Blogs from Catania, Sicily, Italy, Europe - page 2

I was not prepared for the impact that one day in Sicily would have on me. We got to climb around an active volcano (at least part of it) as well as explore on of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen. Chuck and I hadn't signed up for a cruise excursion at Catania, but had second thoughts when we docked, looked off our balcony and saw Mount Etna dominating the skyline. I showered, changed and braved the excursion desk line at 7 AM. I was told there were no tickets left, but as I was leaving, the lady behind me turned in 2 tickets, so we were all set! Our particular excursion included a trip to the town of Taormina and a close look at Mt. Etna. Our bus ride to Taormina involved switchback ... read more

Geo: 37.503, 15.0881Volcano is still steaming.Taormina is on top of a cliff.... read more

The Ship - Nieuw Amsterdam Just to fill you in about the ship. This is the newest one in their fleet of about 15 ships. It is designed for traditional cruising which suits us just fine. There are heaps of activities every day for everyone and excursions on most days offshore where you can book a tour before boarding or onboard at the desk or at a kiosk screen on the walls in some areas. Or you can make your own arrangements - taxis, buses or walking whatever you want to do or you can choose to stay onboard if you wish. The excursions are for most part - for the main part of the day with some of them for around 6 hours - think this depends on time and tide. The ship has a ... read more

Geo: 37.503, 15.0881This morning in Taormina was a unique version of Hell, as we browsed and shopped away on Taormina's fashionable main strip, or rather, Benita browsed and shopped away, as I was dragged along for the ride, like some poor puppy being pulled around by his leash. What made today a unique form of Hell, was that the dreaded cruise ships were in, taking the whole experience to unimaginable masochistic levels. It's a phenomenon common to coastal tourist destinations, when a small town becomes inundated and overwhelmed with tour groups - the streets are jammed so full of people that you can barely move or breathe, and prices of nearly everything in town rise. Cruises are great for what they are, convenient ways of seeing the World, without the headache of having to coordinate accommodations ... read more

It’s gotten to be a steady pattern of me being a week late for each blog I’ve been posting. Weeks are much busier so when I have some free time on the weekends I add a new one…a week late. This blog is about my Easter Break “vacation” in Sicily from April 6-9. I went with my roommates Carrie, Abby and our friend Marie. We had a flight on April 6 at 7am. The only way to get there on time (Iguess) was to take a train late Thursday night to FCO and sit in there until our flight. So..that’s what we did. We got to the airport and set up camp on the floor. There was no way I could sleep like that so I finished a paper and just laid there, miserable, listening to ... read more