Sunday 15 November 2009

Sicily - Thursday, September 10

The ship docked in Giardini Naxos, Sicily on the Thursday morning and the view at breakfast was gorgeous. Didn't feel like moving!

Breakfast

It was very hot and a little hazy that morning!

Taormino 1

We decided not to visit Mount Etna (that's it hidden behind the white cloud in the picture above) as the forecast was for rain that afternoon. We really are such wimps.

This port was small so the ship couldn't dock and we had to use the tender for the first time! Here it is from the deck above. No we didn't have to reach it from that height! I just wanted to see how bumpy it would be but it was very calm!

Tender

We just walked around the small seaside town of Giardini Naxos that morning.

You can see the volcanic rock here on this beach.

Rocks

There was a nice looking little hotel along this very quiet street. I loved the tiled entrance and although small and only 2* is family owned and it has it's own beach. If I went back think I'd stay here.

Hotel
Then we decided to walk back along the main promenade. It's a bit of a tacky little place but had its own charm.

Beachfront

It had a few private beaches belonging to hotels and clubs
and some public ones. Here's one of the cleaner public ones.

Cruise 427

Cove

Here's a family who found a quiet spot. Well not for long! Look who's coming!


Senegalese

Well, well, here they are again selling their wares. I've seen them just about everywhere I've been on holiday in Europe. Rome, Barcelona, Rhodes and now Sicily. They certainly get around. Haven't seen them at home yet but then again I don't exactly live in a tourist resort.

Even though it's not a classy resort but there were some quite nice little restaurants along the sea front but they were all deserted. It was pretty hot so we had a seat and just watched the world go by.

Now here's something we saw that surprised us. This woman just parked her car on a zebra (pedestrian) crossing even though there numerous car parking spaces around. Talk about lazy and selfish!

Car park

Here's something else that's a little out of the ordinary for us. Not sure what it was looked like a memorial. Just look at those rocks it's set into.

Chapel

Other things we saw a few times were these, commemorating anniversaries. A much better idea than just sticking a notice in a local paper. They were posted in a few places around the little town.

Deaths

As we were getting near to the place where the tender was going to pick us up we looked back and saw how the darker clouds were coming in. That's why I didn't want to go to Mount Etna, there's no shelter there. You'd think living in Britain I'd be used to rain wouldn't you.

Well when I'm on holiday I avoid rain like the plague. When we went to Rome a family of Americans thought we were crazy because I didn't want to go to get the Pope's Sunday blessing. Well it was tipping it down and yes I'm a Catholic but I make no exceptions for anyone!

Taormino 2

Just look, there they go again, living on the top of those mountains. Now I have no idea why they want to live up there. It won't even be peaceful.

I keep wondering whether they are they expecting a tsunami or something? Well it is an area of earthquake activity so maybe they're safer up there.

Next stop, Sorrento!

Post 130

11 comments:

  1. Looks like you had a wonderful holiday. Did you ever get motion sick being on the water? Myself, I get motion sick very, very easy. In fact when I was pregnant with our last baby, for almost the whole nine months I could hardly watch TV, just the motion and movement of the things on the screen made me feel sick to my stomach. I set with a cold wash cloth over my eyes alot and listened to the TV. LOL

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  2. Hi Patty, no I was never sick. My husband used to have a speedboat years ago and we used to go out on some pretty rough seas so maybe I'm acclimatised. Quite a few people were sick one day but their cabins were at the stern on higher decks whilst ours were in the middle of the ship on a lower deck.

    That sickness must have been awful. I wasn't sick at all with our first and only for 3 months with the second so I got off lightly.

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  3. what a lovely series of photos and great commentary as well.

    Gill in Canada

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  4. These photos are so gorgeous Winifred! This looks like such a beautiful place to have a holiday. I have never been on a cruise or to anywhere this beautiful. Lucky you!

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  5. oh god you're living my dream vacations!! The timeshare people keep picking the most remote locations ever....or sending us to ski resorts in the summer.....stupid don't send me to a ski resort when there's no damn snow!!!!

    What month did you go to Sicily? recently?

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  6. Hi Brown Muffin we went in September so it's still fairly fresh in my memory. It's lovely writing the postings as it brings it all back to me so vividly.

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  7. Winnifred, you may not have travelled when you were younger but you appear to be more than making up for it. Lucky duck! Now....you were so close to Mount Etna......and you, a Brit, was afraid of a wee bit o'rain! For shame. Ah well. You got closer than I ever will!

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  8. You get to the most interesting of places, Winifred! These photos are gorgeous too.
    Didn't see any mafiosos in your travels, did you?

    Glad you're back, safe and sound.

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  9. This was an interesting post Winnifred and the view from the deck was certainly fabulous. What a wonderful site for eating breakfast.

    Glad to read in your comments that you were not sick too.

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  10. Gorgeous photos, Winifred! Thanks for sharing your holiday.

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  11. Excellent series. I wish I could visit these places someday and see mount Etna. Thanks for sharing them.

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