Ciao, Italy

August 26, 2010







Ciao, Italy

Almost as suddenly as my trip to Sicily began, it headed to conclusion. The last day I was in Trapani, the R/V Hercules was going back out for ROV operations, this time re-visiting a couple of ancient wreck sites that had been previously discovered to get additional video footage and photographs of the sites. Also the team sent down the ROV to pick up some Ceramic pieces that were placed near one of the sites a year ago as part of a study that Derek is conducting about the rate of growth on submerged ceramics. After examining the amount of growth to date, the pieces will be returned to the ocean floor to continue the experiment.

George & Derek







My final morning, I spent checking out a few areas of Trapani that I had missed during my visit, including the historic Salt marshes that are some of the oldest salt marshes in Europe. The salt flats surround the city and salt is derived through a slow evaporation process that has been on-going for centuries. The marshes are lined with medieval windmills that were once used to drain water from the shallow basins. They are a beautiful backdrop along the roads that lead to and from the main city of Trapani.

Salt Marshes






My flight from Trapani to Milan was not until later in the afternoon, so I had the morning to enjoy a final walk through the old city before heading to the airport. I headed over to the local post office to mail a few postcards and then stopped in a few shops before catching a taxi at the waterfront to head to the airport.





The flight to Milan was uneventful and I my next flight from Milan to Atlanta was not until the next morning so I stayed at a hotel near the airport. I had hoped to take a train into the city of Milan, which is about 25 km from the airport, but ended up not having enough time, instead finding a small pasta restaurant in the neighborhood near the hotel and then relaxing at the hotel.







It was a quick trip and unexpected trip, but well worth it for me to both learn more about the operations of RPM Nautical , to finally meet all the crew members and to get a chance to experience a small taste of Sicily.

Erice, Sicily

August 24, 2010



Trapani

Pepoli Castle



Erice, Sicily

Looming over the city of Trapani is Mount Erice, a commanding presence that rises to a height of over 750 meters that is home to the ancient city of Erice. The city is accessible either by a winding mountain road or by a cable car that takes visitors up the mountain side in a fairly straight shot. The amazing historic city is worth a full day visit, so I decided against going out on the boat one day, opting to take the cable car up to Erice instead.







The mountain is often clouded in fog, even when the surrounding area is in full sunlight, but I was fortunate to have a relatively clear day that offered me the opportunity to take advantage of the spectacular views of Trapani and the beaches of San Vito Lo Capo. The cable car ride up takes about 20 minutes and drops you off into a scene that takes you back thousands of years, with the city still seeming to be stuck in the middle ages.

King Frederick's Tower



The city is full of castles, cathedrals, stone walls and narrow cobbled streets. Almost every building seems to have some major historical significance, which is not surprising considering the long and rich history of the city. The city was known as Eryx in ancient times and was a prosperous Elymian and Carthaginian city dating to around 1200 BC. The city was in turn conquered and occupied by in turn, the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and Normans who named the city Monte San Giuliano, which was the name until 1934 when the name was reverted to its original Latin name.







The city features ancient Elymian and Phoenician walls and two large castles, Pepoli Castle and Venus Castle dating to Norman times. There are also numerous medieval churches and monasteries located in Erice and they are all open to the public. Upon arrival, I purchased a pass that offered admission to the majority of historical sites and museums beginning with King Frederick’s Tower and the Royal Church, which are just across from the cable car station.





It was a beautiful perfect day for a friendly walk around Erice and I took full advantage of the weather to enjoy the views and the beautiful streets of the city. The city is well-known for its famous ceramics and pottery and the small streets are lined with small galleries which offer examples for sale. One of the few items that I purchased was from a talented potter at a place called Ceart pottery. I got into a good conversation with the artist and learned that he has a blog of his own on blogspot, which I have linked below.







The place is also full of charming and delightful restaurants and cafes, as well as the requisite touristy shops that sell everything from the aforementioned pottery to all manner of trinkets, hats, rugs, wine, and delicious Sicilian food stuffs. It was a shopper’s paradise.









The churches and castles are all amazing, beautiful and full of ancient historic relics and treasures which are on display. I was most impressed by the incredible wax models created by the Carmelite nuns in the early 1800s, they are amazing intricate and well preserved. They are on display at San Giuliano’s Church as are the amazing “Misteri”, large wood carved statues of the stations of the cross.





Religious and historical relics of all sorts can be found throughout Erice which features stunning examples of architecture and history from any number of ancient periods, making for a fascinating historical journey all in a relatively concentrated space





Erice Artist Blog

Trapani Calcio

August 23, 2010







Trapani Calcio

My time in Trapani was not all spent on the R/V Hercules, in fact I was able to spend a great deal of time exploring the city and checking out the sorts of places designed principally for tourists. I also like to take in activities and go places that have more of a local flavor when I am visiting a new place. I find that you often heighten the experience of a place if you get off the beaten path and spend time with real locals.





Howard & I did just that one afternoon when we headed over to the local stadium to check out a soccer game between the local team, Trapani Calcio and a team from the town of Milazzo. When we arrived the stadium was crowded with Italian fans crowded around the gates, trying to secure tickets, which for some strange reason were no longer for sale, even though we arrived well before game time.





We were about to give up and do something else, when we happened to run into one of the few local citizens that the crew knows well, our local agent Luigi. Luigi is an excellent agent and has helped RPM out on many occasions and he was able to come through for Howard & I again. It seems that Luigi is good friends with the President of the football club, who came out and escorted us into the stadium through the team entrance, which was pretty cool.

Michael & Luigi



We scored excellent seats at midfield and were able to catch all the action. It was quite a cool experience, somewhat similar to when I attended a baseball game in Cuba in that I could follow the game while not being able to understand the announcers or understand the constant organized cheers that the fans were cheering.



The fans are intense, cheering on a continual basis throughout the game, in what, according to Luigi’s translation, are somewhat graphic chants that would never be allowed in US stadiums. One favorite, directed at the opposing goalie, suggested that while he was playing the game, his mother was performing a sexual act on the fans.





It was an exciting game, Trapani competes at the lowest professional level in Italy, the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione and is having quite a good season. They defeated Milazzo by a score of 2-1, much to the delight of the assembled fans.







After the game, Howard & I walked back to the port and were able to check out even more of the city of Trapani. Later that evening, I headed over to see a wonderful exhibit at one of the historic cathedral’s in old town, “The Genius of Leonardo DaVinci”. The exhibit featured a wonderful collection of scale models of many of DaVinci’s most amazing inventions, including flying machines, scuba diving gear, cannons and other important inventions.







It was an impressive exhibit, one that is a traveling exhibit that will also be making stops in the United States and is worth going to see. I have included a link to their website below so that you can see if it might be headed to a city near you. Better yet, get yourself over to see it in Sicily.





DaVinci the Genius

Trapani Calcio FC