Cruising around and through Europe Part 32: Sicily part 1: I got up early and went to the deck outside of the Explorers Lounge to take photos of our passage through the Strait of...

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

I got up early and went to the deck outside of the Explorers Lounge to take photos of our passage through the Strait of Messina between the Italian mainland and Sicily. There was a crowd there doing the same thing. The term crowd on Viking is relative, as the ship never seems crowded. We were supposed to pass through the narrowest part at 0630, but did so a little earlier, so I missed that part. I got many nice photos though, including docking in Messina Sicily; we were in port 8:00 AM 6:00 PM. We took the tour “Messina & Its Treasures” from 9:45 AM – 12:45. We had one of the best tour guides so far, Lilly. We stopped a couple of times along the way for photos and at a café where we had a snack.

The Strait of Messina (Italian: Stretto di Messina; Sicilian: Strittu di Missina) is a narrow strait between the eastern tip of Sicily (Punta del Faro) and the western tip of Calabria (Punta Pezzo) in Southern Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north with the Ionian Sea to the south, within the central Mediterranean. At its narrowest point, between Torre Faro and Villa San Giovanni, it is 3.1 km (1.9 mi) wide. At the city of Messina, it is 5.1 km (3.2 mi) wide. The strait's maximum depth is about 250 m (820 ft).

MESSINA & ITS TREASURES
The Viking description of the 3 hour excursion “Messina & Its Treasures”: “Marvel at the architectural and artistic treasures held dear by the Sicilians of Messina. Meet your local guide for a short drive to the heart of Messina’s historic center. See the expansive Piazza Municipio, the Via Garibaldi and the Piazza Cairoli, the heart of Old Town. Drive along the Via Cannizzaro to view the university, court of law, and picturesque Corso Cavour. Enjoy a photo stop by the hillside Votive Temple of Christ the King, a Sicilian baroque wonder, and admire the views over the port and the Messina Straight. Next you will reboard your motor coach and continue your panoramic tour along the north coast of Messina, which offers stunning vistas over the Ganzirri Lakes and the Capo Peloro. The saltwater lakes are used by fishermen to breed clams and mussels which feature heavily in the local cuisine.”

The last photo is of Teatro Vittorio Emanuele II, commissioned by Ferdinand II of Bourbon, was inaugurated in 1852. Built in neoclassical style to a design by Neapolitan architect Pietro Valente, the theatre was damaged during the 1908 Messina earthquake and later underwent expansion and restoration. Today, it is the main theatre in the city of Messina and the largest in Sicily in terms of capacity among regional theatres. It offers a varied programme ranging from drama, musicals, opera and ballet. Its ceiling features a fresco by painter Renato Guttuso, dedicated to the myth of Colapesce.

My previous post can be found at https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-803814-1.html, while the first post of this series (that includes a map of all of the places where we stopped) can be found at https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-801137-1.html

Next up: More of Messina Sicily, including the magnificent cathedral

Cruising through the Straight of Messina, the mainland on the left, Sicily on the right

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The mainland
The mainland...

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Entering the harbor, more on this in a later post

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Where we docked
Where we docked...

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Driving through Messina
Driving through Messina...

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We stopped along the strait for photos

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A snack! So many choices…..
A snack! So many choices….....

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Driving through Messina
Driving through Messina...

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Through the tour bus windshield

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Teatro Vittorio Emanuele II
Teatro Vittorio Emanuele II...

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Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

The beautiful tour continues, Dennis.

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

Great set Dennis. Nice to see these since we did not stop in Messina on our trip to Sicily.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

DJphoto wrote:

I got up early and went to the deck outside of the Explorers Lounge to take photos of our passage through the Strait of Messina between the Italian mainland and Sicily. There was a crowd there doing the same thing. The term crowd on Viking is relative, as the ship never seems crowded. We were supposed to pass through the narrowest part at 0630, but did so a little earlier, so I missed that part. I got many nice photos though, including docking in Messina Sicily; we were in port 8:00 AM 6:00 PM. We took the tour “Messina & Its Treasures” from 9:45 AM – 12:45. We had one of the best tour guides so far, Lilly. We stopped a couple of times along the way for photos and at a café where we had a snack.

The Strait of Messina (Italian: Stretto di Messina; Sicilian: Strittu di Missina) is a narrow strait between the eastern tip of Sicily (Punta del Faro) and the western tip of Calabria (Punta Pezzo) in Southern Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north with the Ionian Sea to the south, within the central Mediterranean. At its narrowest point, between Torre Faro and Villa San Giovanni, it is 3.1 km (1.9 mi) wide. At the city of Messina, it is 5.1 km (3.2 mi) wide. The strait's maximum depth is about 250 m (820 ft).

MESSINA & ITS TREASURES
The Viking description of the 3 hour excursion “Messina & Its Treasures”: “Marvel at the architectural and artistic treasures held dear by the Sicilians of Messina. Meet your local guide for a short drive to the heart of Messina’s historic center. See the expansive Piazza Municipio, the Via Garibaldi and the Piazza Cairoli, the heart of Old Town. Drive along the Via Cannizzaro to view the university, court of law, and picturesque Corso Cavour. Enjoy a photo stop by the hillside Votive Temple of Christ the King, a Sicilian baroque wonder, and admire the views over the port and the Messina Straight. Next you will reboard your motor coach and continue your panoramic tour along the north coast of Messina, which offers stunning vistas over the Ganzirri Lakes and the Capo Peloro. The saltwater lakes are used by fishermen to breed clams and mussels which feature heavily in the local cuisine.”

The last photo is of Teatro Vittorio Emanuele II, commissioned by Ferdinand II of Bourbon, was inaugurated in 1852. Built in neoclassical style to a design by Neapolitan architect Pietro Valente, the theatre was damaged during the 1908 Messina earthquake and later underwent expansion and restoration. Today, it is the main theatre in the city of Messina and the largest in Sicily in terms of capacity among regional theatres. It offers a varied programme ranging from drama, musicals, opera and ballet. Its ceiling features a fresco by painter Renato Guttuso, dedicated to the myth of Colapesce.

My previous post can be found at https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-803814-1.html, while the first post of this series (that includes a map of all of the places where we stopped) can be found at https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-801137-1.html

Next up: More of Messina Sicily, including the magnificent cathedral

I got up early and went to the deck outside of the... (show quote)

Gorgeous place and shots 🍒🍒🍒

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Longshadow wrote:

Thanks for the thumbs up Longshadow.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

UTMike wrote:

The beautiful tour continues, Dennis.

Thanks Mike, glad to have you along.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

srfmhg wrote:

Great set Dennis. Nice to see these since we did not stop in Messina on our trip to Sicily.

Thanks Mark, it must have been the only significant place that you didn't visit on your tour of Sicily.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

joecichjr wrote:

Gorgeous place and shots 🍒🍒🍒

Thank you Joe, I appreciate your kind words. More to come.

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Another great tour Dennis.

Don

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

PAR4DCR wrote:

Another great tour Dennis.

Don

Thanks Don, I appreciate it. More to come.

EJMcD

DJphoto wrote:

I got up early and went to the deck outside of the Explorers Lounge to take photos of our passage through the Strait of Messina between the Italian mainland and Sicily. There was a crowd there doing the same thing. The term crowd on Viking is relative, as the ship never seems crowded. We were supposed to pass through the narrowest part at 0630, but did so a little earlier, so I missed that part. I got many nice photos though, including docking in Messina Sicily; we were in port 8:00 AM 6:00 PM. We took the tour “Messina & Its Treasures” from 9:45 AM – 12:45. We had one of the best tour guides so far, Lilly. We stopped a couple of times along the way for photos and at a café where we had a snack.

The Strait of Messina (Italian: Stretto di Messina; Sicilian: Strittu di Missina) is a narrow strait between the eastern tip of Sicily (Punta del Faro) and the western tip of Calabria (Punta Pezzo) in Southern Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north with the Ionian Sea to the south, within the central Mediterranean. At its narrowest point, between Torre Faro and Villa San Giovanni, it is 3.1 km (1.9 mi) wide. At the city of Messina, it is 5.1 km (3.2 mi) wide. The strait's maximum depth is about 250 m (820 ft).

MESSINA & ITS TREASURES
The Viking description of the 3 hour excursion “Messina & Its Treasures”: “Marvel at the architectural and artistic treasures held dear by the Sicilians of Messina. Meet your local guide for a short drive to the heart of Messina’s historic center. See the expansive Piazza Municipio, the Via Garibaldi and the Piazza Cairoli, the heart of Old Town. Drive along the Via Cannizzaro to view the university, court of law, and picturesque Corso Cavour. Enjoy a photo stop by the hillside Votive Temple of Christ the King, a Sicilian baroque wonder, and admire the views over the port and the Messina Straight. Next you will reboard your motor coach and continue your panoramic tour along the north coast of Messina, which offers stunning vistas over the Ganzirri Lakes and the Capo Peloro. The saltwater lakes are used by fishermen to breed clams and mussels which feature heavily in the local cuisine.”

The last photo is of Teatro Vittorio Emanuele II, commissioned by Ferdinand II of Bourbon, was inaugurated in 1852. Built in neoclassical style to a design by Neapolitan architect Pietro Valente, the theatre was damaged during the 1908 Messina earthquake and later underwent expansion and restoration. Today, it is the main theatre in the city of Messina and the largest in Sicily in terms of capacity among regional theatres. It offers a varied programme ranging from drama, musicals, opera and ballet. Its ceiling features a fresco by painter Renato Guttuso, dedicated to the myth of Colapesce.

My previous post can be found at https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-803814-1.html, while the first post of this series (that includes a map of all of the places where we stopped) can be found at https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-801137-1.html

Next up: More of Messina Sicily, including the magnificent cathedral

I got up early and went to the deck outside of the... (show quote)

Travel and Photography...a wonderful combination of activities. You are surely enjoying life and are much envied.

mvetrano2 Loc: Commack, NY

nice

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Great tour, Dennis.