Europe 2025 Part II

Apologies for the multiple emails.  I think I have it sorted now.  Ain't it amazing how you forget how to use something as simple as sending out an email with a link when you don't do it for a while.

You may remember our acronym for touring in the UK.  ABC - another blood church, another bloody cathedral, another bloody castle.  We have amended it to reflect travels in Italy and Spain . . . ABCM.  Definitely not ICBM which is what my head keeps saying, but ABCM.  Another bloody church, another bloody cathedral, another bloody castle, another bloody convent, another bloody coliseum and last but not least, another bloody Madonna.  Individually they are enlightening, informative, beautiful and often awe inspiring.  Collectively, I never really recognized that we, as human beings,  were so intent on recreating the same structures, institutions and art.  Of course, it's not just the number of Madonna(s). Spain and Italy are replete with temples dedicated to various Greek and Roman gods not to mention Jewish synagogues/temples, and Moslem/Muslim mosques, palaces and forts.  

More of a history lesson than you may wish but as an excuse to include some pretty amazing pictures our next stop in exploring coliseums and temples was in Siracusa (Syrcuse) with a visit to the Neopolis Archeological Park.  This complex is home to the Teatro Greco, originally constructed, or more accurately excavated by the Greeks in the 5th century BCE.  It was subsequently rebuilt/remodeled by the Romans somewhere in the 3rd century CE.  

The Latomia de Paradiso, in the same archeological park, is a limestone quarry which was the source of the building material for the emerging Greek (I think) city of Syracuse.  It is now a lovely area shaded by magnolia and citrus trees with pleasant walks and art installations.  However it's history is a little darker as it was used to house some 7,000 prisoners of a war between Syracuse and Athens.

In the spirit of ABCM another coliseum, if you will is within this site.  It is the Anfiteatro Romano, originally constructed to to host gladiator battles and horse racing.  The center of the amphitheater was a flat, elliptical area covered in sand, remember arena=sand.  There were steps, covered with marble slabs and divided into tiers so the spectators of different social standing did not have to mix. You can still see what was an underground corridor that had eight entrances to the main arena.  This is how the gladiators, wild animals and assorted other entertainments entered the arena.  

Piazza Armerina is a small, charming town that hides a remarkable treasure—the ruins of a private Roman villa. Discovered by chance, this site features 63 rooms and an impressive collection of mosaics covering an area of 377,000 square feet. Led by a local expert, we will explore the villa, learning about the mosaics and the mysterious figure who commissioned the villa. The recently restored mosaics are now protected by a new roof, preserving this ancient masterpiece for future generations.

Europe 2025 Part I

 This trip began nearly two months ago in Taormina, Sicily, Italy.  Sicily was oh so much better than I ever expected.  The landscape is incredibly varied, volcanos, olive and citrus orchard, vineyards and mountains. 

Taoromina is a quaint little town and MAJOR tourist attraction.  It's up a very curvy road, like something out of a James Bond film, about 800 feet above the Mediterranean. The image below is a view from our classroom window.  

I have to admit, right upfront, many of these images are not mine.  You would think after all  these years of using a phone instead of a camera I would have mastered the technique of having something small and immediately available.  Not so.  Thank goodness others fill in the gaps for me.  

Back to Sicily.  We flew in to Catania early in the day and got a cab to Taormina and our hotel where we would meet up with our Road Scholar tour group.  The city, itself, dates back to the 4th century BCE when it was founded by the Greeks.  Subsequently it was occupied by the Romans, who lasted a couple of centuries only to give way to Byzantines, Arabs, and Normans.  This rolling collection of different peoples seems to be the history of most of Sicily.  Even Italy proper was nothing but an assortment of city states until 1861 when it became a kingdom and  1946 when it became a republic.  

We toured the Greek theatre, which later became a Roman theatre.  I would tell you all about the differences if I could remember . . . semi circular vs circular . . . carved out of a hillside vs constructed.  The piece I do remember is our word arena comes from Latin for sand which is what they put on the floor of coliseums to soak up the blood!

Next stop Mount Etna.  It's a volcano and still active.  You often see smoke and steam around the summit, that is when you can see it at all.  Actually I think that is it on the right side of the photo of the Greek/Roman theatre.  The cruise ships were in and there were tour buses and people like us with tour groups everywhere.  The wind was blowing so hard you could lean into it and not fall down, made it a little nerve wracking walking next to giant depressions. 

 

Calling it quits for now. I am totally out of practice at this.