Well, my faithful readers I just returned from a trip to Southern Italy a few days ago. Only to realize that tomorrow I head off on my second independent travel. So before I head off on my next adventure I thought it be best if I told you about the places I visited on this last trip. We departed from Florence on a night train bound for Reggio Calabria. When we reached the coastal city of Reggio Calabria, the class went to the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia, one of Italy's lesser known national museums. The museum houses an impressive collection of artifacts that date back to the time of the Grecian colonies in southern Italy. The centerpiece of the collection is a pair of original full-size Greek bronzes that date back to the 5th century BC. Unlike the name implies only the body of the statue is mad of bronze, other items such as the eyelashes and the eyes, are made of silver and Glass (respectively). After getting to see important pieces of not only western art but a piece of world history, it was time to take the ferry across the Strait of Messina.
Once we had landed on the island of Sicily, the class boarded a bus bound for our first stop on the island, the peaceful city of Taormina. The City is built into the side of one of the many mountains of Sicily. The city is home to the city of an ancient roman theater, as well as numerous other tourist attractions. A side from the many shops and dining options that the city offered, I found siting on the beach to be a rather enjoyable way to spend time. The scene was wonderful; the water was constantly a mesmerizing sapphire blue. Due to the time of year it is, it’s a little too cold by most peoples standards, however as anyone who knows me knows that cold water doesn't stop me. What did stop me was the many Jellyfish that were swimming all around me.
After spending two wonderful days in Taormina, we were ready to head to our next stop. The ancient city of Agrigento, the city is known for its well preserved Greek temples. Among the most famous are the temples of Zeus, Hera, and Concordia. By far my favorite of the many sights in the "valley of the temples" was the Selinunte (Temple of Hera). This temple is considered a landmark not only by the people of Sicily but by all Italians. In addition to visiting the "valley of the temples" our class visited the archeological museum which houses and extensive collection of artifacts from Greek, roman, and other groups that inhabited Sicily. Some of the items in the museum include: tools, pottery, deities, and coins.
On our last day in Sicily we visited the village of Monreale, it was very picturesque. During our time in the village the class visited the village's cathedral. After spending most of the day in Monreale, it was time to take and overnight voyage to Naples. Naples was an interesting city; there were many things to see however, our group only visited the National Archeology Museum. The museum was amazing it housed Greek and roman pottery, mosaics, household items, as well as artifacts from Egypt and marble statues from antiquity. After spending the morning in Naples, we headed to our hotel in the town of Sorrento. Sorrento is a small city that sits on the other side of the bay of Naples. The city is famous for its Cameos, as well as being so close to the island of Capri and the ruins of Pompeii. On our first day full day in Sorrento, the group took a ferry to Capri. Capri is a little tourist destination that is known primarily for its beaches as well as the natural caverns along its shoreline. The most famous of these caverns is the "Blue Grotto".
The next day the group toured the ruins of the Pompeii. Pompeii is one of the most famous victims of a volcano eruption (in fact, I believe there is a movie that will be released soon about it). The ruins are impressive; the ruins are so well preserved. When the city got buried under all the volcanic debris it became time capsule that has helped us better understand the day to day life of people during the time of the Roman Empire. Finally, after spending most of the day at this important place in world history it was time to board a train to head back to Florence.
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| Taormina |
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| Amphitheater of Taormina |
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| Ancient Greek Vase that depicts a scene from the Trojan War |
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| Temple of Hera |
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| Temple of Concordia |
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| Sunrise over Mount Vesuvius |
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| A mosaic depicting Alexander the Great's victory over the Persians |
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| Goofing off on the boat ride to Capri |
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| Isle of Capri |
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| Blue Grotto |
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| the Colossuem of Pompeii |
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| Pompeii's Forum |
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| The Villa of Mysteries |
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| A Cameo from Sorrento |
