farmer Digging 25 Feet Down In Search Of Water. Removing The Volcanic Material Takes Time and Money

                    Plenty Of Statues And Other Items Survived

The Uncovered Area Represents 30% Of The City. The Apartments In The Far Background Make-up The Remaining 70% -- Built On The Lava Material. There May Not Be Enough Resources And Money To Continue Excavation Project.

Most Of The Inhabitants Huddled Together In Their Homes Or Other Areas. They Had Their Valuables With Them Thinking It Would Be Safer: Money, Jewelry, Etc. 

Other Than Earthquakes, There Were No Eruptions For 800 Years. Therefore, When The Tremors Began, The Locals Did Not Flee Believing All Would Be Okay!

Unlike Pompeii, Herculean Was A Place For The Wealthy. Some Of These Buildings Were Actually Second Homes. Notice The Walkway: Also Unlike Pompeii (Sewage In The Street), Herculean Had A Sewage System Under The Pavement. 

                This Room May Have Been The First "B&B!"  

                Wealthy Home Owner Rented This Room Out.

The Locals Liked Fast Food. Getting A Snack During The Day Was A Typical Activity. The Pots Would Hold Different Food.

One Of The Wealthier Homes. Fires Were An Ongoing Issue. It Was Safer To Be On The First Floor (To Escape) Than On The Second Floor.

                  Many Intact Mosaics Throughout The Area 

                         Wall Artwork (Painting) Still Visible

A Lot Of Planning Went Into This Floor: Figuring Out How To Incorporate All Of The Different Geometric Shapes And Different Marble Colors.

     Historian Showing What This Room May Have Looked Like

Much Like Our Los Angeles Home, This fancy House Was Built Around An Atrium. During Herculean Times Rain Water Collected In The Base Was Used For Cleaning And Other Domestic Purposes.            The Vertical "Pipe" Dispersed "Fresh" Water For Drinking

                          A Bed Was Uncovered Still Intact

                                                Caesar said, "Et tu, Brute?"

One Of The Wealthiest Homes Was Used As The Inspiration For The Getty Villa (Museum) In Malibu

           Many Different Artifacts Were Found On The Deceased

                                              (Neckless)

                                    Bracelets And Rings

                            Pitcher And Wall Decoration

       Hooks To Hold Fishing Nets Together And Net Weights

 Gold Coins (With Picture Of Nero) Remained Intact. Bronze Coins Melted

                                   Surgical Instruments

Oil Lamp And Key

                                                Earrings

                                            Bracelets 

                                                                 Earrings 

                                                 Bracelet

                                             Neckless

                 Roman Naval Ship Was Found Almost Intact