A quick side trek to Cefalu
Sunday afternoon, following lunch in Palermo, our group headed approx. 45km east along the northern coast to the small town of Cefalu. Our bus parked at the edge of town as the streets were too narrow to accommodate anything bigger than a minivan. The main purpose of the trip was to see the Cathedral. Built in the 12th century, it is considered one of the highlights of Sicily. Strangely enough it’s interior is largely unfinished but what is completed is quite spectacular. The apse and transepts
(top and arms of the cross) featured what appeared at first glance to be frescoes but are, in fact mosaics. The largest of which featured Christ holding a bible. Below that is a second mosaic of the Virgin Mary surrounded by four Archangels.
The walls of the apse featured several carvings as did the walls of the transepts but beyond that the walls of the nave were simply plastered. (And maybe the guy doing all the work was too, possibly explaining why the job never got finished!!!🤦♂️)
After leaving the church we wandered through the streets of mostly souvenir stores and restaurants, making a brief stop to visit the Medieval laundry, reached by descending some slippery stairs to a series of stone basins and washboards built over a rapidly moving spring.
While the rest of the group wandered off in all directions, Susanna and I headed to the waterfront.
A large crescent shaped beach was packed with sunbathing tourists and the occasional Speedo wearing “white whale” Fortunately they seem to be an endangered species although they can still be seen scaring small children in places like Cuba.
One of the most noticeable features of the town is the massive rocky outcrop that rises hundreds of feet above the town and can be seen from quite a distance. Apparently it served as a lookout point and an almost impregnable citadel or castle in the time of the Norman occupation.
Returning to the bus, we continued our journey towards Catania, as was mentioned in a previous post.
Several attempts to upload photos failed due to very poor connections. I will try to add them later
(top and arms of the cross) featured what appeared at first glance to be frescoes but are, in fact mosaics. The largest of which featured Christ holding a bible. Below that is a second mosaic of the Virgin Mary surrounded by four Archangels.
The walls of the apse featured several carvings as did the walls of the transepts but beyond that the walls of the nave were simply plastered. (And maybe the guy doing all the work was too, possibly explaining why the job never got finished!!!🤦♂️)
After leaving the church we wandered through the streets of mostly souvenir stores and restaurants, making a brief stop to visit the Medieval laundry, reached by descending some slippery stairs to a series of stone basins and washboards built over a rapidly moving spring.
While the rest of the group wandered off in all directions, Susanna and I headed to the waterfront.
A large crescent shaped beach was packed with sunbathing tourists and the occasional Speedo wearing “white whale” Fortunately they seem to be an endangered species although they can still be seen scaring small children in places like Cuba.
One of the most noticeable features of the town is the massive rocky outcrop that rises hundreds of feet above the town and can be seen from quite a distance. Apparently it served as a lookout point and an almost impregnable citadel or castle in the time of the Norman occupation.
Returning to the bus, we continued our journey towards Catania, as was mentioned in a previous post.
Several attempts to upload photos failed due to very poor connections. I will try to add them later
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