tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77288688007435782872024-03-13T03:20:06.281+01:00BELPASSO AND BEYOND...Living in the land of sun, small towns, welcoming people. Daily (or nearly so) photos of Belpasso (Sicily) and the island - this is my home for the forseeable future.
Please leave a comment, if only to say hello ... it's always good to hear from friends both old and new ...Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.comBlogger217125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-40955115079407476862013-03-16T22:52:00.002+01:002013-03-16T22:52:22.030+01:00I've moved ...Blogspot has not allowed me to post photos for the last month or so .... I admit defeat.<br />
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I've created a new blog at <a href="http://www.bellabelpasso.blogspot.com/">www.bellabelpasso.blogspot.com</a> and have so many things to share with you.<br />
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See you there!<br />
HollyHollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-40165780752404893082013-02-13T07:30:00.000+01:002013-02-13T07:30:04.584+01:00smiley sunflower<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Marker by a local florist ... </strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>You can't tell by looking ... but this flower is nearly 4-foot across,</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong> petal-tip to petal-tip.</strong></span></div>
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/C31MEFcc4a" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RXVgJs-RENY/UQ0Ig5LjrII/AAAAAAAABM4/HEMo9XlYDhA/s512/sunflower%252520metal.jpg" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-9080053003675242972013-02-11T07:30:00.000+01:002013-02-11T07:30:01.448+01:00round Etna by train<br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>This train system and route is over a hundred years old. It goes most of the way around Etna from Catania to Giarre (or any point inbetween) and makes for a fun day trip on the weekend. The tracks are set more closely than those of trains connecting the various towns and cities such as Rome and Catania to one another ... which has helped keep the Etna train independent. Originally it was set up as a way to allow people to access their out-lying plots and the engineer will still stop in the middle of nowhere to pick up some one who is returning home after working in the fields. Generally there are only one or two carriages per train. </strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">Here it is pulling into the Catania station to start a new run.</span></strong><br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/3c0NOhLJAk" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XckVmIM9gNM/UQ0IbRptyHI/AAAAAAAABMs/yeLtXbUz8tU/s640/etna%252520train.jpg" width="480" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-44715578454909720862013-02-09T11:45:00.000+01:002013-02-09T11:45:00.803+01:00How does your garden grow?Looking down on our landlord's winter garden ....<br />
their green thumbs go all the way up to their necks and down to their toes!<br />
They can .. and do .. grow a LOT!<br />
One thing gets done ... pull it our and plant something else in the space.<br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/3JqwNhrXMX" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S67s-aFLB_4/UQzr-z2iUVI/AAAAAAAABLk/Z9VGVr17EoI/s512/landlord%252520garden.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-80279703474751615842013-02-06T11:40:00.000+01:002013-02-06T11:40:00.203+01:00glimpse of EtnaPeeking between the buildings ... Etna's secondary peak <br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/1j4Du3HQ86" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3tIvoCbV9EQ/UQzrwwb00RI/AAAAAAAABLk/iWLktJ072m0/s512/from%252520side%252520balcony.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-15315103219279534022013-02-04T10:22:00.000+01:002013-02-04T10:22:00.326+01:00Carnivale calf<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://goo.gl/photos/Bm2yjPtYcJ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9XfLxhmC0hc/T1PUM2NxqWI/AAAAAAAAA2g/I4BfjMQFlvY/s512/download%252520%2525204%252520mar%2525202012%252520010.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Saw her as she was passing by ....</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>time to celebrate Carnivale.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-12028923417501633692013-02-03T10:36:00.000+01:002013-02-03T10:36:00.316+01:00some more rollsOther shapes she has formed ... check out the purse on the right-side.<br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/4baELiVllp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6biXUyTW3vM/UOClOEf7aPI/AAAAAAAABGI/YQTnbnGwbCg/s512/IMG_1165.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-33507647436544228242013-02-02T11:51:00.001+01:002013-02-02T11:51:23.459+01:00a bit out of season ... DH picked up some bread the other day from our favorite bakery ... <br />
... must have been a few bags left over ... no big deal ... I think it's a charming bag.<br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/MNt4ENMa9I" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-U8lAK00XLu4/UQzroKNMIAI/AAAAAAAABLk/T8C-W-SJZos/s512/bread%252520bag%2525202.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-12448238313271438512013-02-02T10:33:00.001+01:002013-02-02T10:33:05.649+01:00fancy rollsA baker shaping fancy rolls in Monterosso Almo, Ragusa province, here in Sicily.<br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/4nVMuxMzYD" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MzikpHyeDwM/UOCcpEQsaDI/AAAAAAAABFQ/H0qFNcTHgq8/s512/IMG_1164.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-38289096049903614652013-01-27T21:59:00.001+01:002013-01-27T22:00:12.748+01:00New Year's Eve 2013 ... a bit lateSome of the fireworks my husband and a friend set off on New Year's Eve ... new camera, still trying to figure it out (think I'm losing the contest).<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/PCpTqB7lUzo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-63644208400623265282013-01-09T10:30:00.000+01:002013-01-09T10:30:04.333+01:00flowery sidelightThis sidelight was on both sides and over the top of a door in Monterosso Almo (Ragusa).<br />
I think it looks classy.<br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/eTwpTM4v16" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CpXH-u27x_A/UOCmADKHLFI/AAAAAAAABGc/pODpLngJlOQ/s512/IMG_1192.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-9085978621369631202012-12-31T12:00:00.000+01:002012-12-31T12:00:11.780+01:00Baker art at Monterosso Almo<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/4baELiVllp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6biXUyTW3vM/UOClOEf7aPI/AAAAAAAABGI/YQTnbnGwbCg/s512/IMG_1165.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-23101226081204535392012-12-31T09:00:00.000+01:002012-12-31T09:00:05.041+01:00Baker at Monterosso Almo<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/4nVMuxMzYD" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MzikpHyeDwM/UOCcpEQsaDI/AAAAAAAABFQ/H0qFNcTHgq8/s512/IMG_1164.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-38784261492657617382012-12-31T06:30:00.000+01:002012-12-31T06:30:01.235+01:00"Santa" kidJust thought this a cute outfit .... <br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/r348RABUhG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xIvWaBJHWG4/UOCkNrTq3lI/AAAAAAAABGA/JWowagYFaSs/s512/IMG_1157.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-34452636166488960802012-12-30T22:50:00.001+01:002012-12-30T22:50:22.006+01:00Monterosso Almo, RagusaOn the 26th, DH and I visited Monterosso Almo (Ragusa province) to see the Living Nativity. Seems like the entire town gets involved. You wander through quite a few streets looking at various displays of townpeople showing what life was like in the 1600-1800s (or there about) .... cobblers, rope-makers, broom-makers, pottery repair, stonemasons, bakers, cantina and a whole lot more ... ending up at a cave where the Holy Family with Magi and shepherds are placed. Last year, the infant representing the Child was fussy when we visited the cave; "Mary" was having no success calming the child ... Mom ended up taking the child away and a statue was put in the crib. <br />
This year our group was one of the first to go through ... so DH and I explored while we waited for the bus to go back home again. We wandered up to the upper part of town ... this is looking back down on the older section of town where the Nativity is being held.<br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/n3nm7UVRcd" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FYlWAC6zjJM/UOCd7iy2I3I/AAAAAAAABFk/m_n20mO4iTw/s512/IMG_1182.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-7600114487143178632012-12-13T09:30:00.000+01:002012-12-13T09:30:05.009+01:00Holiday lights - Via Roma<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Looking down Via Roma during the Santa Lucia festival ...</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Santa Lucia is the patron saint for Belpasso.</strong></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">Her feast-day is 13 December.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">She is quite popular in Sicily. </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana;">She is also Syracusa's (south-east corner of the island) patron saint. Every year Sweden sends a girl to Syracusa to portray Sta. Lucia during the festival in Sta. Lucia's honor.</span></strong></div>
<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/88lQsXdUXX" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jtrv_GjzQbA/UClwLkbyJOI/AAAAAAAAA_M/wuRelMTnQUQ/s512/more%252520lights.jpg" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-47905369967469164172012-12-10T11:30:00.000+01:002012-12-10T11:30:03.003+01:00Unique nativity<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Nativity set in a tire at one of Belpasso's annual displays</strong></span></div>
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/5YOP8949lL" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TU7y_QeBC1c/UCltYMbkGvI/AAAAAAAAA-w/zAUAbT0UN-Y/s512/tire%252520nativity.jpg" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-14551360935546180872012-12-09T14:21:00.002+01:002012-12-09T14:21:30.373+01:00Haven't seen this for quite some time ...DH woke me up early this morning to go check out the balcony... it was snowing.. and sticking.<br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/gcGFknG56q" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kBfvGocyX1A/UMSKzqW4CyI/AAAAAAAABEw/JUWoORBouEA/s512/two%252520snowy%252520plants.JPG" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/qwC9cvDoIb" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Tutp-EMEms0/UMSK8-_uDsI/AAAAAAAABEw/5n0SHGimxf8/s512/close%252520up%252520cactus%252520snow.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-5736121667099933232012-12-03T11:00:00.000+01:002012-12-03T11:00:05.971+01:00thinking outside the box<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/euKflHhbE1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yKK4FTXHnlk/ULvWBYAIKRI/AAAAAAAABEI/zBzKPhJndis/s512/TV%252520dish.JPG" /></a><br />
Someone had a good idea to paint the normally bland and boring TV antenna and give it some character. Would have missed seeing this entirely if I hadn't climbed a staircase to look in a shop window while in Taormina.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-3438443901674943062012-12-02T23:39:00.000+01:002012-12-02T23:39:32.231+01:00Taormina<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/zdzjbSGwod" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BBoehMfRWFU/ULvV7XrLILI/AAAAAAAABEA/7MoSW7c7yDo/s512/Taormina.JPG" /></a><br />
DH, a friend and I took a Sunday drive up to Taormina (on the eastern coast of Sicily about an hour and a half from our apt). Wonderful little town ... a bit of a resort area. so there are frequently lots of tourists from cruise ships wandering around the town. This is looking down one of the walking streets back through the old city wall which goes back at least to the early 1400's, and may be much older. Taormina is famous for its marvelous Greek Amphitheatre ...but it was closed today.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-65194055123183201002012-12-01T10:00:00.000+01:002012-12-01T10:00:04.317+01:00Dominick the Christmas Donkey<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Just a funny song ... Brucoli is a small village well south of Belpasso.</strong></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ok5rOO2v2dU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>This is not my video .. I found it on YouTube.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>The YouTube link is </strong></span><a href="http://youtu.be/Ok5rOO2v2dU"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>http://youtu.be/Ok5rOO2v2dU</strong></span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Enjoy!</strong></span>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-33618198172591948592012-09-30T09:00:00.000+02:002012-09-30T09:00:03.385+02:00spices at the market<br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Perfect timing ... I need to buy fresh spices for holiday baking!</strong></span><br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/NlN1C62sHC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-UJqaLiRz0VM/UF9hqTjAALI/AAAAAAAABDA/O3jtjySgDm0/s512/spices%252520at%252520the%252520market.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-33257500634771896822012-09-28T04:00:00.000+02:002012-09-28T04:00:04.700+02:00Seen at Milo Wine Festival<br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>At the Milo Wine Festival ... selling sweets out of your home ...</strong></span><br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/BLZ9nG9Az0" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VoqDa9bV8UU/UF9heoHCoRI/AAAAAAAABDA/V2WLXnmVB_8/s640/selling%252520sweets%252520at%252520Milo.JPG" width="480" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-88307350243164384532012-09-26T07:30:00.000+02:002012-09-26T07:30:02.154+02:00Catnaps<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/xpof8FjOvI" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-kCRo_dLXbOA/UF9hJEuAJkI/AAAAAAAABDA/5n_58jvV6us/s512/Lola%252520napping.JPG" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7728868800743578287.post-30030178393351572852012-09-25T09:00:00.000+02:002012-09-25T09:00:01.184+02:00It REALLY does exist!!<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/Jn8fT8ueQ3" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q9xPoG53Vi4/UF9gyPP37rI/AAAAAAAABDA/NCG7VFrH-Ck/s512/Duff%252520Beer.JPG" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Homer Simpson's legendary brew ... a fine German brew (or so I am told)</strong></span>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09659514354403424628noreply@blogger.com0