Tagged With "Sicily"
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Re: Doors of Malta and Sicily
Nice work. I'm also partial to capturing door photos, but you are much better at it than I.
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Re: Calabria to Sicily: A bridge too far?
I like it when people take on huge tasks and succeed at them. The American Space Program was like that -- expensive, risky, exciting and one of man kind's greatest achievements. This bridge would be a great engineering triump. And I think it would be important to link Sicily more closely to Italy. It would make the island much more accessible and allow freer flow of people. 9 billion Euros is a lot of money, but is probably comparable to the debt the US government runs up in a few days, so...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 20, 2015: Sicilian Fiat
These cute little Fiats were only 633cc and air cooled. But the tiny little Fiat engines was banned from western Europe for their excessive emissions.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 20, 2015: Sicilian Fiat
Belongs in the pantheon of true "people's cars" along with the Citroen 2CV and (dare I say it?) the ugly duckling of the lot...the Trabi, which was advanced over its peers in a number of ways. Ironic, isn't it, to think the original Fiat 300s like this one were banished for smoking, and now we find that VW's "clean diesel" was smoking a pack a day on the road!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 20, 2015: Sicilian Fiat
Oh, and let's not forget the original Morris Mini-Minor...not as early as the others, but wonderful in its own right.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 20, 2015: Sicilian Fiat
Let's also not forget the Volkswagon on the European side. And the Ford Model T, which so greatly dropped the cost of an automobile it became a mass consumer good.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 20, 2015: Sicilian Fiat
This Tatra V570 was produced in 1933. Three years before the VW Beetle. It had a rear mounted air cooled engine. Lower centre of gravity to make it more stable. And aerodynamics to improve its efficiency. The Czech company tried to sue for copyright infringement - but Adolph H. dismissed the claim. He invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939. VW finally paid up in 1961.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, September 7, 2015: A Sicilian Wedding
That's a fantastic picture, DrF! Composed as a painter would, and with light arranged as if it were not an "opportunity shot" but a careful pose. Too bad it's not in the couple's album!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, September 7, 2015: A Sicilian Wedding
Wonderful photography!This looks like a scene right out out of a movie!
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Re: Capella Palatina, Palermo, Sicily (Where Gumbo Was, #102)
Incredibly beautiful, and wonderful to see how well-preserved!
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Re: Capella Palatina, Palermo, Sicily (Where Gumbo Was, #102)
Thanks for the comment, PHeymont. As you know Sicily suffered a lot of bomb damage in WWII, but fortunately this chapel was not damaged. It underwent a cleaning/restoration about a decade ago and looks fresh and new. I've seen a lot of mosaics in my life and these are the best. Simply breath-taking in their fine detail. That and the beautiful stonework -- a highlight of our trip to Sicily!
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Re: La Vucciria Market, Palermo
Years ago, I went to that market and the thing I remember about it was how packed the streets were.
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Re: La Vucciria Market, Palermo
Can't help wondering at the similarity of the name, allowing for common letter/phoneme substitutes, to La Bouqueria Market in Barcelona. There's not a lot of agreement on where that name came from, by the way, but the best-sounding bet is that it comes from Catalan 'boc' for goat.
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Re: Monreale Cathedral, Sicily (Where Gumbo was #127)
Stunning. Thanks for posting this story.
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Apr 21, 2015: Cefalu, Sicily
I'm a sucker for a picture-postcard location, and the town of Cefalu on the northern coast of Sicily is no exception. A comune in the Province of Palermo on the Tyrrhenian Sea , it's about 70 kilometres (43 mi) east of the provincial...
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Visiting Sicily: An introductory overview
Travel guru Rick Steves likes to say (and I'm paraphrasing) that Italy either gets better or worse as you head south from Rome, depending on what you like. If you like a quieter people, trains running almost on time, etc. head...
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Capella Palatina, Palermo, Sicily (Where Gumbo Was, #102)
I've visited dozens of wonderful churches in my life, some vaste and grand like St. Paul's in Rome or Westminister Abbey in London, others smaller and with a more intimate feel. As a rule, I'm partially to smaller chapels and...
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Spotted on the Road, Palermo, Sicily
We saw this tiny old car just outside the Palazzo del Normanni in Palermo. Not really any identifying marks I could spot, and I don't think I've ever seen one like it before. Can someone help me figure out what type of...
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Sept. 23, 2017: Cathedral of Monreale, Sicily
Jonathan L takes us to the hills above Palermo, to visit an unusual cathedral with an unusual history.
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A Tale of Two Cathedrals - Palermo Italy
Palermo, Sicily has two beautiful cathedrals, less than three miles apart. Jonathan L explores them both and explains their history.
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Nov. 5, 2017, Concordia Temple, Agrigento, Sicily
The Concordia Temple is one of the best preserved Greek temples in the world.
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Catania Market, Sicily. Part 1, the Fish
One of Catania's most popular tourist attractions is its fish market, La Pescheria. A lively place filled with an amazing diversity of sea life, it's an experience you won't soon forget.
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Catania Market, Sicily. Part 3, Meat, Cheese and the Rest
Our visit to Catania's famous market concludes with a look at some of its meat items, cheeses and bulk foods.
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June 22, 2020: Some Scooters in Catania
DrFumblefinger shares images of some of the many small scooters he saw while visiting Sicily.
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Doors of Sicily
Sylvia shares a gallery of some of the interesting doors she encountered while traveling around Sicily.
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Doors of Malta and Sicily
Sylvia shares some of the interesting doors she spotted while visiting Sicily and Malta.
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, September 7, 2015: A Sicilian Wedding
One of the pleasures of traveling is stumbling on memorable scenes of everyday life. So it was as we waited to gain admittance to the Capella Palatina in Palazzo dei Normanni, Palermo. As we paid to enter the complex,...
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Palazzo dei Normanni, Palermo, Sicily
The Palazzo dei Normanni (in English, Palace of the Normans) was the seat of the Kings of Sicily during the Norman domination and todays houses the Sicilian parliament.
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jul 6, 2015: Fish Market, Catania
The city of Catania is on the south-east coast of Sicily and is known as the "Milan" of the south. Renowned for the its' architecture and Roman history, it's a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. On a recent trip there...
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After 60 years, hotel still waits for opening day
Talk about plans gone wrong! A hotel in Sicily that started construction over 60 years ago and was completed over 30 years ago, has still had no guests except the local pigeons. The story is one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" tales. ...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Aug 4, 2015: Sicilian Farmhouse
We recently spent a month in Sicily touring around and seeing the sights. For the first 2 weeks we stayed in bed and breakfast style accommodation and the second 2 weeks we actually arranged to do a house-sit for an English...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 20, 2015: Sicilian Fiat
Walking around the back streets of an old Italian village is always a delight, and Syracuse in Sicily was no exception. I am always on the look out for the "little things" to photograph, and, being an admirer of vintage automobiles, I...
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La Vucciria Market, Palermo
The best-known of Palermo's four markets, the Vucciria winds through the narrow streets of the city's historic center.
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Calabria to Sicily: A bridge too far?
Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has said he wants to build the long-planned but now canceled bridge from Reggio in Calabria to Messina in Sicily, but critics think it's either impossible or a bad idea. The bridge has been a long time...
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Walk Historic Palermo, Discover Great Food and People
Jonathan L takes us on a walking tour of Palermo and its street food.
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Nov. 19, 2017: Castello Normanno, Aci Castello, Sicily
Jonathan L takes us to the Castello Normanno near the city of Catania in Sicily.
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Visiting the Temples at Agrigento, Sicily
Jonathan L takes us on a tour of the Valley of Temples in Agrigento, Sicily.
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November 29, 2017 - Mt. Etna, Sicily
Mt. Etna hovers over the city of Catania in Sicily. Europe's largest active volcano, its presence is always a factor in the city.
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Visiting Catania, the other Sicilian city
Explore Catania and its surroundings with Jonathan L and the Amazing Ms. D
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Visiting Siracusa, One of Sicily's Oldest Cities
Jonathan L visits Siracusa, one of the oldest cities in Sicily.
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December 17, 2017: Streets of Siracusa, Italy
Jonathan L brings us some beautiful streets from the island of Sicily
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Where to Eat and Sleep in Sicily
Jonathan L gives us a list of his favorite places to grab a bite and lay his head in Sicily
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Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily (Where Gumbo was #272)
Gumbo was visiting the fascinating and well preserved mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Sicily. The Villa houses the best preserved collections of Roman mosaics in the world.
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Segesta, Sicily (Where Gumbo Was #196)
Gumbo was visiting the archaeologic park in Segesta, Sicily. Situated on the hills of a beautiful mountaineous region, the site has a well preserved Greek Doric Temple and an amphitheater that is used even to this day.
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Catania Market, Sicily: Part 2, the Produce
Our visit to the Catania market continues, with a look at some of the fresh produce available during this winter market.
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Orto Botanico di Palermo (Where Gumbo Was #282)
Gumbo was visiting the lovely botanical garden in Palermo. Partially a recreational place and partially a university research site, it provides much needed green space. The garden is home to over 12,000 types of plants in just 30 acres and is a pleasant place to explore.
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Re: Spotted on the Road, Palermo, Sicily
Yes, it's a Fiat 500/600. I drove one around Spain in the 70s. Tiny rear engine - air cooled - go forever ! Copied in many countries around the world - made under license from Fiat Considered quite a fashionable car and Fiat have started making the Fiat 500 again! But much, much bigger ! Wikipedia Photo
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Re: Spotted on the Road, Palermo, Sicily
Gary, that pic is the "new" 500 (Cinquecento), now appearing in greater numbers in the U.S. as well, since Chrysler and Fiat are now one. But DrF's is the old one, from the 50s-70s, such as this one. I believe the last year was 1973; this is a 1967 model. Note the passenger-size to car-size ratio! This is part of a whole series of "people's cars" of the postwar generation. Others include the VW Beetle, the Citroen 2CV, the original Mini and a few more. It's been interesting to see the...