Hotel Palazzo degli Archi Ragusa

I think James Taylor should have recorded Oh Sicily rather than Oh Mexico. This place is splendid.

And I couldn't have asked for, or even imagined better accommodations. Anna and the family are taking such good care of me. And I really do feel like I'm becoming part of the family. We normally have dinner around 830, and so the other day Anna knocked at my door around 8 and told me that they would be going to the family birthday party of her niece and if I wanted I could come along ...

... my soap...
Josie: (head nod)
Talker: ... my toothbrush, my toothpaste. I have my comb in there and my towel. Plus a change of clothes. My shirt, my...

Maybe I'm not expressing it well enough, but it was comical and aggravating how poorly she read other people's interest level. Half the time I wouldn't even be looking at her anymore, I'd be walking out the door or typing something on my computer or looking in a book. But she continued ...

... we vorig jaar al bekeken, nu wordt het voor ons een tussenstop in de haven Porto Empedocle.

Als na twee uur de wind weg valt zetten we de motor een beetje harder en zien rond 18.00 uur de grote industrie pijpen al staan. In de haven kunnen we vrij ankeren, een prima gelegenheid om ons ankergerei te testen. Alles loop als een zonnetje, geen rugpijn van het trekken en rukken, na een tweede ankerpoging zitten we vast als ...

The Lonely Planet guide said Noto has the best Gelati shop in the world. I couldn't let this outrageous statement go unchallenged. So we packed our bags with plans to visit Noto about 40 minutes from Syracuse with a side trip for the beach also on the agenda. We are still yet to wet our feet in the Med sea.

Noto is a nice town and was totally rebuilt 15km from its original site after an massive earthquake back in the 1600's. The city was built from scratch in the baroque style. Very ...

... but NO women. Where ARE they? --------------------- We ended up, with a touch of our usual serendipity, in a town about 20 km from the incredible mosaics of the castle near Piazza Armerina (Mosaic floors from the THIRD CENTURY -- like the time of Constantine!). The floors depicted things like the labors of Hercules, and hunts of tigers and gryphons and elephants and rhinos, scantily-clad women working out, a few erotic scenes --- all kinds of incredible mosaics ...

... 3rd tallest bridge in Europe. Woot! When we got to Modica, it was the most adorable little town. It was quintessentially Italian. With the colorful little houses dotting the hillsides and churches and gargoyles and little alleys with greenery growing in baskets. 1st stop was the chocolate shop where we got samples of cookies and chocolate alcohol of some kind and about 20 kinds of flavored chocolate - from pistachio to chili pepper. We walked ...

... on this small scale I can understand how you would choke to death quickly in a full scale volcanic eruption, et alone being buried by ahes and lava. That afternoon we go to the mud-baths, this time legally, and slather our bodies with mud. Then we get out and find a little spot where hot air is escaping from the rocks nearby and sit ourselves there, letting the mud dry and eventually crack, and wash it off. After this we walk over to the hot water beach, which is handily only a ...

... and has to be one of the best things I've ever tasted. After eating all the wonderful meals that my relatives prepared, and enoying all the local specialties of the area where my Dad's family came from, I can say without reservation that it is the best food in the world - even though I know you're not meant to say these things because every nation's culinary traditions are so different. But hey, I'm saying it anyway!

... something about the design or architecture because that word sounds familiar to me. We saw the churchs there and enjoyed a Canoli We came back around 8pm and then a friend of my uncles took me up the Volcano Etna to tell me about the history. Turns out about 50-60 years ago the Volcano erupted and lava spilled all the way down to civilazation. The people of Milo (where my Uncle now lives) began to pray and built an alter ...

... hue - difficult to describe! The weather has been a little on the cold side and we have had to rug up in our hats and scarves. Unfortunately the old stone buildings are freezing, so we have all come down with colds. Toward the end of our stay the weather improved and the towns seem to transform in the sunlight. I think our moods are the same! Bye for now, Caren, Jonathan and Ethan :)