General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI went a week without speaking about the primary! Just back from Sicily...
saw the last Caravaggio in a church in Siricusa (my dream!). Ate pasta, saw wildflowers on Mt. Etna, greeted little schoolchildren ("Ciao, piccolini!" and one said "Ciao, nonna (grandma)!" in return), drank heavenly Sicilian red wine (grapes grown in Etna soil), lit candles for loved ones in the duomo in Monreale. For the week I said "Non importante."
Back now for the rest of the grind in the U.S. primary and election...
Trust Buster
(7,299 posts)CTyankee
(63,912 posts)I brough back some grappa for some men in my life...the first one to take a shot of that will get a hero's medal from me...
longship
(40,416 posts)Nice picture!
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)of perspective about time.
Our guide kept referring to Etna as "Mamamone." She lived on the side of Etna as a child and has great affection for it.
seaglass
(8,173 posts)Someday I want to go.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)seaglass
(8,173 posts)CTyankee
(63,912 posts)lark
(23,158 posts)We just returned from a river cruise to from Antwerp to Amsterdam. Spent the whole week walking around medieval areas, learning history, seeing beautiful sights, eating great food. I am normally consumed by American politics, but didn't think of it once in the 10 days we were there.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)in the paintings of the artists during the Golden Age of Dutch art! I had a meltdown the last day of the trip and was in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. I was standing in front of the wheat fields with crows and the tears came and would not stop. I wondered if other people cried in front of paintings...
Divernan
(15,480 posts)CTyankee
(63,912 posts)and it was a perfect place to do it. Just what I needed....
secondwind
(16,903 posts)CTyankee
(63,912 posts)panader0
(25,816 posts)To see all of those things, the Caravaggio, Etna and the ruins--I'm jealous.
Breakout the grappa-I need a medal.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)I tried once a few years ago and choked but maybe now I can get a few drops down just because. I didn't want to make a spectacle of myself on the trip....
I also brought back some lava from Etna that I just picked up off the ground. My husband said it looked like dried doggie poo. That never occurred to me...
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)I hope to see Italy before I die.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)as my guide kept saying "Madonnamia!"
CurtEastPoint
(18,664 posts)It sounds wonderful! Sicily is on my list.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)somewhat sideways. Just a few candles around and that is good since a lot of soot would NOT be a good thing for the painting...
Phentex
(16,334 posts)Sounds like a wonderful time. Gorgeous picture!
safeinOhio
(32,727 posts)It was wonderful.
A trick I learned a few years back while in Ireland, always, when asked,say you are from Canada.
malaise
(269,187 posts)Glad you had a good time
CanonRay
(14,119 posts)and got to go back to the villages my grandfather and grandmother came from. Wonderful place, and I'm going back.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)CanonRay
(14,119 posts)in Catalnisetta province, center of the island, south of Palermo. I still have cousins there with the same last name, although I'm still trying to figure out the exact connection.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)CanonRay
(14,119 posts)and about 70 miles S/SE of Palermo. Little places, but they are on bing maps.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)CanonRay
(14,119 posts)then about 25 miles NW.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)dirty laundry...
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)appalachiablue
(41,177 posts)procon
(15,805 posts)ancianita
(36,137 posts)CTyankee
(63,912 posts)It was a complete change of scenery and subjects of conversations. Only a couple of Sicilians made some comment about Trump. They thought he was an idiot.
ancianita
(36,137 posts)Yeah. Anyone on the planet -- even the billionaires in their bubbles -- can see how laughable Trump is.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)Mostly, the Sicilians were gracious and nice. I just loved all the gaggles of schoolkids visiting the sites we were seeing. Adorable!
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)Happy for you.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)AikenYankee
(135 posts)sounds like you had a wonderful time. Very happy for you!
Hekate
(90,829 posts)I'm so glad for you.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)So glad you had a wonderful time!
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)there some day...
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)soul searching sounds like you keep yours a lot tidier than mine. Thanks for the wonderful pictures.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)Or at least it feels that way! Thank you for understanding a very human predicament that I am sure many people face. I feel as if I have been afforded some grace...
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)bring some grace to the process as well.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)ChisolmTrailDem
(9,463 posts)Magnificent photo, thank you for taking us away from the fray if only for a few moments!
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)as refreshed and happy as I have been. It's a good thing, a very good thing...
Skittles
(153,199 posts)I very much disliked driving there though - no real rules of the road - maniacs everywhere! I kept thinking, back in Texas you'd get SHOT for that kind of driving.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)we had a musician and a few professors and others like me who were just tourists. It was great. I am too old to do driving on my own so it worked out fine.
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)elleng
(131,143 posts)Tell us EVERYTHING!
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)Greek temple (turned Roman when they came in) I did not show but also the the Greek temple didn't show. Plus, of course, the Greek theatre in the first pic.
This is really everything, ellen. We were on the road every day. I'm tired but very happy...
elleng
(131,143 posts)Will check my itinerary (from honeymoon, 1984,) and confirm our small details; we were only there for a couple of days, during our trip around Italy, and don't have pics (except in my memory.)
ljm2002
(10,751 posts)After reading your wonderful art lessons, so wonderfully informative, insightful and well written, I would say that if anyone has earned a trip like that it's you!
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)one ready for this coming Friday. I finally have a proper desk and my health issues are pretty much over or in control. This trip was like going for a cure in a spa. It was quite active, we moved around the island a lot. And that was good. In the evening we had the Etna Rosso wine waiting for us and some delightful food. It was very good...