Aeolian Islands Sicily

So at the end of the holidays we set off for a sailing adventure with Leslie, Guisseppi,  and the skipper Tommaso. The islands are situated on the north west corner of Sicily, the water is clear blue, and the area is steeped in Greek, Roman and Etruscan history. The islands have a couple of major volcanoes, Stromboli, Vulcano. The main towns, islands are Lipari,  which has a terrific archaelogical museum, Salina where Il Postino was filmed is also amazing. We sailed around, and either stayed the nights in ports or in the harbours, as the weather turned nasty for a few days, and it was simpler being in harbour to visit the towns and get dinner. Hunter fished all the time, along with Ewan they would have a line out as we sailed along, sadly though the water was beautiful, we caught nothing. Jayne and leslie played bananagrams, and the boys all played a card game in italian, that l just watched.
Tommaso was great with the boys as was Guieseppi, and the boys had a great time. This area is well worth going to and sailing about, the beauty, history and food is brilliant.

Roman Holiday

Jayne and l went to Rome for a short trip, to see some of the sites we have missed in past trips. These included importantly an excursion to the Testaccio area, where the old meat market is on the edge of Rome. The Maxi Museum, which is furthur out and is well worth visiting, as it puts on exceptional exhibitions in an exceptional building.
So we organized a tour guide to visit the Testaccio area, as we wanted in particular to visit MOunt Testaccio, and entry is more by luck if someone turns up to open the gate, or you have a guide who organizes someone to be there. The mountain, and l feel that is a stretch for this hill is made completely of broken pots from centuries past, pots from Syria, Turkey, France, Africa, Spain conataining oil, grain, wine. The pots once empties where carted to this area and broken and then layed in layers, which is amazing to see a x section. The pots thanks to our guide who was an archeologist where identified by their colour or design of handle or shape. On the top of this hill which might be 100 metres they have cut a shaft and from photos you can truely see the layering effect, along with examples along the track you walk up. We then had a lunch in one of the many restaurants that backs into the base of the hill, and so the walls are of broken pots. The old meat market has become a sort of art area with studios and gallery spaces, though maybe not yet as successful as it could be. And next to that is the new market which sells everything, and is well worth going too, and tasting the local produce and wines.
Near by is an incredible cemetery , Cimitero Acattolica ( Protestant Cemetery) In this place Percey Shelley, John Keats are buried along with many other famous artists and writers. In fact you needed to be artistic to get in in the end. There is also a Russian section, it was established in 1716, when the Pope recognised that many inhabitants of Rome where not catholic. Near by is the Pyramid of Cestius built in 30 BC as a tomb, and looks odd .
And of course we did a trip to the Pantheon, because you just have to see one of the most incredible man made structures, and while there pop around the corner to see a few Caravaggios.

Boys 13th Birthday

We celebrated the boys 13th birthday, paintballing. Jayne found a place where you can bring a lunch, they have tables and chairs and undercover provided. It was at Castenaso, San Lazzaro di Savena, outside Bologna. Tricky to find, and a rather wet and cold day. Most of the parents came, and so we ate and drank while the kids shot at each other, it was well set up with bunkers, and old stylt buildings and cars lying in the circuit, there where about 20 kids. The great thing was Ewan and Hunter where able to use the paintball guns l bought them in the USA, and get the air cannisters filled there, they also sold smoke bombs to the kids, which l found odd, but anything for a few euros. And so after the birthday cake and celebrations, the kids ran around lettting off the smoke bombs, some kids bought 6, with a few going home with them, god knows what the patrents thought of us.
The boys had a great time, and it was a change from the bowling, and go karting we had done the previous years.