In the second half of May my mother joined me to tour from Northern Italy all the way South to Sicily checking out our family roots on the way. What a wondering idea, although a true test, it will always be well remembered. Thanks for joining me Mom.
Day 1 - Mom arrived to Marco Polo Airport just outside of Venice. I picked her up in the 20 Euro/day Panda rental and we made our way to Barbisano very close to Vidor where my grandfather's family came from.
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| Yeah Panda |
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| Welcome to Italy |
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| Great hospitality at Speta en Minera |
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| Priest Costa in Vidor Cemetery |
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| Not Costa, but incredibly old |
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| Grotto was my Great Gandma's Name |
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| Special place |
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| A town named Costa??? |
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| yep |
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| Slow traffic |
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| Riserva lago del Restello |
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Touring the rainy foothills of
the italian alps |
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| Getting lost with the GPS |
Day 2 - Began above touring around the foothills of the Alps, then ended in Padova after dropping the car off and taking a 5 Euro bus 1 hour to the beautiful city.
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| seems important |
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| Saint Anthony seen across Prato delle Valle |
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Padova Cathedral
Santa Guistina |
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| Saint Anthony |
Day 3 - On to Bologna the home of Ferrari and Lamborghini and kinda a small Milan maybe. A quick stop to try the food and check out the Kissing Towers.
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| Only in Italy "Kiss and Ride" |
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| Oh Bologna |
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| Kissing Towers |
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| San Petronio |
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| Moving fast |
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| Piazza Maggiore |
Day 4 - Early rise and a long train day to Assisi to check out a very famous Saint Francis and hang out in the quaint town of Santa Maria degli Angeli. Three train changes later and we arrived...
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| Thats not the way out |
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| That's the way out |
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| Can I have a nap now? |
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| Somewhere in the middle of Italy |
Great B and B Iris below Assisi
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| Great spot |
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| Check out the named bricks |
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| Funny and quick geckos |
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| Saint Francis in the distance, 2.5km from our BnB |
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| Up and up |
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| Happy dayz |
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| Oh there's some tourism |
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| Check out the Monks posing for a photo |
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| Love this photo |
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Note the tree growing on the edge
of the building |
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| Assisi in the night from our BnB |
Day 5 - Another quick turn around as we marched South in search of warmer weather and even cheaper, yet great, accommodation in Tivoli.
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| Stretch it out |
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| Tivoli tucked away in the hills |
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| Not bad and close to the train |
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| Really close to the train |
Tivoli a hilly tourist town about 20 min from Rome by train which was full of spots to search out on the tourist map we received at BnB IL Vecchio Treno.
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| What a valley |
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| Ruins |
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| Temple of Vesta |
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| Love the laundry tunnel |
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| Piazza Garibaldi |
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| Looking back to Rome |
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| Rocca Pia |
Day 6 - Off to Pompeii for only one night as well. Travelling like a true can't stand still Italian. Another avoidance of a big city, Naples, to enjoy a calmer tourist town on a Sunday...well not really calmer...
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| Leaving my mark |
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| It's not all giggles |
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Pontificio Santuario della Beata Maria
Vergine del Santo Rosario di Pompei |
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| Busy by the bell tower |
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| Begin the Ruins |
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| What's going on here |
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| Check out the old classic "cokish" photo |
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| Huge Lemons |
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| Back to the main square |
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| What an awesome radio |
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| Love the delivery of coffees, etc |
Pompeii from the Bell Tower.
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| Exciting! |
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| Hold the bags will ya |
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| Looking to Pompeii ruins |
Day 7 - Keep going to Paola on the Calabria coast for a couple nights in order to visit Mangone town where my Grandmother's family was from, the Mazzeis.
On the train to Paola, not so level...have a look.
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| South of Amalfi coast |
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| Praia a Mare |
Tour of Joe's apartment, which would be a climb if he didn't pick us up from the Train. Thanks Joe and what a place, biggest of the trip and very nice!
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| I thought Europe was more advanced? |
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| Porta San Francesco di Paola |
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| Fontana dei Sette Canali |
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| View from above |
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| Very nice |
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| Wonderful "A Rua Nova" Resto |
Day 8 - Up in to the hills of Cosenza to catch a tiny old one cart train to Mangone. With the train to Consenza under construction we had to find the bus stop, ride for 1 hour ish, find the little train, then figure out which stop it was ("Mangone" would be the no brainer, right? Wrong), walk the tracks to a road then up to Mangone for a few hours, then back down to the correct "non-abandon" train station "Piano Lago" and bus back to Paola. Took about 8 hours and a well deserved nap when we got back to Joe's apartment.
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| Early start from the Paola beach |
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| Great views climbing up to Cosenza |
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| Wow, what a train, Diesel! |
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| Definitely wasn't a fast train |
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Conductor made a special stop to
the abandon and closed station. |
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| Walking the tracks to any road, please! |
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| 2.5 km uphill walk |
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| Getting close |
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| We're here, Mangone, Calabria |
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| Mazzei street in Mangone |
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| Of course a climb like that has a good view |
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| The main war memorial |
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| The true Mangone train station |
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| Going back from Consenza |
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| Gum jerks are everywhere |
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| Back to Paola |
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| At Capone |
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| Nice town |
Day 9 and 10 - Continuing South to Tropea near the bottom of the Boot! A fantastic spot with most of what you could want; an old town full of restaurants on cliffs over looking the marina and beaches.
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| Let's party |
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| lovely coast of Calabria |
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| Orange trees and Mt Stromboli in the distance |
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| Lots of Cacti |
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| Down to the water |
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| Rocky beaches |
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| Mom touching the Med |
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| Still not high season |
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| Tropea coast |
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| The canadian giant |
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| A room with a view |
Great apartments with an incredible view.
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Not sure those tennis courts
are ready |
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| Sky 1 |
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| Sky 2 |
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| Sky 3 |
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Marvelous meal by my midday
wifi provider near the flat |
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| Santa Maria dell' Isola |
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| Beyond Santa Maria looking North |
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| Fixed docks, not ideal |
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| Tight streets |
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| Pulling Lobsters out to adjust the tank |
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The classic two old gents
discussing the world |
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| Sweet electric assist bike |
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Lovely seafood pasta, but only wine by
the glass or bottle, not a carafe |
Day 11 - Over to the Island of Sicily and down to Giardini Naxos nestled along the east coast just below the very touristic Taormina.
Train views along the final bits of the Calabria coast heading for the ferry to Sicily. It was thought to be a train that went on a boat over to Sicily, but when we arrived at the San Giovanni port to cross it we actually had to buy a separate ticket as foot passengers to Messina, then get back on the next train which was already paid for. A long day covering only 250 km. Absolutely amazing scenery the whole way as seen below.
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| Enjoying the ferry ride |
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| Coming in to Messina, Sicily |
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| Bit of a run to the last train. |
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| Back on track |
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| Holy moly, not much room to walk |
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Only one road through town
during rush hour |
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| There are some views |
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| Spectacular view from the apartment terrace |
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| Looking South to Naxos |
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| Best views from a bus stop ever! |
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| Night view of Naxos |
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| Good morning |
On Day 12 and 13 - We headed to Catania the second biggest City of Sicily. But before that we quickly shot up to Taormina to have a look around.
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| Busing up to Taormina |
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| Touristy |
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Can we go down there without a
tour guide? |
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Let's not walk behind the garbage
truck the whole time, yuck |
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"Honey, did you bring the 85mm"
"Ah crap, back to the hotel" |
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| Always nice to look at Naxos, haha |
Views from a lovely Giardini della Villa Comunale park looking out to Giardini Naxos
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| Nice tree and fountain |
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| built in 1900s |
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| yes! |
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| Oh Europe, always crazy roading |
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| Roberto's super expensive |
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| Pano that! |
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| Big f'ing apples |
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| Beautiful view at this cafe, if you want to pay the cover |
Then off to Catania...
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| If I can just fit out the door |
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| Live in Catania! |
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| Italian scouts...wow? |
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| They tracked me through Africa |
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| Very impressive town centre |
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| Cathedral of Sant'Agata |
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| Inside Agata |
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| Fontana dell' Amenano |
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| The old Italian Wedding cliche |
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| Villa Bellini |
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| Looking to MT. Etna, cloudy |
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The Bohemian area which leads to a dodgy immigrant
street that was quite uncomfortable |
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| Well if we have to, haha |
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cheap and delicious at
Trattoria Cavaliere |
"Video Killed the Radio Star" the Italian version that I found at some Irish bar as I roamed around fueled on red wine soon to be beer.
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| Tasty and Fresh |
Africa Bar for some really good live music, English and Italian covers and great hosting.
Day 13 - Rainy and relaxing.
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| Amazing food bar |
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| 1000 piece puzzle for a rainy day |
Day 14 - The Final Day (for mom). Crossed the country to stay close to the Palermo airport to make it easier for mom's 6am flight. Although the train ride was only 3 hrs we covered a lot of landscape.
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| Split crops right down the middle |
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| Getting close to Palermo |
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| The North Coast |
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| Final team selfie of the trip |
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In Piraineto the closest station to the Airport yet still a
20 euro taxi in the wee hours of the morning |
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Not only the longest Wifi pw at this
Airbnb, but a dirty pool too. |
WHAT A TRIP!!!
Other Stuff
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| Heavy lifting in Padova |
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| Sweet parking move |
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| Why the dip? |
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One of the more impressive
homeless set ups in Rome. |
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An Old Fiat Panda 4x4 in Mangone
Those people have taste! |
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