2017 - The Amalfi Coast

Ravello, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

NAPLES IS the port for the Amalfi Coast, among a great many other really great things to visit in Italy, including Pompei and Herculaneum, and the Isle of Capri. We have been to all of those places either before, or since. But we really wanted to do the Amalfi Coast again - and for Paul and Linda to see it. We hired our favorite "Rome in Limo" driver and guide company and had a great visit. We had been there in 2013, but because of the problems we had with that cruise, our visit was by hiring a cab driver to take us there. The positive was that it wasn't very crowded. The negative was that our cab driver was just that: a cab driver. So no guide. He drove us up to Amalfi and dropped us off there for about 90 minutes, which worked well enough for us at the time.

Ravello, Italy
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THIS TIME, one of the places I wanted to see was a tiny little town way up in the mountains named Ravello. A friend of mine and his wife had spent an entire week in Ravello a few years back and had raved about it. Our driver took us the back way up to Ravello and we started there, and worked our way back up the coast back to Naples.

Catholic Church - Ravello, Italy
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WE WERE our day on the coast was a Sunday, and we arrived in Ravello in the early morning. It was everything I had imagined. Very quiet and remote, with incredible views and lots of very cool buildings and squares.

Piazza Vescovado - Ravello, Italy
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WE PARKED on the road below the village and walked up into the main square (Piazza Vescovado), which is anchored on the west by the stately, Baroque/Romanesque, Catholic Church: Duomo di Ravello (Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta e San Pantaleone). Services were being held while we were there, so we did not see the interior.

Ravello, Italy
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AROUND THE piazza, there were small, cafe's to one side, and a pretty nice view of the terraced housing across the piazza from the church. The entrance to the little village was at the other side.

Ravello, Italy
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FROM RAVELLO, w headed south along the Amalfi Coast, to the town of Amalfi. As I mentioned earlier, our 2013 visit was nice, as the coast was not very crowded on the day we were there. Four years later, things had changed by magnitudes. The Amalfi Coast is one of the most visited vistas along the Italian coastline, and there can be times when the tourist attractions can be a sea of humanity. Amalfi and further south, Positano are a couple of those highly visited tourist sites. In 2013, I had no problem getting a nice view of The Cathedral of St. Andrew, the main architectural attraction anchoring the Piazza del Duomo, the main square in Amalfi, including the magnificent stairway up to the entrance. Not so much in 2017, and I concentrated my photos toward the top of the stairs, to exclude the huge crowd of onlookers.

Duomo di Sant'Andrea - Amalfi, Italy
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OUTSIDE OF the walls of the city, there are popular beaches, resorts, and restaurants along the shore. While the colorful umbrellas shout "beach," they are quite different than the beaches we so often see with white sand. The "sand" along the Amalfi coast is black sand, and is very coarse. It almost made me cringe to see folks laying towels down and laying on these beaches. But it certainly didn't take away from their beauty.

Amalfi, Italy
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AS IS often the case, by this time, the sun had grown very bright and "hot" for photography. The shot above was made in poor light, so I rendered it as a "high dynamic range" (HDR) image to make it more "artsy."

Amalfi, Italy
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OUR FINAL stop along the coast was Positano. Having spent some time in both Ravello and Amalfi, we thought we had seen the best the coast has to offer. Positano is the more popular of the towns, and as such, also quite touristy. We spent little time there. Probably the best of Postitano are its views from outside and above the city. Our day had been fairly long, and with traffic we still had a bit of a drive back to Naples and the cruise port. Like our guide in Santorini earlier in the week, this guide had asked us about our meal preferences, and had promised us a better - of the beaten path restaurant that was local and locally owned. It was up the mountain a bit from Positano, and the photo below was made from the balcony of our the restaurant. Again, as promised, we were but 4 of just a very few patrons. The food was excellent as was the attention paid by the owner. It was a fun end to a fun day.

Positano, Italy
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WE HAD spent a good, full day in Rome back in 2015, and on this trip we decided we would skip Rome and stay in a hotel immediately adjacent to Rome's Fuminico Airport, with a flight out the next morning. Another very memorable trip!

2017 - Athens Again

The Acropolis - Athens, Greece
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OUR LAST trip to Athens in 2015 was the final stop of our cruise, and we spent the day, overnighted and then flew out of the Athens airport. This time, it was just a "day stop." Having seen the Acropolis (2x for us), and most of the other historic sites, we decided we wanted to change it up. We found a walking, food tour of the city, which lasted nearly a full day.

Port of Piraeus, Greece
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ARRIVING AT Piraeus, the port for Athens, we found a taxi ride into the center of the city, where we met our guide for the day. This one was lots of fun, though by the time we finished, I am not sure I could have eaten another thing for at least a day!

Roman Columns - The Acropolis - Athens, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 All Rights Reserved

WE STARTED with a traditional morning "breakfast" for the Athenians. It was a kind of pretzel - like crusty pastry, and traditional "Greek" coffee. Although they would cringe at my suggestion, I find the Greeks and Turks food cultures to be very similar. Indeed, we hear them "bicker" about who invented what and whose is best, between some staple items like yogurt, coffee, pastries, and certain meat dishes all the time. As much as they are similar, though, I know they certainly have their differences. Some nuanced. Some more broad. On the coffee, I tried Turkish coffee in Istanbul in 2013. This was the first time I had had authentic Greek coffee. I couldn't tell the difference at the time (which was probably a function of the 4 years between tasting 😀). Perhaps a better test would be to try them side - by - side (or at least closer to each other). Perhaps we will have that opportunity on our future booked cruise to Turkey and Greece in 2027. A quick internet search tells us a few (perhaps?) interesting facts. Originally called Turkish coffee, Greek coffee as changed to "Greek Coffee," when independence from Turkey was achieved in the 1800's. Prior to that time, the Ottoman Turks had conquered what it now Greece and ruled for 400 years. Greek coffee is said to be less sweet than Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is is sweeter and is made from darker roasted beans. Both are prepared the same way, boiling finely ground coffee in a special pot. Both are served with a (Turkish or Greek?) jelled, mastic-based candy (mastiha) that they again bicker over the origin of: Turkish/Greek delight.

Mastiha confectionary shop selling mostly Greek Delight candy
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WE FINISHED our Greek breakfast with Greek delights. We then visited a confectionary store where they sold them.

Selection of Olives - Downtown Athens Fresh Food Market
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ALONG OUR way, we tasted some Greek Olive Oil, and walked through the huge downtown fresh food market. I was impressed by the selection of olives. I love olives and I find that they are a staple for appetizers throughout Meditarranean Europe, and that olive oil is the prevailing oil to be used for cooking and served with bread tableside.

Street Art - Athens, Greece
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AT LUNCH time, we stopped at an outdoor stand for some souvlaki; a Greek lunch staple. Translating into English as "little skewer," for those who didn't already know, souvlaki is a skewer of meat (generally chicken or pork), often served with a pita, onions, and tzatziki sauce. "Street food," it was delicious. The downtown is kind of an eclectic mixture of modern and traditional architecture, with narrow streets and decorated buildings in most parts, though there is a wide, ultra-modern area with the high-end department and brand name stores right in the middle of everything.

Athens, Greece
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STREET ART, like in many of the European cities we have visited, is also common. Some of it is pretty impressive. To finish out our food tour, we stopped in a traditional, family restaurant to sample their Moussaka. The portions were large, but I felt compelled to eat it. 😊 Again, for those who didn't already know this, Moussaka is a layered casserole (some might compare it to Lasagna) with slices of eggplant (and/or) potatoes, and a layer of ground meat (traditionally lamb) in a bolgnese type sauce, topped with Bechamel sauce and baked to perfection. I know a few folks who say they don't like eggplant. I love it, and I think Moussaka is pure heaven. But after our day, I didn't really need to go back to an all-you-can-eat, cruise ship atmosphere, for sure. As they all unfortunately eventually do, the day eventually ended and we found our way back to the Reflection. We would have a day or two at sea, before we made our next and penultimate port stop: Naples - for the Amalfi Coast.

2017 - Santorini

Santorini's Villages at the top of the caldera; as viewed from our cruise ship far below, as we sailed into the harbor early in the morning
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WHENEVER IN my lifetime I have conjured "The Greek Isles," Santorini (without me even knowing its name) has come to mind. Whitewashed, domed churches and buildings with rounded and curved roof lines. Blue painted roofs, with other bright accent colors on the building. High up above the deep blue Mediterranean. When I saw the "brochure" for our cruise this time and the pictures of Santorini, I knew this was the Greek photographic "paradise" I had always wanted to photograph If I had my way I would likely visit there for a few days - in the off season - and try to take advantage of the "good light." I may still do that some day. But this time, it would be for one day, during our cruise. We hoped and prayed for good weather (Santorini is a tender - only port and one of those that is frequently cancelled because of rough weather.

The "iconic" Blue Domed Greek Church and Bell Tower on Santorini
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OUR PRAYERS would be answered this time. We arrived early on a completely clear, calm morning. This post will be mostly about the gorgeous "Greek Isles" sights and views, and my photography of them. I did a fair amount of reading and research before the trip for this one, with a couple specific spots I wanted to find for "iconic" shots. The primary shot is one of the blue domed, whitewashed church from above, with the ocean below and the mountains in the far background. My research revealed that this shot was not an easy spot to find, and several photographers expressed frustration at not finding it. I had directions and was confident that I was in the right spot in the village, I would find it.

Another spot where I think the image is every bit as stunning as the popular iconic shot
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WE GOT lucky with our guide for the day. He met us at the top of the funicular, and I shortly learned that in addition to being a guide, he is also a professional photographer. My wife needed to go to an ATM machine, and while we waited for her, I showed him my sheet of paper with the directions to the "iconic shot." He said, "oh, I am going to take you right there. And then I will show you some other, equally great shots." Because he was a photographer, and knew it was important to me, he planned our circuit around being in the spots when the light was best. I was in for a good day!

Because of our Guide's prescience, we found spot after spot that had not yet been discovered by the crowds
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ONE OF the challenges of a visit to Santorini - at least in season - is that it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. This means way more people than the relatively small island communities can accomodate. Our guide did two things that morning. First, he took us ina direction that was backward to the route that most guides use. Partly, this was because of the light. But it was also because he knew some of the best stuff was at the end of the usual track - but would come first for us, getting us there before the large crowds (for the first half of our day). Eventually, we did run into crowds in the middle of the village of Oiua. Then they were shoulder to shoulder. But we had really already seen most of the best views. Our next move was going to be to get into his vehicle and take a drive to the east, down the backside of the calderra, and onto the flats, where the airport is. But on the way, we drove through olive plantations. It was cool.

One of the most impressive feats is how the Greeks built these buildings up the steep faces of the calderra!
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THE SECOND thing he did (and this has happened to us 2 or 3 times over the years) was to ask us how rigid we were about our meals. If we weren't stuck on a noon lunch, he could get us through the tour and then would take us to a local restaurant that was out of the way, and did not cater to the tourist crowds. If we were rigid, he could get us somewhere for lunch, but he promised it would be a tourist trap and the food would be unremarkable. We - of course - chose not to be rigid and were very glad we did.

So much color!
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WHILE THE whitewashed stucco with brightly painted rooftops (especially blue) was the rule, there was a lot of additional color, some of it by the buildings and trim, and some by the colorful flowers so well supported by the temperate Mediterranean climate.

When not being stormed by the throngs of people, the small villages of Oia and Fira are full of pretty, quiet streets.
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THERE WAS so much color and charm, it was hard not to just keep pointing my camera and shooting. So I did just that!

Santorini, Greece
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SOMETIMES THE world is a very small place. I can think of nearly a half dozen occasions where we ran into people we had a connection with elsewhere. It is also not unusual when traveling the world, to "bump into" famous people. Id didn't really register it at the time, but the gentleman in the above image is none other than one of the world's foremost travel experts: Rick Steves.

Famous Travel expert, Rick Steves
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SANTORINI PROVIDED another one of those humorous anecdotes that arise from time to time on this blg. Our guide was a pretty blunt guy. With a good sense of humor. I have always loved his t-shirt, which he work with no reservations.

Santorini, Greece
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WE WALKED part of the hill on the way back to the cruise ship. It was a long, full day, but one of the most memorable of all of my travel!

Santorini, Greece
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2017 - The Isle of Rhodes

Rhodes, Greece
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RHODES IS another of the approximately 6,000 Greek islands in the parts of the Mediterranean known Agean and Ionian Seas. This time, a part of a chain known as the Dodecanese Islands, Rhodes once served as its historical capital. A somewhat more dusty and certainly more undeveloped island, it was nonetheless another of the beautiful vistas that are provided by these island archipelagos all over the Mediterranean. The city is mostly a medieval town, highlighted by the majestic old castle that nestles up close to the port.

Our "Bumpy Rhodes" Excursion Vehicle - Rhodes, Greece
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WE DID walk through the castle grounds on our return the the town, but we first embarked on an excursion called "Bumpy Rhodes." The proprietor used a couple old, repurposed military transport vehicles to take us on an excursion up to the summit of the island, and along some pretty - well - bumpy backroads. They definitely called for an off road type vehicle. Our ride included some spectacular views, as well as a stop at a food processing type center up in the mountains, where we tasted honey. It was an interesting experience. As we drove around, our guide pointed out numerous areas where beekeepers had set up small clusters of hives. Each of them were in a different plan habitat, and created different honey flavors. In 2017, honey was a fairly large export product for Rhodes.

Viewpoint from one of the highest points in Rhodes
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RHODES IS another Greek island that we are scheduled to revisit in 2027. I hope to do some research to see if there are other things, but my current thought is there are only a couple different things to do there. You can walk the medieval city and the castle/fort the sits right on the harbor. Not shockingly, as you exit the fort along the old main entrance way, there are about 100 tourist shops lining the road out. So there is always (always) shopping. You can do a nature type tour, as we did. I do hear that there are some good food opportunities, and Rhodes is known for it food. We stopped during our tour, and our guide had prepared sandwiches, water and soft drinks for us. That worked.

One of many beaches on Rhodes
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AND THERE are beaches. The beaches, here, though are a bit different than the white, sandy beaches of the Caribbean (and Florida). The water is clear and pure, but the beaches are often more like little micro-pebbles. That doesn't deter beach goers however. Nor does it seem to stop the influx of pleasure yachts that visit these islands from all around the Mediterranean.

Rhodes, Greece
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OVER OUR years of cruising, we have had one or two close calls making the all-aboard time. This was our first time. Paul and I were "people watching" near the entrance of the castle (about a half a block from the ship), waiting for our wives who were doing some souvenier and gift shopping for friends and family back home. They lost track of the time and we ultimately had to go drag them out of the shop with only minutes left to the time. When we got back to the port, the gate we had come out of was closed, and though we could see the ship, we had no idea how we were going to get to it. Ultimately, we followed the fence down the block to a gatehouse and got access to the ship from there. I am certain we were one of the last groups to board, and I will readily admit that it had my hear racing. Since then we have had a couple others and looking back this one wasn't even close to a "close" call. 😓

2017 - A Return to Mykonos

Celebrity Reflection anchored off Mykonos in front of "Little Italy"
Mykonos, Greece
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MYKONOS, OUR next stop, is a very small, Greek Island Paradise. Mykonos will always have a fixed spot in our memories, as it was the last "normal" stop we made on our aborted Royal Princess Cruise back in 2013. 

Mykonos, Greece
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PART OF the chain of Greek Islands known as the Cyclades, consisting of some 200 plus "islands," only about 40 of which are inhabited, Mykonos has a resident population of something over 10,000. Not the largest of the archipelago, Mykonos is nonetheless one of the most popular. Along with Santorini, it is one of the two most popular tourist destinations, with result that there can be large crowds in season. The Cyclades are known for their temperate, often warm, Mediterranean climate, beautiful beaches, blue ocean surroundings, and often, their iconic, blue and red trimmed whitewashed buildings.

One of the many shops on Mykonos, Greece
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I GREW up in northern lower Michigan and one of our top tourist destinations is a spot called "Mackinac Island" (pronounced "mackinaw), an Island in the Straits of Mackinac (between the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan). In any given year, Mackinac was Michigan's number 1 tourist attraction. While much smaller than the already small Island of Mykonos, (Mackinac is less than 4 square miles in area and its population is only about 600 permanent residents - to Mykonos' approximately 40 square miles), there are many parallels, and it very much reminds me of Mackinac. It seems mostly designed for vacation visitors and particularly, for tourism. It seems to be not only a favorite destination for far-off tourists (like Europeans and Americans on a cruise ship 😁) many of the more "local" tourists like vacationers from Italy, Greece and nearby countries.

Mykonos, Greece
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BOTH TIMES we have stopped there, we have anchored out in front of the town of Mykonos, at the Old Port. In fact, I didn't even know there was a permanent cruise port on Mykonos until recently. But there has been a "hard" port with what appears to be mooring space for two small/medium sized cruise ships at the "New" Port, about 1 1/2 miles from the heart of the town for some time. We have never been to that port and I have read that it is modern, clean, and lacks the "over-the-top" tourist shops that are found in many of the Caribbean cruise ports. There is both a bus and water taxi service from the cruise port to the Old Port. We are booked on a cruise that is scheduled to stop there in 2027, aboard the Celebrity Infinity, one of their oldest and smallest class ships. I wouldn't be surprised to find we will be docked at the cruise port.

Windmills; Mykonos, Greece
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TENDERING INTO the old port is kind of a cool experience. It is a very small port with mostly small fishing boats, painted in the colorful Greek style of white hulls and primary color trim. When you step off the tender, you are on the pier of the Old Port, directly in front of the town's waterfront. The entire island is populated with the inconic whitewashed buildings, and much of the village is paved with a whitewashed cobblestone pavement. It makes for a very picturesque scene.

Mykonos, Greece
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ON THE south side of the harbor there is an area known as "Little Venice." It gets its name due to the homes and establishments built right out over the water. Interestingly, although the island was at one time under the control of the Venetians, in my mind any true resemblance ends there. Behind Little Italy, there is a line of rustic old windmills.

The Old Port in Mykonos, Greece, displaying traditional, colorful greek fishing boats
(this one was made during our 2013 visit to Mykonos, but remains one of my favorites)
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WE WALKED around the island a bit, window shopping and seeing some of the sights, and then had lunch right down on the shore, before re-boarding the Reflection, ending yet another warm, beautiful Mediterranean day. We will return to Mykonos for a third time in 2027.

2017 - Malta

Valletta, Malta
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THIS IS probably really unfair, but I rate Malta as one of the least engaging European destinations we have visited. Circumstances, of course, temper the experience and perception. It is one place we didn't book any kind of tour.

Ft. St. Angelo - Birgu, Malta (directly across the Grand Harbor from Valetta)
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INSTEAD, WE opted for the Hop on - Hop off bus around the city. We sometimes do that early in order to get a feel for a place. However, we have found the Hop on - Hop off systems to be quite inconsistent from one place to another. Our first experience was in Dublin, Ireland in 2014. We spent a day there and an overnight before joining a group of O'Brien Estate Vineyard patrons for a week-long, land-based trek over The Republic of Ireland. We thought it was terrific. Conveniently for us, one of the stops was very close to our Hotel. The narrative was good, and we really did get a kind of "birds-eye" view of the city and its high points. We would spend another couple days in Dublin at the end of that trip, and the bus system really gave us a "leg up," we thought. You purchase tickets (either all-day, or several day) and as the name implies, you can get on and off as many times as you want, as often as you want. At least, that is the idea. In reality, it doesn't always work as smoothly.

The Grand Harbor - Valletta, Malta
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VALLETTA WAS, I am pretty sure, our second time using the Hop on - Hop off system. This time it was not so good. They were so crowded that if you weren't in line where the route begins, your chances of getting on one of them at any other stop were virtually nill. To us, it appeared as if this was true during the entire day we were there. So even though there was a stop or two that we might have gotten off and explored, we didn't dare get off, for fear we would not get back on and make it back to the ship (we didn't really think about it, but we probably could have done a taxi - but that's not the point). When the weather is decent, the open upper deck of these buses afford the best "open air" view. When the weather is inclement, though, the experience isn't as pleasant. Temperatures were well in to the 80's the day we were there, and the sky was clear. By the time we got on the bus, the upper deck was the only place there were seats. We roasted. Given the route, and the traffic, the full circuit on the bus was nearly 3 hours. And in the middle of the circuit, without explanation or communication of any nature, the driver parked and shut the bus down. He walked into a cafe for a break. Nobody on the bus had any idea what was going on (for at least 10 - 15 minutes).

Valletta, Malta
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I SUPPOSE I shouldn't let a pretty bad experience on the Hop on - Hop off bus color our entire experience in Malta. NOr should I let the Malta experience completely color my view of the Hop on Hop off system (though we had a similar sketchy experience in Helsinki, Finland, a few years later). On the trip around the coast, we could see that the "stay and play" aspects of Valletta could probably be very fun. Lots and lots of bars and restaurants, and many marinas, filled with pleasure boats, dotted the entire coast. I also know there are several forts around Malta and near and around Valletta. There is also the huge and visually impressive Grand Masters Palace (our bus did a circle around it, but as noted, we didn't dare get off to explore it if we ever wanted to get back on and complete the circuit). The city is architecturally pretty impressive, also.

Valletta is the Flag location for all of Celebrity's Cruise ships

MOST OF my photography that day consisted of things around the port and near our ship's berth. I have noted here before that it is usually pretty challenging to make photos from a moving platform like a bus. I did catch a couple. At one time the administrative center for the Catholic Military Order: The Knights of St. John (a/k/a The Nights Hospitallier), the island was ruled by them for many years, until the eventual capture of Malta by Napoleon (after which the order more or less dispersed from all of its bases around the world). Though originally inhabited by the Phoenicians, and later Romans, most of the significant architecture occurred during re-building under the Knights of St. John's control. It was primarily "Renaissance" architechture; followed later by Baroque, Neo-Gothic, and Neo-Classical. Later yet, after WWII, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and modern styles emerged.

There is also significant commercial shipping activity along the wharf adjacent to the cruise terminal - Valletta, Malta
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I SUSPECT the majority of my readership here are from the U.S. and it is perhaps appropriate to acknowledge the significance of Malta to our nation. Our relationship dates back to the U.S. Revolutionary war when the Knights were a significant ally to our fledgling nation, particularly in helping to persuade the French Navy to assist us. During WWII, it was a critical staging point for Allied (British and U.S.) military planes.

Our Ship Docked at its Home Port - Valletta, Malta
Copyright Andy Richards 2017

THERE IS one other point of importance to me (and maybe other cruisers). With the exception of three of its ("Explorer Class") fleet, Valleta is the Flag location for all of Celebrity's Cruise ships! One thing I do know is that if Valletta is ever a stop again on one of our cruises, we will certainly try to book an excursion/guided tour.

2017 - Sicily

Messina, Sicily
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WE HAD such a great time in Venice that it would be hard to top it. After boarding the Reflection, our first two stops - in my mind at least - bore that out. But comparing almost anything to Venice is probably unfair.

Sunset Bar - Celebrity Reflection
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WHAT DID completely satisfy, though, was that The Celebrity Reflection fit with my memory. Now our 3rd voyage on the ship, it was everything I remembered, and it was fun to show Paul and Linda around the ship. Our first day was at sea. Paul and I spent a lot of time on the back at the Sunset Bar on this cruise, even shutting it down a couple times. We got to be on a very close basis with the bar crew there, including the head bartender, Charel, as well as Andrew, and Punta. Lots of laughs, a few drinks, and a cigar or two.

My Buddy, Paul, with a cigar and probably the biggest Gin & Tonic he had ever been served
(That's our new buddy, bartenter Puta, in the background)
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OUR FIRST port stop was Messina, Sicily. We had sailed by Messina on a couple of occasions, making the passage from The Ionian Sea into the Tyrrhenian Sea through the Strait of Messina. The Strait is the the narrowest water between Sicily and mainland Italy, narrowing to under 2 miles just north of Messina. On a clear day, you can easily see both land points as you sail through.

Strait of Messina - Italy
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WE SPENT very little time in Messina. Basically a quick drive around to a couple of the scenic points, and a stop at the town center where the church and a really cool movement in the bell tower at the end of the day. In 2022, my wife and I would spend some time in the city and learn that it is a very nice, kind of smallish city - much like the place we lived for many years (Saginaw, Michigan). This trip though, we had scheduled a tour south along the coast, visiting volcanic Mt. Etna, but first stopping in Taormina, a coastal village south of Messina, known as the gateway to the numerous little villages and scenes for the famous Godfather movies. Taormina's origins date back to the ancient Greeks, was actually popular prior to its "Godfather fame," though as a haven for artists and gay men as far back as the early 19th century. It was also the headquarters of the German Werhmacht during WWII.

Taormina, Sicily
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WE ALSO made a brief stop in Savoca, a picturesque little village up in the mountains, made famous by movie maker Francis Ford Coppola, who shot scenes from the Godfather movies in and around the village, as well as a couple other nearby villages - as the home/headquarters of the Corleone family.

Francis Ford Coppola Marker - Savoca, Sicily
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WE MADE the "mandatory" stop and look in to the famous "Godfather Bar," Bar Vitelli, the spot of the famous proposal scene in the movie. Timing is everything, and I had the good fortune to have camera in hand to catch the dog being shot for what seemed to me to be a beer advertisement.

Bar Vitelli, Savoca, Sicily
Copyright Andy Richards 2017

Bar Vitelli - Savoca, Sicily
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LOOKING DOWN from Chiesa di San Nicolò, the little 13th century church at the very top of the hill (where Michael Corleone and Apollonia's iconic wedding scene was filmed), it is easy to see the visual appeal of this little village. We moved on from there to the famous, vocanic Mt. Etna.

Savoca, Sicily
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THE LARGEST, and one of the most active volcanos in Europe, Mt. Etna just began early eruption activity around Christmas (2025). In its history, there has been near constant activity. You can see from the photo that there is also rather constant tourist activity at this UNESCO World Heritage site. We did not climb or go up it, but just observed from the base station.

Mt. Etna - Taormina, Sicily
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 -  All Rights Reserved

OUR DAY (and tour) ended back in the city of Messina. We were first treated to the view down on the city from up high, as shown in the opening image above. The we drove down to the Messina Cathedral (just a couple city blocks from the cruise port), where we saw the mechanical astronomical clock with is part of the Cathedral. Built by the Normans in the early 12th century, the Cathedral is now the Catholic Diocese of Messina. Almost completely destroyed by the devastating earthquake of 1908 (which destroyed much of the city, resulting in massive rebuilding and a city ordinance forbidding any building to be taller than 2 stories - except for the Cathedral). Most of the building that stands today was rebuilt after the earthquake, but the tower, much of the exterior walls, the gothic archway and the apse all remained standing after the quake.

Messina Cathedral - Messina, Sicily - Mechanical Astronomical Clock works
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

THE ASTRONOMICAL clock and carousel were added in 1933. The carousel was on the ground in 2017 as repairs were being done on the tower. The bell tower is said to be the largest "choir" in Sicily. Our tour ended here, and we walked the couple short blocks back to re-board our Celebrity Reflection.