Got to figure out how to share more pictures

I've upload too many pictures  between my two blogs ... so I have to figure out how to set it up so I can share more of my life ... will be back soon!
Holly

MORE FROM THE AMPHITHEATRE IN POZZUOLI

This was both close to the ticket office ... have to wonder who was honored with a statue ... nothing left but the feet.

MARBLE DETAIL AT AMPHITHEATRE

Anfiteatro Flavio (Flavian Amphitheater) is in Pozzuoli, near Naples.  DH and I were up there a few weeks ago for the International Bazaar at base.   The amphitheatre wasn't too far from where we were staying  - so we spent a few hours exploring.  This detail was on a panel just inside the entrance.

INSIDE LORD NELSON'S CHAPEL

Here the inside of Lord Nelson's chapel from just inside the main door. 

The painting in yesterday's post isn't shown here ... the afternoon sun washed out everything when trying for that shot.    

Look to the right of the altar - see the arch behind the columns? 

 Yesterday's art is in a matching arch on the left side of the altar.  

Looking at the lower window (seen through the columns), you may be able to tell that the walls are nearly three-feet thick. 

This is still an active chapel.

SAINT IN LORD NELSON'S CHAPEL

Something I didn't know until recently was that Lord Horatio Nelson's family, even though they were English,  had ties to Sicily and owned a castle near Bronte on the west side of Mt Etna.  The original buildings were built shortly after the Battle of Hastings (1066 CE).  The castle and grounds are open to visitors (the family sold it to the Italian government only about 30 years ago ... there is a letter on display inviting the last resident and family to attend  his "cousin" Queen Elizabeth II's coronation).

This painting is in the chapel and takes up a large part of the wall on the left side of the altar.  While I thought it a magnificant art piece ... it wasn't until just now  that I took a good look at the chalice.

CHECK OUT THE SUNFLOWER

This sunflower was nearly a foot across ... haven't seen one like this before.  DH and I saw it over in Maniace while out exploring.

IRONWORK FLOWERPOT

Check out the flower pot on the railing ...I think it's so cool!  
Saw this while wandering around Militello.

PRICKLEY PEAR LIQUOR FROM MITELLO

These bottles of Prickly Pear Liquor (Fichi d' India) were at the Mitlello Prickly Pear Festival this year.  Looks like liquor can be made from just about anything ... not a clue how it tastes ... DH and I don't drink alcohol.

Pretty bottles though ... pretty colors ...

 I can easily picture one in my kitchen with a sunny window behind it.

MORE PLANT TOUPEES FROM MITELLO

           Some more of the plant toupees ....

PRICKLY PEAR FESTIVAL POSTER & OFFERINGS

This year's poster and the offerings from one of the small vendors ... something that Mitello does that I haven't noticed other towns doing, is that many of the vendors are set up in the doorways of their homes.

ADDRESS SIGN

A nice thing about small towns is not having a bazillion of different streets ... your home or business can be identified with just the unit number.  Many are decorated with flowers, fruits or designs just as this one is.

GARLIC ROPE

Garlic rope commonly found in homes and the markets ...

PLANT TOUPEE

Saw this balcony support while DH and I were wandering around a Prickly Pear Festival in Militello last weekend .. just had to laugh. 

 A plant toupee!

LA TROTA RESTAURANT (The Trout Restaurant)



Toward Siracusa is a wonderful place to eat ... The Trout Restaurant.  It is built into a series of caves and has fish ponds outside where you can wander around looking at the fish.  DH remembers going to there with his parents and sister when he was a kid (many, many years ago).  As you can guess, it features fish ... but non-fish meals are served as well.  

The main dining room ...



Fresh trout



Closing note ... freshly made ice cream

FALL'S HERE AND IT IS THE SEASON OF FESTIVALS

October seems to be the month of festivals here in Sicily ... last weekend DH and I went to both the Pistachio Festival in Bronte and also the Octobratta Festival in Zafferana Etnea.  Octobratta is held every Sunday in October and celebrates everything grown on Etna.  Each Sunday focuses on one specific item - last Sunday was grapes.  Other Sundays will feature honey, chestnuts, wine, apples and mushrooms.

Piggy heads in a Bronte butcher window ... just thought it a funny display

Another store display ... my thoughts were why waste pistaschios glueing them onto the boots and why ruin the boots?

Stand in Zafferana Etnea

CARMELA'S ROSE

This is one of Carmela's (our landlady) roses after the rain we had the other day.  She has more than a green thumb ... seems like she could make a dead stick grow again.

A DIFFERENT CHEESE

DH and I went for a drive this afternoon ....no real destination, just out and about.  Found the Wine Festival going on in Piedamonte Etnea (a small town on the northeast side of Etna) this weekend .. so we stopped there for a few hours.   This cheese was being sold by one of the vendors -- the peppers add just a touch of heat to the cheese.

COLD WEATHER IS HERE ....

Overnight thunderstorm on Wednesday left snow on the top of Etna ....it's mostly melted by now ...but fall is definitely here.  The temperatures have dropped down to the high 70s or low 80s instead of high 90s and 100s.  Etna's also been poofing a bit more.

CLOUD ARCH

Cloud arch from our balcony yesterday ...

FAREWELL SUMMER ....

Yup ... it's the end of summer ...

MORE OF SUMMER'S END ...

Scenes from the day sail DH and I took the other day by Cyclops Rocks between Catania and Acireale... playing in the water ...

MORE OF SUMMER'S END ...

Scenes from the day sail DH and I took the other day by Cyclops Rocks between Catania and Acireale... these guys are fishing... it is fairly common in the Med to row standing up...

END OF SUMMER ....

Scenes from the day sail DH and I took the other day by Cyclops Rocks between Catania and Acireale...

SICILIAN HARNESS

Somewhat fuzzy, but don't have any other pictures to show right now.  The horses are dressed up almost as much as the Sicilian carts when they are out and about.  See these at a lot of the festivals ... some of the harness are over a hundred years old.

ENTRY TO A MAGICAL GARDEN?

Tucked away in a corner ... do you think the little magical folk might be found round the corner at the top of the steps?   Was tempted to quietly slip up the steps and sneak a peek ...

ANOTHER BALCONY ...

RAGUSA BALCONY

While in Ragusa Iba, I couldn't help admiring all the different designs displayed in iron ...

WEDDING GET-AWAY

Weddings, at least here in Sicily, tend to be held on Saturdays.  This car was waiting outside the church to carry away the bride and groom ...

SLOW FOOD?

Found this sign while wandering around Ragusa Iba ....

BREADS AND GRAIN IN ART

Saw
this
 poster
in a
window ....

MOTTA TOWN HALL

The plaque over the entrance to the town hall in Motta ... it's dated 1934.
The center motif is the watchtower (though most call it a castle) that is at the very top of the town and looks out over the surrounding land and out to the sea.

BASKETWEAVER

DH and I found this basket weaver on one of our explorations ...

SIX-LEGGED FIRE-SPITTING DOG

This is one of the main gas stations in Italy ... the animal is a six-legged fire-spitting dog. 

MT ETNA MERIDIAN

Mt. Etna is 15-degrees (1 hour) east of Greenwich.  Here is the meridian marker by the main visitor area on the south side of the volcano.

FLOWERS IN GANGI

One of the walking streets in the center of Gangi is lined with these flower pots all about eye-height ...

SICILIAN PUPPETS OR PUPI

Here are some of the local puppets (the Italian word for puppets is "pupi") ... these things are HUGE!  Each of these three is close to 4-foot tall and around 125 - 150 pounds.  They represent the medieval soldiers who forced the Moors out of Sicily.   Most of the puppets in this collection are about 150 years old. 

BELPASSO STREET LIGHTS

The street lights went up for Ferragusto (the assumption of the Virgin Mary) which is the major celebration in Italy during August.  August is also the European holiday month with just about everyone taking at least some time off.

CHECK OUT THE OLD FLOWS ....

It's clear enough that you can pick out some of the different flow paths ... the line of buildings mid-way up the slope are the vistor areas and bottom fo the ski lifts.

IT'S AUGUST AND THERE'S SNOW ON MT ETNA?!

Last week we had a few days with a bit of rain and cloud cover ... ended up with a touch of snow on the peak.   

INSIDE THE MANIACE CHURCH

As you can see, it's a really modern church ....

Center of the altar painting

Stain glass under the roof line

Overview of the interior

CLOSE-UP ON OTHER CHURCH DOOR

Two panels on the other door into the church ... 

The "Alpha and the Omega" (beginnng and end) and Jonah being swallowed by the whale...

MASSIVE CHURCH DOOR

Isn't this a marvelous church door?