October 2015 – Page 2 – Jeff Damron Photography

Palermo

Palermo is over 2700 years old and is the capital of Sicily. Our first stop was the the Capuchin Catacombs, which contains about 2000 mummies and skeletal remains, all dressed in clothing that often has survived the centuries better than bodies. I saw a couple of skeletons dressed in their military uniforms, complete with Napoleonic hats. I surely would have loved this if I were still twelve years old. But the jaw dropping amazement soon vanished when we came to the bodies of children who never agreed to be displayed for centuries. No pictures, but if you want to see and read more, here is the website.

We also visited the Cathedral of Monreale, a fine example of Norman architecture on which construction began in 1174. It’s exterior is stunning.

The interior is quite impressive as well.

The trip to Palermo also included a marionette show. These are no toys but are made entirely by hand from wood with hand-made clothing, armor, swords, etc. Each one weighs about 40 lbs and the puppeteer works up quite a sweat during a show. I know all of this firsthand. There is a great deal of craft and art involved in a Sicilian “L’Opera deî Pupi.”

And, of course, Ann makes friends everywhere she goes, including Palermo.

Arrivederci to Erice

The former convent where we stayed had its own library.

And its own chapel.

Leaving Erice took us down by the Mediterranean port city of Trapani and this magnificent little mountain.

A Couple of Days in Erice

Ann and I just got back from 2 weeks in Italy on a tour organized and led by Stephanie Chance. It has been our dream to visit Italy for years, including the Amalfi coast. This was a tour of southern Italy and the island of Sicily, so there was much left for the next time we go (including Venice and Tuscany). It began with 34 hours of flying and layovers, followed immediately by a bus ride and a huge meal with wine at an old convent converted to a modest hotel on the outskirts of Erice. The village itself is a walled medieval town perched on a mountaintop 2400 feet above the Mediterranean in Northwest Sicily.

The following day we explored the town of Erice itself, still largely enclosed within its old stone walls, so high up that it sometimes sits atop the clouds.

Erice.jpg-4 — Pat, Peggy, Gail, and Rosalie.

Erice.jpg-17 — A craftsman paints his pottery by hand.

Erice.jpg-11 — Outside one of the churches in Erice

Erice.jpg-10 — The town has many small alleys and doorways, most with more steps to climb.

Maria Grammatico makes her world-renowned marzipan in this shop

Maria Grammatico’s mother could not afford to feed her children and sent her daughter to the local convent, where she learned the art of making marzipan from the nuns, who eventually told her she was too old to stay and put her out on the street. She began to make her own marzipan in town and the nuns grew hostile. Today Maria is famous and the convent is no longer a convent. Got to love a happy ending! You can read more here. And even more in the book, Bitter Almonds.