Archive for the ‘friends’ Category
Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Sicily
I loved Palermo so much I can’t possibly sum it all up in one, two, or even three posts. So for the next several Mondays, I’m going to share travel tales from Palermo . . .
Palermondays are here!
Now you may remember that before Cherrye and I set off for our trip to Sicily, I mentioned wanting to visit the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. Well we did!
This magnificent opera house opened in 1897 in part to provide national unity for the newly formed country of Italy; remember the Risorgimento and unification of Italy only occurred in the 19th century.
As the largest opera house in Italy and the third largest in all of Europe, Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele seats 1,350 and features 7 tiers of boxes around an inclined stage, all in the shape of a horseshoe.
The opera house was built by the architect Giovanni Battista Filippo Basile, paying homage to classic Sicilian architecture; the exterior is reminiscent of the ancient Greek temples of Selinunte and Agrigento.
Take a virtual tour of Teatro Massimo here.
Don’t forget to come back next week for another Palermonday!
1st of the month featured blogger: april
Sorry, no April Fool’s joke this year even though last year’s was *so* much fun for me, because today we have the:
1st of the Month Featured Blogger
Yes, singular. Just one featured blogger this month, and you know why? Well other than being one of my very most favoritest bloggers and photographers in the whole world (her photos decorate this post), she is the proud owner of five blogs.
You read that correctly, and here is a list of blogs by Featured Blogger Frances:
- Blogjem: Main blog that covers pretty much everything including great photos
- Blogforth: Creative writing blog featuring Sunday Scribblings
- On the Go Blog: Pictures and thoughts posted from Frances’ cell phone
- Photostroll: A leisurely walk with stops to take pictures
- The Meme Section: A home for memes
Frances is also the founder and fearless leader of the group She Who Blogs, a lively group of women bloggers who offer friendship, laughs, shoulders to cry on, advice, and plenty of other great things.
I’m a member, and in fact, Bleeding Espresso is this week’s featured blog at the main site, so click here to check out my interview. And for more information on joining She Who Blogs, contact me or leave a comment.
I’m not sure how Frances and I first “met,” but I’m so happy that we did. I can always rely on Frances for a kind word, inspiration, a fabulous pick-me-up photo, or a thought-provoking post about friends, family (especially growing up with Italians), and life in general.
And New York City? If you don’t love it already, Frances will convince you that it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth–I would love to teleport myself there each morning (NY time!) and walk through Central Park, sharing a coffee with Frances as she snaps photos like this:
Enough of my rambling; you should be busy getting to know Frances.
Go Blogforth
(or Blogjem, On the Go Blog, Photostroll, or The Meme Section)
and multiply the blog love!
Love Thursday: Love Notes on a Cactus
Last year at this time, some of you were disturbed when I posted Scribblings on a Seawall–love notes written in Catanzaro Lido. Yes, graffiti has a tendency to annoy me too.
Well hang on to your virtual hats.
Here’s another creative expression of love, on a cactus in the ruins of Tindari:
This cactus was *huge* and absolutely covered in love notes.
Disturbing, sure, (the poor cactus!) but it certainly made me think of my P waiting (impatiently) for me at home while my travel buddy and I vagabonded about . . . reminding me once again that love is all around.
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
The Ruins of Tindari, Sicily
We’ve visited the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna in Tindari, and now it’s time to tour the ruins.
Tindari, ancient Tyndaris, is about 60 km from Messina and sits above the Tyrrhenian Sea with views of the Gulf of Patti and the Cape of Milazzo, a fabulous strategic position to control the waters between the Aeolian Islands and Messina back when there where pirates and whatnot.
Tyndaris was originally settled in 1500 B.C. but Dionysius I of Syracuse turned the settlement into a full-fledged Greek city in 396 B.C.
Tindari then came under control of the Romans in 254 B.C., after which most of the Greek infrastructure was modified or simply built over to accommodate the prospering city.
Other major events in the city’s history include an earthquake in 365 A.D., a landslide at the end of the 1st century A.D., and the construction of the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna sometime before the Saracens invaded the city in the 9th century.
By the 19th century, Tindari was abandoned, leaving behind only the Sanctuary and the ruins. Ready to see what’s left?
Here is the Greek amphitheater built in the 4th century B.C. and later modified by the Romans:
This once hosted some spectacular gladiator battles, but now it is home to the Tindari Estate (Summer) Festival. From late July through the third week of August, the old theater is full of life with poetry, music, dance, and play performances.
Incidentally, over the years, the theater was disassembled to make city walls, some of which are still in place; this is the walk up to the ruins with some of the old stones visible on the lower left:
The site also contains the remains of an old basilica that, again, was erected by the Greeks in the 4th century B.C. but has been modified over the years, and even partially restored quite recently.
And then there’s everything else–remains of baths, houses, schools, and other buildings.
And the mosaics–can’t forget the mosaics.
Here is the Sicilian symbol “Trinacria.”
There are also animal mosaics–a fabulous bull and goat if you’re interested.
The complex also houses an Antiquarium–a museum that stores some of the treasures found at the site:
Doesn’t he remind you of my muse, Leonardo?
I could’ve spent *much* more time here, absolutely enveloped in peace and calm. The natural surroundings here are just amazing:
Between the ruins, the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna, and the gorgeous scenery, Tindari is simply a must-stop if you’re traveling through this part of Sicily.
Bring a picnic lunch and allowing yourself plenty of time to daydream.
Check out my Sicily 2008 Flickr collection for lots more photos of Tindari!
Celebrating St. Patrick with Vino & Co. in Palermo, Sicily
Today is the day when the Irish all over the world celebrate the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick.
Italia’s day is coming soon (Wednesday for San Giuseppe to be exact), but far be it from me not to join in the festivities with my Irish brothers and sisters.
After all, I may be just a wee bit Irish as I had a great-great-grandmother by the name of Maggie Kennedy.
I’m not into the green beer thing, I’m afraid, but I will offer up some vino for the occasion; how about a fabulous red from Vino & Co. in Palermo, Sicily?
I personally can’t think of a better excuse to take an empty 5-liter jug and head to a filler station like this one.
This was just a few minutes from our hotel, but unfortunately, Cherrye and I didn’t plan ahead and bring a container large enough–no regular old plastic bottles allowed.
But back to the green-themed day, I also found this page for those of you in need of some last minute party supplies that will also make you laugh as you’re browsing. The faces on some of these models are just hilarious.
And, I guess, effective because a lot of this stuff is actually sold out. Go figure.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to those celebrating!
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
Recipes
