Palazzo Reale and the Archeological Museum of Palermo

We arrived early in the morning at Palermo's Palazzo Reale, which after having been occupied by Arabian, Norman and Spanish rulers over the centuries, now serves as Sicily's capitol building. We were there to visit the Cappella Palatina, and its first class mosaics covering not just the interior of the chapel, but also the wall that faces into palace's courtyard.

I was stunned by the detail of the outer mosaics and eagerly awaited our chance to enter the chapel. With us was a group of elderly Asian tourists. One of them was perhaps the oldest person I have ever seen. tiny, frail, wrinkled, and bent like an angle bracket, she relied on her can to prevent from toppling right over. She was, by my estimates one of the other grey haired tourists mother, and I would be surprised if she were not at least 100 years old. She had, despite her frailty, managed the stairs to this point; there was no wheel chair in evidence. Never let anyone say they are too old to travel.

When we entered the chapel, we were disappointed, not by the quality of the work, but by our inability to see it. Drop clothes hid the ceiling and the upper walls. Scaffolding reached towards the ceiling, somewhat obscuring what was visible. The down side, the reality, of visiting historical structures, is that they are often in the process of being restored. This was true of the ceiling in the residenz, the Brandenburg tor, and now, this place. We took the time to see what we could, but unfortunately, at that time, it was not very much.


Leaving the palace behind, we headed to the Museo Archeologico Regionale. Here, artifacts from all the great ancient eras of Italy are on display. Architectural elements and some Egyptian artifacts were of particular interest.

The Big Easy

My first visit to New Orleans was In late 2007 I believe. The weather was hot and humid as we wandered the area Near the aquarium. We wandered along and into some of the shops on the edge of the French Quarter, and down to Jackson Square, a lovely city park fenced in wrought iron, with a statue of Andrew Jackson as its centerpiece. On the sidewalks just outside the park, street artists sold their wares.

In front of the park is St. Louis Cathedral. This white faced church resembles a fairy tale castle. We poked our heads inside for a quick look, then headed back out onto the street. Between the church and Jackson Square was a wide cobbled way, filled with a few park benches. On one end were fortune tellers, on the other, a silver man, frozen in mid strum, playing his guitar.

The French Quarter is a mouse maze of businesses, with items for sale ranging from hot sauce to Mardi Gras masques and beads, to fine art. Sprinkled throughout are restaurants and bars, offering a true variety of options, from the expected Cajun faire and hurricanes, to the somewhat more surprising Italian, Chinese, and Indian.

Everywhere throughout the area, stands of beads from Mardi Gras past can be seen handing, off balconies, streetlamps, trees, and power lines.

Of course, with any visit to New Orleans, Bourbon Street is the real must see, but it's certainly not for children. Aside from bawdy window displays and the open doored strip clubs, some of the visitors themselves are sure to raise eyebrows. At night this street takes on a real party atmosphere, and gathers quite a crowd. Whatever you may have heard about New Orleans safety, I felt much more comfortable around the streets of French Quarter at night, even the more empty side streets, than San Francisco or Seattle in the early evening.

Of course the famed debauchery of New Orleans, and Bourbon Street in particular, attracts those who would save the heathen masses, or perhaps just insult them. Bearing signs that condemn such sins as being a liberal, feminist, or sports fanatic, they become merely part of the spectacle.

We did spend a fair amount of time in the downtown area, but we did take enough of a break to enjoy a trolley ride past the old houses and Loyola along St. Charles Avenue, and then enjoyed a walk up St Carrollton Ave to the Gelato Pazzo Caffe. It's well worth the little side trip. We also took a little time to wander one of the cemetaries around the city, which has it's own beauty.

While throughout town, the remnants of Katrina still remain, mostly in the form of high water marks and abandoned buildings, the city is very much alive, and very much worth a visit.

the Palermo hostel incident

We arrived on the outskirts of Palermo looking for our hostel, Baia del Corallo We easily found the bus stop it was supposed to be next to, but driving up and down the road, we saw no signs of the hostel, though we did find one other bus stop. Finally, we noticed a small sign on an equally small parking lot next to the first stop. It looked like it belonged to a small powerhouse of something next to the stop. Hung on the chain link fence surrounding the lot was a small sign for the YHA (Youth Hostel Association) We realized this was it. What would have been obvious to a backpacker coming off the bus was a little hard for us to find. Leaving the car outside the fence, where there was just enough room for a car, we entered the lot and saw steps leading down away from it.

The hostel consists of several little bungalows sprawled down the slope of a sea cliff. Surrounded by trees, it's a quite, well camouflaged place, at least until the water's edge bar gets going. Finally settling in to our room and bringing out car into the lot, we walked down the hill into this little stretch of seaside resort.

Wandering past several restaurants where seafood was understandably the food of choice, we finally came to a little ma and pa outdoor diner type of place. They served up hot sandwiches, more substantial than the average panini, and of every variety. Jake settled for the American, basically a cheeseburger panini. I was embarrassed to be unable to communicate, but the people running the shop took good care of us.

As we wound our way up the darkening street after our meal, we stopped in for some gelato from a little shop, and picked out spumoni. At this point, I had never had nor heard of this flavor, and I described it as mint chocolate bubble gum. I've never had any quite so good since.

Realm of Tane

A visit to the Realm of Tane, at Tamaki Maori village is an interesting ride. It starts with a bus trip to the grounds of the village, where we were greeted by the village warriors. Following that we entered through the gates and saw how a village may have been set up, and some of the activities that were carried out there. We moved into a meeting house, where they shared with us powerful haka dances, as well as sweeter songs. We left the meeting house and entered the dining hall to have some food cooked in a traditional hangi. The food is cooked by being buried in a pit with hot rocks. It is a similar method to the Hawaiian Kālua, often used to cook pigs for luaus, and no wonder, as the Maori people originated from that area.

Overall, the experience was fun and entertaining. The meeting house and dining hall we perhaps not the traditional experience I was looking for, but they weren't offensively so. The dancing was the best part. The food was somewhat bland, with the exception of desert, so please, have gravy with your meat, that is where the only real seasoning is.

Perhaps just as entertaining was the ride home, with the bus circling roundabouts while many were forced to sing songs they felt represented their country, whether they be anthems or other. While I was grateful not to have to sing, I was disappointed that the only other Americans chose to sing Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini....a song not on my list of conceivable options.

It appears that since my trip in the fall of 08, the website and the story theme of the trip has changed. I would assume the experience, however, would be roughtly the same.

Phoenician Island

Not far north of Marsala on Sicily lies a shallow lagoon, protected by a crooked finger of land, the Isola Grande. Within this lagoon is a small island called Moxia. This island houses a museum of Phoenician artifacts, and is itself a former Phoenician city. Many areas here have been or are currently under excavation.

We pulled into a dusty parking lot, clearly marked with a sign that said there was no fee to park, and were promptly asked by the men at the booth for 2 Euro. We paid up, and headed over to the small boat that would ferry us to the island. There is a Phoenician bridge that connects to another part of the island, and you used to be able to walk or ride a carriage across, even though it was slightly under water. That's no longer possible, as it has become dangerous.

The first thing that greeted us on the island was this spiny aloe like bush.



Our first stop on the island was to view the museum. Here are displayed items from the island itself, and some from the surrounding areas. Particularly striking was the Phoenician smiling death mask. Phoenician work is distinct from it's Greek counterpart, more stylized and blockish, with the exception of Ephebus of Motya. This statue has a long flowing tunic, and is the foremost item on display.




After that, we headed on a path that took us to most of the numbered sites on the map.


Our first stop was the Casa Del Mosaici. These Mosaics are made from pebbles, placed so that only a narrow edge is shown, the body of the pebble thrust downward. This is unlike any Mosaics we saw elsewhere on our trip.

As we worked our way around the island, we noticed areas where there was almost no vegetation, and all the plant stalks were encrusted with empty snail shells of various sizes.


After that it was on to the cothon. This man made pool, connected to the ocean by a narrow path, may have been used to harbor small boats, or maybe something else. No one is sure. On the opposite side, we saw real live archaeologists at work.


Among other attractions on the island are the north and south gate, and the necropolis.

Finally, we caught a return boat to the mainland of Sicily, and headed north past the salt flats and old windmills in the lagoon.

The hottest city park in New Zealand

The area around Rotorua in New Zealand is still geologically active. We had originally planed on visiting a hot springs area and spa known as Hell's Gate, but due to airport delays and our own jet lag, we didn't have enough time to merit the admission. So instead, we headed to Kuirau Park which is located within the city. This is a city park like no other. Here you can explored some of the geothermal features, and we spending most of our time taking a walk around the steam enshrouded lake. Here's a little info about the lake's history from New Zealand's website:

In early Maori times the small lake in the park was much cooler and was known as Taokahu. Legend tells us that a beautiful young woman named Kuiarau was bathing in the waters when a taniwha (legendary creature) dragged her to his lair below the lake. The gods above were angered and made the lake boil so the Taniwha would be destroyed forever.

Regional Archaeological Museum Baglio Anselmi

After our trip to the Valley of Temples, our next stop was at a museum on the northwestern edge of Marsala. We parked in a lot about a block from the museum, and just across the road from a clear blue Mediterranean Sea. We were closer at this point to Africa, than Rome. As we climbed out of the car, a small boy ran over to give us a card for his father's restaurant, where unfortunately, we did not have the time to eat.

The museum, also commanding quite a view of the sea, was once used to store barrels of that famous wine, but today it primarily houses the preserved remains of a large Punic warship. The boat is over 2000 years old, and was built by the Phoenicians who used it in the first Punic war to defend this area.

The museum consists of two high ceilinged rooms. One is used to store the ship, artifacts found with the boat, and information on its recovery and restoration. The other half holds a wide variety of artifacts, including pottery, stelae, personal artifacts such as mirrors, and even mosaic floor sections.

This museum is well worth a quick visit as you head up the coast of Sicily to Palermo. It is even more worth while if you are on your way, as we were, to the island of Mozia

King Tut: Atlanta

While visiting Atlanta over the Valentine's Day weekend, I visited National Geographic's exhibit TUTANKHAMUN AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE PHARAOHS. I hadn't read or heard much about the exhibit, but I thought the title was self explanatory, and I was excited. After paying the somewhat steep price, we entered a line for the exhibit. As we approached the entrance, we were ushered into a room, and shown a video about the discovery of Tut's tomb. Then, the great "stone" doors before us swung open, and we entered the exhibit. The first part of the exhibit consists of busts of other Pharaohs, and information about their reign and rule. Among my favorites was the long faced Bust of Akhenaten.

We moved from here into a room displaying jewelry of the empire. Fantastically detailed intricate metalwork, sometimes offset by stone settings. This was probably my favorite part of the exhibit. I love to examine the small details and see how the largest of pieces are so delicately put together.

Beyond we finally came to the Tut portion of the exhibit. Here are 50 artifacts recovered from Tut's long hidden tomb. They range from the impressive gold foil sandals and finger and toe caps that adorned the mummy himself, to the more basic items such as the wooden bed, looking like a low twin frame, that Tut may have slept on in life. But my favorite item was the Tutankhamun Canopic Coffinette. This item features on many of the posters advertising the exhibit, and can easily be mistaken for a full size sarcophagus, but it is in fact only about a foot or two tall. As with the jewelry, I was amazed by the fine details and workmanship, but even more so. Out of respect for other visitors, and likely security protocol, I did not press my face to the glass and stare at it for an hour, but I would have liked to.

As we left the exhibit of artifacts, there was an explanation of the various entombments that had surrounded the body. I rounded the next corner hoping that some of these sarcophagi were here. But I was admittedly disappointed to find only a multimedia display discussing a body scan that was done of the King's mummy. Although the web site's FAQ is quit clear, I could not help but feel a little misled.

Overall the exhibit is impressive, and it's well worth the slightly inflated price. Take your time and read the information on the walls, look hard at the jewelry, and just be amazed that these items are thousands of years old, and still quite impressive by today's standards.

Jamestown and Yorktown: National Roots

For our last day in Williamsburg, we headed over to visit the historic site of Jamestown. After perusing the museum, we roamed the grounds, enjoying the setting. While there is not much left of the original settlement, you can explore the roads, and read the stories of the buildings that once stood along them, and the people that lived there. We also payed a visit to the Archaearium, which displays items found during Jamestown digs. After exploring the immediate site, we headed off on the driving loop to see more of the area. We wanted to visit the Jamestown Settlement, a living history reconstruction of Jamestown, but unfortunately, they were closed due to the holiday.

After we had our fill of Jamestown, we headed to Yorktown, which is handily included in the Jamestown National Park ticket price. Along the way we passed by a small lake where a pair of white swans were feeding. When we finally arrived in Yorktown, we were just in time for a Ranger led walk. I always love ranger programs at our national parks. The guides know their stuff, and seem to able to answer any question. We started at the top of the hill, discussed the British fortifications, and the types of canons used. Then we moved down the hill, between enemy lines and discussed the American army's approach and ultimate success in the last major battle of the American Revolution.

After our tour, we headed back to Williamsburg for one last show, an evening of dance at the governor's palace. We approached the house, lit by torches, in the form of iron bowls filled with burning wood attached to posts. We were led into one of the palaces ballrooms, aglow with a number of candles. In the corner sat two musicians, reading their music by candlelight. We were lucky to get front row seats and settle in for the show. I had been expecting an informative production, but what I got was far more theatrical, where we were just guests to a dance, and some were even asked to dance. In between dances done in full costume and makeup, the actors played out a small love triangle among the guests. Fortunately, all was brought to a happy ending, and we left for home the next morning, having had a wonderful start to the new year.

Kooza Atlanta

Over Valentines weekend of 09, we headed down to Atlanta to see Kooza under the big top. Ever since I saw my first Cirque Du Soleil production on public television when I was younger, I've wanted to go actually see a show, so I was very excited to find that they were relatively near by.

This is one show where it is definitely worth it to arrive early. Before the show starts, there are actors in the aisles, in the seats, on the stage. So many clowns to entertain that it hardly feels like you are waiting for the show to start at all.

When the show finally does start, it remains a frequently funny, always interesting and some times artistically sweet production throughout. The entire show as a whole is rapid fire perfectly done entertainment. Some of the best acts are the incredibly quick juggler, and surprisingly fast contortionists. Equally impressive were the balancing chair and unicycle acts. Perhaps my favorite was a chance to watch a truly gifted pickpocket at work, on of all things an airline pilot.

The various characters, from the king and his clowns to the Innocent and his dog, provide the theatrical touch that makes a cirque production so much more than just a circus. Currently playing in New York, with additional dates across the US this year, this is a show not to be missed.

Williamsburg: History in Action II

Our second day at Williamsburg found us at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum. After we had spent the first part of the day taking in some of the sites and shops we had missed the day before. We visited the blacksmith, the gun shop, and the Milliner's shop among others. We were at the museum to take a guided tour through the pottery collections and learn about the different styles and other interesting facts about the collections. While we were waiting, we had some very good chili from the restaurant there, and Jake took in the Lock, Stock and Barrel exhibit of colonial era guns.

When it came time for the tour, our guide started in the small Identifying Ceramics: The Who, What and Ware exhibit, using the displays there to explain the different methods and styles. Then, we were taken throughout the museums collections where we were shown many interesting pottery pieces which exemplified the different styles. After the tour was done, we explored some of the other areas of the museum, historic flags, furniture, and portions of the former Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds, which occupies the building above the basement museum. We also made a stop in for some crafts: making Christmas ornaments form old Christmas cards. I love to have Christmas ornaments as souvenirs, and we wound up making two very attractive ones to go on our tree for hopefully years to come.

Then we headed for dinner among the Merchant Square's shops. We chose Season's from the options, and after we were seated were delighted to find that Friday nights were Prime Rib night. for $15 per person, we both enjoyed a fantastic steak with two sides and a salad.

After diner we took a much needed promenade down to the capitol building to wait for the soldiers to gather for the torch lit fife and drum march to the palace greens. Once the soldiers had struck up their drums, they began marching up the street. Some tourists ran along beside them, but Jake and I fell in step behind. It is amazing the quick and easy pace a march can set. It was an impressive display, despite the loose mob of tourists surrounding it, and I couldn't help but try to match my step to the soldier in front of me.

florida panhandle

Our first introduction to the Florida Panhandle was Pensacola, where our route south deposited us. We didn't find much of interest here, and wound up swimming at Henderson Beach State Park in Destin on our first day in the area. The red, dangerous current flag was flying, and the waves were good. We wore ourselves out boogie boarding. I'm glad we got a chance to use them again. the last time we used them was several years ago at the outer banks. The sand on the beaches around Destin is pure white and is so fine it actually squeaks when you scuff your feet. There was little trace of sea life. No shells or crabs, just some sea weed and birds.

We had lunch at the Destin Diner. The food was good home style stuff. Jake has country fried steak, I had Italian meatloaf with marinara, and we both had hash browns and fries for sides. Service was awful, despite the fact that there was almost no one there, but you can hardly hold one bad server against a place. We had dinner at a place called Bobos or Bozos, or something like that. It wasn't in Destin, but further east. They had a children's dance contest including the cha cha slide and the chicken dance and a kids limbo competition. Then the fellow orchestrating all this sang some memorial day appropriate songs. It was pretty fun actually. the food was good, we had a chicken sandwich and a burger though, because the prices here are outrageous. I wasn't too surprised that beef and even chicken ran high at about $18 for the cheapest steak, $16 for chicken, but I thought, gee, maybe that the seafood would be cheap?? no... it costs as much as steak.... that's why we had sandwiches. They were only about $8 each.

We had hoped to stay at the campground in the park, but as it was full, we contented ourselves to use their showers. This was pretty much the way it went for the next few days. Every campground was full, so we slept in the car every night, and just used the showers in the parks to keep clean.

When we woke up, we were a little tired from swimming, so we headed inland to Rocky Bayou State park, and explored 2 of the trails there, the Rocky Bayou trail, and the Puddin Lake trail

The first trail led amongst live oak and saw palmettos, and was covered with unnumbered scurrying lizards. There was also a smake, and a frog along the way as well. the Puddin lake trail was a good deal more interesting. It led along a marshy lake, and in the low branches of a tree we spotted an anole, a bright green lizard with a pink colored fan on his throat, which he would open as he bobbed up and down doing pushups. Just a short ways further we saw two large birds of prey in a massive stick nest at the very top of a dead tree, which reached well beyond the tops of the living trees around it. We both jumped to the conclusion of bald eagles, but binoculars revealed that this was a pair of osprey. After watching them for some time, we continued on the trail and saw a turtle crawling up from the small lake, covered in fresh mud, and also a few dear in the undergrowth just across the water. We spent the remainder of the day reading along the shore of the lake here, and then headed down towards panama city.

in panama city they have a nice little park, I believe it is called oaks on the shore. We went down to a beach there and saw many many hermit crabs and fiddler crabs, and Jake picked up a couple empty shells to bring home.

then we ate at the treasure ship, which is a full size replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship, the Golden Hind. Why yes, it was delighfully touristy, tacky, and yet... unrefined. the prices here were better by a couple dollars. I got the steak (fantastic) and Jake got the mahi mahi fried fish basket (pretty good) and we split half and half.

we realized when we returned to the car that Jake's empty shells weren't so empty, and we returned them to their beach. After that we drove way down to Port St. Joe and spent the night again in the car.

In the morning we headed to St. Joseph's Peninsula State Park. There were only gentle waves here, and the water was a murkier green. There were lots of shells here. We then headed to the inland side of the peninsula, and walked a trail along the shore. Here, the brown pelicans were diving like crazy. The water on the inside is beautiful. The sand bars in the water cause the shades of blue to shift with the depths and create a kaledescope of every cool shade. There are streaks of bright green and pools of dark blue. we also saw more fiddler crabs, and spent quite a lot of time watching them gesture and fight. we also saw a dried and dead horseshoe crab, but no live ones. We stopped for pizza at Hungry Howie's pizza and subs. This is apparently a Florida chain, as I've never seen them elsewhere. The pizza was about pizza hut quality/style. We also stopped for a Shrek Shake at McDonald's... they are good, and disgusting looking. We wound up driving back up to Panama City in search of better waves.

We found some waves at Saint Andrews SP. here they were crashing, and Jake finally persuaded tired me to boogie board some more. The waves were huge, but broke unpredictably. I did manage to ride a few almost all the way up the beach though. Mostly I just got knocked about a lot, but it was still great fun. At one point a little cruise ship turned in towards the beach, undoubtably giving dolphin tours as about 4 dolphins immediately appeared near it. Finally we headed back to the showers... only, there were no individual showers, just the exposed shower heads every beach has. Despite the fact that their website claims showers are available. So I did the only sensible thing. I washed and conditioned my hair in the sand showers available. About this time a pirate ship rounded the corner and appeared in front of the beach, and about this time we headed for home. We stopped before leaving the park to check out some wild alligators in a pond, with an island of brushy trees in the middle. the trees were weighed down with Great White and Great Blue herons. a few possibly green herons,and snowy egrets. Great Blue Herons are definitely the most aggressive of the bunch. All these birds were nesting. The alligators barely moved.

We stopped for some quick dinner at Whataburger, another small chain. The food was ok. We made it into southern Alabama by night, and finished the drive home in the morning. we made a brief stop in Decatur for some BBQ. and to stretch our legs at a park there. Once home, we did the final thing that was "included" in our vacation: we saw Pirates 3. very good. But if you didn't like the second one, you probably won't like this one. it's full of action and special effects, and borders on the ridiculous. I think there will be a sequel. I'm not sure if it was a happy ending or not. You'll have to see it and decide for yourself.

Williamsburg: History in Action I

After a music filled First Night, we spent the next day exploring some of the more traditional attractions at Williamsburg. The town was still decked in its finest Christmas decorations. Wreaths hung from every door, and garland edged the windows, the doorways, and the edge where the roof meets the wall. The decorations were are creatively designed from natural items. Pomegranates and horse apples, orange slices, peach pits, artichokes and more graced the wreathes. There were even garlands of strung sycamore seeds. We made our way through town, coming by foot from the visitor's center complex, passing in front of the governor's guarded and decorated palace, and made our way down the palace green to the Duke of Gloucester Street.

We headed to the Kimball Theatre, where we were scheduled to see Dean Shostak’s Crystal Carols Concert. Dean started off with the eerie and beautiful glass armonica, moved on to glass bells, played a bit of a glass violin, and ended with the Cristal baschet. This display and demonstration of unusual instruments is not to be missed. The sounds are unlike anything you have ever heard, and the delicacy of the instruments involved is stunning.

We made our way back to the Governor's Palace, and took a tour of its interior. Though rather small for a building with such a large name as palace, the rooms are beautifully decorated. From the sword and gun covered foyer to the spacious rooms for dancing and gathering at the back. After our tour, we headed down through the gardens behind the palace to the hedge maze there. While it was enough to entertain me running through it for a bit, it's not much of a maze, and the hedges are thin and sparse, making cut throughs all too easy.

We returned to Gloucester, and stopped in to visit the explore the magazine, and to learn a little about the colonial judiciary system at the courthouse across the street. We made our way to the Raleigh tavern, where we waited to get into to see some actors discuss the issues of the revolution. While we waited, Jake headed over to the Raleigh Tavern Bakery and got us some brownies and hot chocolate that was wonderful. We continued up the street to the Capitol building and took a tour of its interior, and learned about the colonial era government system. The green cloth gives many of the rooms the air of a poker joint, rather than the halls of government, but the rich wood decorations and historical narratives are not to be missed. We headed up the street, stopping in many of the shops, explored the wig maker's and some of the smiths. The smell of wood smoke from the fireplaces filled the air as we finally made our way to a bus station that carried us around to our car at the visitor's center.

We headed over to eat at Sal's Ristorante Italiano. The food was decent home style Italian, but certainly not fantastic, and the service was slow. It did make for a more relaxing meal than the hustle and bustle around historic Williamsburg. It was a pleasant end to a busy day.

Ferries in Italy: Sicily and Sardinia

Our trip to Italy included two overnight ferry trips. The first from Sicily to Sardenia, and the second from Sardenia back to mainland Italy, just north of Rome. We booked deck passage instead of an airline type chair or a cabin, since we figured we would be able to sleep somehow, or they would not offer that option. We thought we might be sleeping outside on the benches, but after trying for some time, we gave up. The wind made it too cold and uncomfortable. When we re-entered the ship's carpeted hotel type hallways, we saw that there were people sleeping in every corner. Some even in rolled out sleeping bags with sleeping masks on. So we found our own little corner, curled up, and went to sleep.

For our second trip, we knew what to expect. This boat turned out to be much nicer, having a large lounge where a man was playing some music, and a bar. We chose the lounge because the seating looked much more comfortable. We settled in to listen to the music for a bit, until a group of spring breaker types accosted the DJ to let them sing to a song. Well, one song turned into several, and they were video taping themselves and generally annoying everyone on the boat. Finally, they called it quits, and another girl was pushed up onto the stage by her friends. She was convinced to sing, which she did. I do not remember the song, but her voice was soothing after the terrible karaoke style singing we'd all been subjected to. She sang only the one song and then hurried off stage as we all applauded loudly, something we had not done at all for the earlier group. After this I quickly fell asleep.

So if you are a little adventurous, you really do not need to pay higher rates for a place to sleep on these ships. While the comfort levels of the deck passage accommodations may vary, It will certainly save you some cash.

Williamsburg First Night

We were looking for something fun to do to welcome in 2009. We had an extra long weekend, and initially thought of going somewhere warm. Instead, we wound up heading north to Eastern Virginia and Williams burg. As a child, I lived for a year near Roanoke, and had the opportunity to visit as a school trip, by my parents were unwilling to shell out the cash. I have been brooding ever since.

All was made well when we arrived on New Year's Eve. Through the magic of the Internet I had discovered Williams burg's First Night celebration. This comprised of a large array of activities taking place in various buildings on the campus of William and Mary, as well as Eastward into Williams burg. We had a schedule of what we wanted to do in hand, and set off, walking all over
the place to see what we could. Our very first stop was Bagels and Fraylox, a very good klezmer band. Klezmer is wonderful mostly upbeat Jewish music. I fell in love and bought a CD. We then went to the Matthew Whaley School, where we watched a juggling act, before heading over to the Williamsburg Library Auditorium to watch Suwabi African Dance. I love African dance because it is so energetically different from modern dance. Somewhere in there was also stopped by briefly to see Schnicklefritz and the Oompahs, where I learned I don't like that type of German music. Unfortunately, I still have the chicken dance stuck in my head, which they had also decided to play.
Here we paused for some food, pizza from some small corner shop I do not remember the name off. It was neat because it had dollar bills lacquered into the floor here and there, but the food was mediocre and left me hungry.

We continued out musical exploration by visiting the phenomenal Bobby Black Hat Blues Band, playing in the Kimball Theatre. I have never seen a man run about and be so energetic while playing the harmonica. And he did get down off the stage and run around the aisles. Accompanied by some swing dance students on stage, it was a high energy show and a lot of fun. From there we went on to see the far more subdued Rebbecca Davy, who performed on the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church's organ. Which was quit and interesting show. To top off our evening, before the Grand Finale, we headed over to see Williamsburg's Classic Swing Orchestra play, and to watch the dancers dance. I love watching people swing dance. I am especially fond of watching the older people do it, because they know just what they are doing, and can lead and improvise so well, even if they don't have the energy of their younger counterparts.

Finally, we headed to the Zable Stadium for the Grand Finale. It was very very cold, and after trying to stick it out, we left before midnight, but had a change of heart and returned in time to ring in the new year and watch the fireworks show.

It was a wonderful evening. What I find most amazing is that we didn't see half of the shows available. This is a great way to explore all the varieties of music of the world, and ring in the New Year in a family friendly way. I highly recommend it.

Cathedral Cove

The town of Hahei, on the Coromandel Peninsula of New Zealand's North Island, has some spectacular beaches. From a parking lot near the sea, a trail leads down to several bays and coves. Along the way, the trail passes through flax and fern, and even a small corner of pasture. The ferns were so thick that some children were using them as very effective camouflage. We skipped a stop at Stingray Bay in favor of reaching Mare's Leg cove, and the Cathedral Cove beyond it. The two are connected by a cave, which was very prominently featured in the early part of the Narnia movie Prince Caspian. Both Beaches are absolutely beautiful. White sand, surrounded by high cliffs, and fronted by some of the bluest water I have seen, and this even on a somewhat overcast day. We stayed briefly to explore, then made our way back, this time taking a slightly different route that led us through some unexpectedly mossy and dark forest.

Blue waters from the trail


Fern tree forest


Children in the Ferns


A Spot of Sunshine


Cave connecting mare's leg and cathedral cove


A Mossy Route Through the Forest

High Museum

For Valentine's day, I finally visited the High Museum in Atlanta. We were fortunate enough to visit when they were hosting both a collection from the Louvre, and Terracotta soldiers from the famous site in Shaanxi Province of China.

The current Louvre exhibit that was being show was en exercise in learning what makes a masterpiece. There were several fine pieces, and in some instances, interesting comparisons. It wasn't quite as interesting, surprisingly, as a similarly themed exhibit of Tiffany stained glass that I once saw at the Frist in Nashville. Still, I enjoy art of all but a some of the modern kind, and found it very interesting. The exhibit continues through September of 2009.

The Terracotta army was fascinating to me. Not only are these life sized soldiers part of one of the most impressive archaeological finds ever made, not only are they ancient pieces of art from one of the world's great civilizations, but they are part of an army of individuals. Through the interpretive displays, this exhibit explains both the different roles represented by the statues, and the way in which they were each built, much like cabbage patch dolls, such that, from a limited set of faces, hairstyles, etc, each piece was a different combination, and in the final details, are unique. Visiting displays like this are always a Catch-22 of sorts. Everyone wants to see them, but they want to see them alone. The site these soldiers originated from now has a solid place on my list of places to see, and I can only hope that in the most populous country in the world, the exhibit won't be as crowded. But despite the crowds, don't miss this. The exhibit closes April 19th.

Valli Dei Templi: How the Greeks know God

After leaving Syracusa, we headed west across Sicily towards Agrigento, and the Valle Dei Templi. As we headed across Sicily's newly improved highway's tunnels and bridges, the stone shifted from limestone to sandstone, and the land turned from green to golden.

When we arrived, it was late afternoon, and the sun was casting a golden glow over an already golden earth; the sky was a clear blue. Despite the name, the temples actually line the crests of small ridges That run almost in a line, rather than being in a valley. Across the road from the parking area lie 3 temples. The first, is the Temple of Herakles, later called Hercules by the Romans. This ruin is mostly toppled with only a few towers left amongst the rubble, and there are no barricades preventing us from exploring the climbing over the ancient carved rock. This temple is oldest of the 3 here, having been built around 510 BC, while the other two temples below were built during the 400's.

Further up the slope is the temple of Concordia, a Goddess of agreement whose name shares the same roots as concur and discord. Today, this temple is largely intact, though several columns are missing their capitals. However, still more complete is the temple of Hera, wife of Zeus. This Temple sits imposingly upon the hill and is the most noticeable temple from the road.


On the other side of the road, just beyond the car park, lay the remains of a very impressive temple. Compared to its neighbors, and many other Greek temples built, this temple of Zeus was massive. Its base was nearly the size of a soccer field, and it's height can best be understood by viewing the telamons, which formed partial columns set into the temples walls. There is one example of these laying on the top of the temples base, but don't miss the museum on the hill of the city, which houses, among other artifacts, a reconstructed erect telamon, made even more impressive by two things. A grand piano that sits near its feet, and models showing how it is believe the temple looked when whole, which reveals that these massive humanoid columns were mere decorations on the temple.

Syracusa: Paolo Orsi and the Ruins

After our night on Mt Etna, we took a route south to the town of Syracusa. Syracusa is both a modern and an ancient city. The modern city houses the Paolo Orsi Museum, full of Sicilian artifacts. We spent the morning visiting the museum and its extensive collections of Greek and roman artifacts. Statuary and pottery predominated the nonetheless varied collections. After the museum in the modern city, we were ready to visit the ancient city nearby.

As we approached the entrance, we saw the Altar of Hieron, a long raised platform, which was used in the ritual sacrifice of large numbers of animals.


After entering, we made our way to the Greek amphitheatre. The amphitheatre, rather than being built up from cut stone, was carved into the hill itself. In parts it has quite eroded, but in others is in surprisingly good shape.




Behind and above the amphitheatre runs a portion of ancient road, and niches in the rock, which were sepulchers, and possibly some also food vendors for audiences attending the plays below. One little niche even had water routed through it by the Greeks to form a beautiful grotto, and that water continues to flow today. As the road winds away form the amphitheater into restricted areas, it is rutted with ancient wagon wheels.



In addition to the ruins of structures, there is also an ancient quarry here known as the Quarry of Paradise, because withing this large pit's walls grows an abundance of tropical plants today. A path leads down into the quarry, which once served to trap Greek prisoners who mined the rock.


Towards the back of the quarry lies the curiously carved ear of Ear of Dionysus referring not to the god but to a ruler who was said to have put his ear to the trumpet-like cave to hear the plotting of the prisoners below.

Home of BigFoot

A trip to New Orleans lives up to all expectations. As we headed down south towards the city, we stopped first for a visit to Honey Island Swamp near Slidell, Louisiana. The tour took us up the river in search of alligators, of which we saw several. Some came close to our boat for the treat that the boats were offering: marshmallows. along the edges of the water and flying overhead we saw herons and egrets. We turned down a narrow oxbow of the main river, and eventually arrived within sight of some housing for the natives. Small, shanty like homes whose only access was by boat, accompanied by a house boat that had been overwhelmed by the Katrina flood waters, and lay half submerged, which was nothing compared to the entire home that lay out in a marsh, having been carried there by the storm surge from its foundations further upstream. After that, our boat turned up into a narrow channel, where the water was covered with duckweed, and Spanish moss hung down in streams from the trees. While there had been ample wildlife out on the open river, it was strangely silent among the knob kneed cypress trees. We finally returned to dock, and we were on our was south to the Big Easy.