26 April 2008 We left Cefalu and made our way to Monreale just outside the Palermo, the capital of Sicily. After some difficulty with the parking we were able to accomplish the reason for our visit to this small town, a visit to the 12th century cathedral which includes the most impressive and extensive Christian mosaic work in the world. The mosaics cover the whole of the inside of the church and include many detailed scenes from both the old and new testaments. Although undoubtedly impressive, they were rather spoiled for us because they are poorly lit so Wendy was unable to see them and at the time of our visit there were many coach parties being conducted around which made things very crowded. We also looked around the cloister with its detailed carvings to the ... read more

24 April 2008 After 3 weeks travelling the length of the Italian mainland we finally made it to Sicily today. After a smooth 75k drive with some great views to Villa San Giovanni, amid frenetic activity we caught the ferry for the 20 minute crossing to Messina. The traffic in Messina was manic but we managed to locate the autostrada, had a late lunch on a car park overlooking the Messina straight and drove along the north coast. The road was amazing, nearly all tunnels and viaducts. We left the Autostrada after 150k and made our way inland to Castelbourno, but other than its mountain position it was nothing special so we returned to the coast. Our stop was just outside Cefalu a town built below a huge cliff. Getting here was an epic as I ... read more

22 April 2008 The weather had become changeable again, so it was a good time to visit the Paestum Archaeological Museum which contains Greek and Roman finds from the site and around. The highlight for us was the Diver’s Tomb including stunning Greek paintings from between 480 and 470 BC, the best being the diver after which the tomb is named. The paintings are unique and are therefore kept in a roped off and alarmed area. However as the museum was quiet, Wendy persuaded the staff to turn off the alarms and let her examine them at close quarters. A real privilege and an understanding on the museum’s behalf how much it would mean to her. We left Paestum at about 11 and after a visit to the supermarket made a 320k drive along the SS18 ... read more

20 April 2008 On a clear and warm day we took the ferry to the island of Capri which is just off the Sorrento peninsular and only a 25 minute trip. The ferry and the centre of the town of Capri were very crowded, presumably with weekend day-trippers. However after a few false starts we were able to work out the geography of the place and with the help of the guide book spent the morning visiting some quiet lookouts which gave us very good views of the island’s craggy landscape. After a quick panini lunch back in the town we went for a delightful walk along the east coast using a very well constructed path built into the cliffs. Sam, my son in law, did his best to spoil our enjoyment by texting me the ... read more

18 April 2008 We woke to the sound of rain but this did not deter us from our plan to visit Amalfi. The local bus service took us to the station where we boarded the bus. A short while after driving through Sorrento we started to climb rapidly and were soon in the mist. Our skilful driver coped with the twists and turns and his use of the horn indicated that he knew all the blind corners. Our first sight of the Amalfi coast was breathtaking. We enjoyed the next hour above the spectacular cliffs. In need of fresh air we had a brisk walk on the stone breakwater before the rain drove us in search of coffee. We then explored some of the steep and narrow streets before visiting the Duomo dedicated to St Andrew ... read more