Italia:2014-Road Trip: Part I

        Now that the dust has settled on 2014 for the most part, it's time to recall some of the highlights of the year.  The NYTimes published its 'Year in Pictures" on Sunday, revealing many captured moments that one remembers well.  But, the Mayor can recall a few of his own, especially from the road trip in Italia.
      We started from Rome, flying nonstop to Palermo in Sicily.  This was the first return after almost 20 years when we visited Taormina on the east coast of the island in the shadow of the volcano Mt. Etna(which was erupting and producing thunderous explosions at the summit).  Palermo is a modern city on the northwest coast, surrounded by eroded hills and mountains.  The airport is located to the west of the city along the coast.  The city itself is a large port providing shipping services for freight and passenger traffic.  Ferries arrive here from the peninsula and from Sardinia to the north.  A few come from the southern islands in the Mediterrenean: Pantelleria and Lampedusa, both Italian possessions.
      For 3 days we walked the streets of the city taking in the sights and enjoying autumn weather in the 70's.  Our meals here introduced us to what we would encounter on the road: fish, and lots of it.  We also began to grasp the local pastry traditions that accompany every meal: cannoli, filled with cream.  For breakfast? Yes!   Because of the historical and geographical position of Sicily, layers of culture can be uncovered wherever one looks- Greeks, Spaniards, Trojans, North Africans, Turks, and Egyptians all left signs and symbols about the landscape.  Architectural elements abound with a variety of ownership.   Remember the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies? Do your homework.  Remember King Ruggiero II?  Look him up-beyond Google.
     We picked up the rental car after 3 days and off we went, heading west along the coast.  The date:11/3/14.
More later.