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Hot dog! They’re Frankfurturers!

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Today’s Frankfurters boast about the 31 museums in the old center of their ancient city. They are concentrated in a zone called the Museumsufer. The Museumsufer includes the Studel (art), the History Museum and the Archaeological Museum. And of course Frankfurters can enjoy frankfurters every day of the week.

Beyond the purview of the those on holiday, Frankfurt is the EU’s largest and most important financial center. It is one of four European capitals, with a skyscraper fan’s skyline. There are multiple universities and graduate schools. Frankfurt sits on the Main River, an important shipping and sightseeing route with its easy connection to the Rhine. It’s a huge rail and air hub . With its many green spaces, entertainment venues and extensive public transport, it’s a better place to live than visit as a tourist, aside from the museums.

Frankfurt was the object of fourteen major bombing attacks during WWII. At least 1500 Frankfurters died. Only the Cathedral remained intact in the center. Unlike Warsaw, which completely rebuilt its old town center, here they rebuilt just a mere handful of the half-timber buildings that once lined the streets.

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Some of the rebuilt half timbers
Frankfurt's old town after WW2.
Frankfurt’s old town after WW2. Only the DOM remains intact

Frankfurt’s name comes from the Franks, the Germanic people who occupy the country we know as France. ‘Furt’ in its name means ‘ford.’ Frankfurt was the location on the River Main where the Franks could ford that river. Thus the name in effect means “Where the Franks ford the river.”

Since 1356 emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were elected in the Dom (Dome), aka Frankfurt Cathedral. Although not a cathedral, emperors-elect were crowned here from 1562 to 1792. In 1848 German democracy took its first steps in St. Paul’s church. At the first National Assembly five hundred elected representatives met in the expansive church. Democracy lasted just a year. However the constitution enacted became the basis of today’s German government.

Coronation of Archduke Joseph as King of the Romans in Frankfurt Cathedral, 1764 (Wiki)

Archäologisches Museum features an extensive and unusual collection of sculpture from the cult of Mithra, a major figure of the Zoroastrian religion. The Zoroastrian religion was of Persian origin, becoming popular among Roman soldiers. A core myth is about Sol finally allowing his totally incompetent son Phaeton to take the reins of the chariot that transports the sun across the sky each day. Phaeton crashed the chariot, causing mayhem on earth. Jupiter then created Mithra, who fixes the problem by sacrificing a bull. Sol is angered by Mithra’s actions but the matter is resolved. The sun continues its journey across the sky. Phew! We ducked a bullet, didn’t we!

This is not a huge museum so I do not understand why they did not bother to offer English translations. English is used by most everyone who does not speak German, not just native English speakers.

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Mithras saves the sun by sacrificing the bull

Historisches Museum is as excellent and in English as well. It is extensive, spread over multiple floors in two buildings. One exhibit tells of the largest legal actions by Germany against former Nazis that took place in Frankfurt from 1963-65. The main trial concerned 22 defendants. Six were sentenced to life for murder. Another 11 were sentenced to varying terms. The display shows the huge card catalogs used by the prosecution.

There are several large and detailed models of the old center. You can check out the Staufer, the 12th century ancient castle, all the way to the basement. It was the residence of the Hohenstaufen kings. There are also elements of the ancient harbor. You wind your way over to the old Toll Tower’s circular stone staircase for a view over the river and the old town.

Frankfurters – the sausages – were born here. The granddaddy is the Frankfurter Würstchen, a thin, parboiled sausage made with pork cased in sheep intestine. It is longer and thinner than an American hot dog, lightly smoked at a low-temperature. The good old American hot dog, also often called a frankfurter, is just one of several variations, such as the Vienna sausage. The Frankfurters enjoy their frankfurters with potato salad and a beer. Or maybe some fries – fritz in German.

The locals love Frankfurt’s famous Green Sauce, topping boiled eggs, potatoes, and brisket. I had it on fish. I am not normally a big fan of white sauces like this but this is an exception. The herbs are not easy to come by so I don’t think we will be able to make this sauce on our own. For a another bite at the cuisine, see https://theculturetrip.com/europe/germany/articles/7-foods-you-need-to-try-when-youre-in-frankfurt

Trier: Capital of the Franks

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The oldest city in Germany, Trier was created by the Romans in the late 1st century BC, calling it Agusta Treverorum, the city of Augustus among the Celtic Belgian group the Treveri. It was the capital of the Gauls (Celts), serving much of the Roman Empire and becoming one of the emperors’ residence. The Franks conquered Trier in 496 CE. There were witch trials between 1581 and 1593 – nearly 400 women were murdered. During WWII the city served as the staging area for British troops captured at Dunkirk.

It has one mighty big Roman gate, Porta Negra, circa 300 CE, built when it was one of four capitals of the Roman Empire in the late third century. You stand there looking at it wondering why it is so dirty. It’s not. The blackened stone is in its natural state. Adjacent is a confusing city museum which totally lacks narrative, just a bunch of objects on display.

Here there are also the 4th-century Roman baths, the amphitheater from c. 100 C.E., and the cavernous basilica. The basilica is now a Protestant church. It has the throne room of the emperors.

There’s an intricately designed set of churches whose spires stand above where Constantine built four. One is the Cathedral, the oldest church in Germany. Basically Romanesque, it dates from the early 4th century. It was rebuilt in about 550, and enlarged in the 11th – 13th centuries. It stands next to another spire-laden house of worship.

Trier Cathedral,ink 21 x 29cm/8.3 x 11.7″
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Trier’s Cathedral
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Trier’s Cathedral

The Roman monuments, the Cathedral, and the Church of Our Lady were designated a World Heritage site in 1986.

When it comes to street food, the local favorite is Weck, Worscht un Woi. This features a soft bread roll (Weck), savory sausage (Worscht), and a glass of local wine (Woi). Can’t get more German than that, can you? Likewise with the local artisan breads made from rye and whole wheat. Trierer Schwarzbrot is a dark rye bread ,dense and slightly tangy. We’ve tried a cream topped strawberry tarts (and there are other fruit toppings). Out of this world!

There’s a huge white wine production in the region,ranging from dry to very sweet. The main grape is Riesling. There is also including some bubbly, called Sekt. Sommeliers and other experts praise the better Rieslings for their complexity, expressiveness and how well they age. Pinot Noir and other varieties are on the upswing. That view runs counter to those of many.

Germany is a beer culture. On our last trip here I was quite disappointed. The long slow pours resulting in a head you could sit on are a thing of the past. I remember watching a woman pouring a glass for me. It must have taken ten minutes to get it just so. I do not see that any more. Not that there aren’t any good beers left. More of this anon.

Trier Cathedral II, watercolor
Trier Cathedral II, watercolor 21 x 30cm/8.3 x 11.7 cm

Luxembourg: So fabulous that the whole city is a World Heritage site

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The capital setting is dramatic, siting as it does on cliffs above a winding gorge and the rivers that snake through. It’s medieval architecture is among the finest. Thus Luxembourg’s is designated as a World Heritage City. The rest of the country is another sort of beauty, rural, heavily forested and otherwise largely agricultural. There are no other cities whatsoever, just many lovely views.

The Fortress of Luxembourg is a big part of the impressive cliff that marks the entrance to the city. The fort was once important for controlling the left bank of the Rhine, the Low Countries and the border between France and Germany. The center of much warfare over the centuries since its inception in the 10th century, it was largely disassembled by treaty in 1867. Over the centuries it had been controlled by the Burgundy, the French, Austrian and Spanish Hapsburgs, and the Prussians.

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View of the Fort. The Alzette and Petrusse rivers flow through the gullies.

The capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is called Luxembourg, not Luxembourg City, just Luxembourg. As a result many do not realize that the capital is just a tiny part of the country of this itsy bitsy country. Of its mere 682,000 residents only 135,000 live in Luxembourg.

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Ducal Palace. The Duke is the titular head of government.

Luxembourgian is the national language. It is in the same family as German and Dutch. French is the official language of government so many speak it as well. The capital is 60%+ foreign, so you can find many other languages in common usage there. Luxembourg is one of the wealthiest countries in Europe, with a per capital income of $140k/year, so you might find it frightfully expensive. Fortunately wine production is enormous, so that product at least is reasonably priced, albeit it is mostly white.

Luxembourg is one of the four ‘capitals’ of the EU, together with Brussels, Strasbourg and Frankfurt. Here you find the Court of Justice of the EU, the EU Court of Auditors, the Secretariat of the EU Parliament and the Public Prosecutor, the EU Investment Bank, the Investment Fund and more. The Council of the EU meets here for three months annually.

Luxembourg is a busy place, with foot traffic galore in the pedestrian only center. Both boutique and chain upscale stores occupy the street level of old and newer buildings alike. In this weather (June) people sit outdoors at bars and eateries, although there is plenty of street food. We found one such which provided a light lunch for two for €22, including a shared Quiche Loraine, a popular item.

There is a wide variety in the cuisine, reflecting the diversity of the population. We had lunch in a Portuguese restaurant. Bacalao (cod) is popular in Portugal and several versions were on offer. One was shredded cod, potato sticks (!) and an egg, combined and then baked. Another has shredded cod covered with olive oil and then baked. Mine was a sauteed red and green pepper topping over a thick corn battered filet, with freshly made potato chips (crisps for you English).

All public transport in the country is free as part of the effort to reduce traffic. From our mooring on the Moselle we went to the city by train on one occasion and by bus on another, visited a museum in Wiltz on a third, and Trier, Germany on a fourth- you have to buy a ticket for any travel outside the country. In the city there is tram as well as bus transport. Many of the buses are electric, even in the countryside.

Musee Bataille Des Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) is occupies the castle in Wiltz. WWII is a big deal in the country and especially in Wiltz. The Nazis occupied the country and used brutality to control the population. Luxembourghish was banned and children were indoctrinated. In Wiltz and elsewhere members of the resistance were tortured and killed. Others were sent to concentration camps and into forced labor.

The Museum highlights the American soldiers of the 28th Infantry Division who liberated the town. The 28th still serves as the Pennsylvania National Guard. There are plaques to soldiers who died in battle as the German army approached, including the division dentist and some musicians. On the lighter side, one soldier played Santa Claus for the village children. The Museum committee went to considerable trouble to track down him down many years after the war. They brought Santa aka Frank McClelland for a visit to the village. Also, on his way towards the front, Eisenhower stopped here. The photographed is displayed.

This museum is a bit unusual as together with the WWII displays there is a section about brewing and leather production. The town at one point had several brewers and tanners. The price of admission includes your choice of among several locally made brews!

If you visit by public transport, go by bus as it gets you close to the museum. The train is a steep climb to the museum. Returning by train is easier as it’s all downhill, but still it is quite a bit farther than the bus stop.

Metz, France: a site for soar eyes

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Metz sits at the confluence of the Moselle and Seille rivers. The Cathedral’s height and extensive stained glass dwarf the slack jawed visitor. The town boasts cream colored stone architecture from the Middle Ages. Part of Germany from 1870 to the end of WWI I, it sits near the border of Germany and Luxembourg.

Metz has a rich 3,000-year history, starting with a Celtic oppidum, an iron age fortified town. During the Roman period it had a population of 40,000. It was the Merovingian capital of Austrasia (the northeastern Frankish kingdom), from the 6th to the 8th century. The Carolingian dynasty started by Charles Mantel (Charlemagne was his grandson) began here. It was a republic from the 12th to the 13th century.

Cathédrale Saint-Étienne (Stephen) is a superb example of High Gothic architecture. The nave is 41 meters in height. It has more stained glass than any other building in the world, with works by Gothic and Renaissance glass masters as well as Jacques Villon’s cubism and several by Chagall. It sits where there there has been a church since the 6th century.

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Chagall’s stained glass
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Metz center

We visited the Museum of La Cour d’Or, Metz, the city history museum. You descend several flights to the Roman cistern, discovered when construction began on the current building. There is an unusual and extensive collection of Celtic Roman era sarcophagi and gravestones. The artwork is crude compared to most Roman era carving. There is also a rare and large collection of painted wooden ceilings.

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Port Allemands, Metz watercolor 21 x 30cm/11.7 x 8.3″
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Roman era cistern at the Museum of La Cour d’Or, Metz
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Among the collection of painted wood ceilings in the museum

This is a fun city to walk around. The stone construction glows in the sun. There are lots of people about but you don’t feel crowded. There are many side streets and alleys if you get tired of all the upscale shopping on the main street. Plenty of places to stop for refreshment. Quiche Loraine is a big deal. No reason why you couldn’t pair it with one of the many Moselle white wines.

The main grapes are Auxerrois, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot grigio. They also grow Müller-Thurgau, Pinot blanc, Riesling, Gamay and Gewürztraminer. You might also try the rosés, made from Pinot noir and Gamay. See the tourist bureau site for more information https://www.tourisme-metz.com/en/discover-metz-metropole/gastronomy-and-mirabelle-plums

Sicily: The Leopard to Serpotta

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Sicily was ruled by Spain’s Bourbon dynasty. The Spanish lost this kingdom when The Leopard leaped.

Sicily was once ruled by the Bourbons, who held the Spanish throne. The country the Bourbons ruled came to be called The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Why two? It was formed when the Bourbons united two kingdoms both called Sicily. The northern half, formally called the Kingdom of Naples but commonly referred to as the Kingdom of Sicily, ranged from Naples all the way south on mainland Italy. This area today is called the Mezzogiorno. In 1816 this Kingdom of Naples merged with the Kingdom of Sicily (the island) under the Bourbons forming the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Leaping Leopards!

In 1957 Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa wrote The Leopard, a novel about the unification of Sicily with the then recently established country we now call Italy. Tomasi was the last in a line of minor princes. The main character of the book is his great-grandfather, Don Giulio Fabrizio Tomasi, the Prince of Lampedusa. Lampedusa is an island. Tomasi died before the book was published. The Leopard became the top selling novel in Italian history, while winning prestigious awards. In 1959 it was made into a movie, and there is now a series on Netflix.

Before the unification (the Risorgimento), Italy was divided into city states. The Pope, for example, ruled Rome and the area around it and south to Naples. The Leopard is about how Sicily became part of the new country with the “invasion” of Garibaldi, leading a mere 1000 soldiers. Clearly there wasn’t much resistance.

The Circle Trip

So here I am now in modern Sicily formed by the Leaping Leopard. And what did I come to see yet again? Ancient Sicily, and there’s a lot of it. You land in Palermo or Catania, join a tour or rent a car and do your own, as I do. Driving is not too difficult if you don’t mind sharing the road with the Italians, who have a rather aggressive driving style.

I started in Catania. There is a neat old Basilica Cattedrale Sant’Agata (1078 though rebuilt after earthquakes), the nearby Roman amphitheater, the Monastero dei Benedettini (16th c), and Ursino Castle from the 13th century, which houses the Civic Museum of Catania. Il Museo Arte Contemporanea Sicilia is small but worth a visit. A walk through the old town displays its ancient character. While Catania is generally unkempt and unattractive, it’s better in the old center.

Mt Etna smokes just an hour’s drive uphill. As usual in Italy there will be some Mario Andretti on your behind, until he finds a bit of a stretch so he can zoom past. Etna is no joke. She erupted again on June 2, just two days after we drove to the southern peak. You’d appreciate the fast drivers if the eruption occurred while you were up there.

From Catania you can go south along the coast to Siracusa (Syracuse in English). It was founded by Greeks circa 733 BCE, becoming the most important city of Magna Grecia, the area comprising southern Italy . There are two main reasons for going to Siracusa. The island of Ortigia is one. The oldest part of the city, it contains the Cattedrale Metropolitana della Natività di Maria Santissima, a UNESCO site. The stately Cathedral dates from the 7th century, with Roman era columns still holding up the roof. Further along through ancient narrow streets and allies there’s the old castle guarding the harbor.

The second main attraction is https://parchiarcheologici.regione.sicilia.it/en/parco-archeologico-di-siracusa-eloro-villa-del-tellaro-e-akrai/ It has a Greek and Roman amphitheater and some mighty big caves. Somewhere I read that the caves were used by the local oracles to deliver their vague premonitions. There are ancient bronze statues (copies) here and there on the expansive grounds There are catacombs nearby.

Sicily has more Greek temples than Greece. From Siracusa you zoom around the coast to the valley of the Temples in Agrigento, a bit inland. Concordia is the most intact. Selinunte, an even larger collection of temples residing on the beautiful coast, is not terribly far. Founded around 628 BCE, Selinunte was one of the most important Greek colonies on the island.

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Selinunte Beach, watercolor 10 x 15cm/4 x 6″ If you walk the length of the park you have this view
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Frieze from Selinunte in the archaeology museum in Palermo
Temple of Hercules
Temple of Hercules, Selinunte
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Tempio della Concordia, Agrigento
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Ruins of Selinunte
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Temple of Juno, Agrigento

After Selinunte I made a side trip with my daughter and family to Partanna. My grandfather was born there and my grandmother not far away in Santa Ninfa. The drive through the countryside reveals the intensity of its agriculture, and just as you arrive in Partanna there are huge olive oil and wine storage tanks along the main road.

You get a sense of where you come from when you visit your roots. We don’t just pop out of nowhere. There’s a long history behind us, many stories to be told, many we will never uncover. I have one of my own: to this day I do not know who was the father of my uncle Matteo, born to my grandmother. His birth certificate is silent on the matter.

We continued on to Erice, a small town perched on the top of a mountain. You climb to the top via numerous tight and often very steep switchbacks. The stone village has fabulous views of the sea on one side, Trapani on another with its salt drying ponds sparkling under the sun, and extensive agricultural lands elsewhere. We stayed in Villa San Giovanni. The old building is fun to be in. The rooms are a bit dated and basic, but it’s tough to beat the views.

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View from our hotel in Erice
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Real Duomo (Chiesa Madre di Erice)
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Castello Pepoli
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More on Erice from my previous visit is here https://garyjkirkpatrick.com/erice-ancient-mountain-top-village-on-the-coast/

There are great views as you drive along the coast to Palermo, with mountains on one side and the coast on the other. We stopped for one night at a beach apartment, the sandy beach just a five minute walk.

Palermo was settled by the Phoenicians in 734 BCE. The fabulous decorations of the Greek temples in Selinunte Archaeological Park is in the https://www.regione.sicilia.it/beniculturali/salinas/. You’ll be floored by what’s on the walls there. Otherwise Palermo is about the churches and the fabulous art within.

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Palermo’s Cathedral at night

For many the highlight of a visit to Palermo, aside from the cuisine of course, is the church art of Giacomo Serpotta, 1656 –1732. His stucco (plaster) sculpture in the Rococco style will stun even the most casual visitor. His was a self-taught master of this highly detailed realism. According to the free of charge guide he added marble dust to the plaster for sparkle and added strength. His brother and son were also in the church decoration business.

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The work of Serputta in the Oratorio of San Lorenzo. San Lorenzo martyrdom is depicted

Church architecture in Palermo runs the gamut, from Norman to Baroque. The must see Arab -Norman Palace (11th) dates from Norman times but was built over centuries so you get them all. The Palermo Cathedral is huge, with 17th century paintings and a great painting in the aspe ceiling.

The Duomo of Monreale, which you get to by bus or car, is loaded with Byzantine style mosaics. Just superb! It was built by the Norman kings William II, 1166-89. Who woulda thunk it? Probably not even my blond, blue-eyed Zio Matteo. From the village there are great views of Palermo.

Duomo Monreale, Sicily
The Duomo of Monreale

Palermo’s main street downtown is a pedestrian zone. It is lined with upscale shops and restaurants, with perhaps a tavola calda or two. In this part of Italy a tavola calda has arancini, risotto rice shaped into balls coated with corn meal, then deep fried. They have an orange tint so together with the shape and the orange color they came to be called arancini, little oranges. There are other shapes. The round ones are stuffed with ragu. The other shapes have different ingredients, including pistachio sauces.

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Via Ruggero Settimo in Palermo on a Friday night

Follow this street on down and you come to Quattro Canti, an intersection with four effusively decorated facades, one on each corner. Turn right and you find the Cathedral and a but further on the Palazzo dei Normanni.

Posts from previous visits can be found here https://garyjkirkpatrick.com/well-be-back-in-time-treasures-of-sicily-palermo/, here https://garyjkirkpatrick.com/palermo-a-city-to-visit-a-city-on-the-edge/, here https://garyjkirkpatrick.com/the-norman-palace-palermo/and here https://garyjkirkpatrick.com/a-good-friday-procession-in-palermo/

For good itineraries in Palermo, check out https://www.thethinkingtraveller.com/blog/the-best-things-to-do-in-palermo-itineraries

Toul, France

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Not Toulouse, not Toulon, just plain Toul: its a moat encircled ancient town located on the Moselle River with impressive late 1700’s stone ramparts, ranging to 5 meters in height. There are two locks within 100 meters of one another protecting the population, connecting the Moselle River and the Canal du Marne au Rhin. Known as Tullum Leucorum by the Romans, Toul did not become part of France in until 1552 after having been a Catholic diocese since the 4th century.

The fortress within the ramparts was last used during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Surrender to the Prussians came in less than a day after a 2300 shell bombardment. In WWI it served as a base for the incipient US Air Force. The stone ramparts date from 1698. The area produces the Cote de Toul AOC protected wine, most notably the Gris de Toul.

There’s a cut in the ancient wall that these days allows cars into the old town. Follow the streets around to the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Toul, built in flamboyant Gothic style. Construction began in the 12th century and completed by 1496, with some later additions. The towers rise to 65 meters/ 213,’ the nave is 100 meters/328′ in length. It has a large cloister. “With a Romanesque plan and Gothic construction, this building is a symbol of the city’s rich episcopal past and an emblem for a whole territory. Remarkable by its dimensions as well as by its beauty, the Cathedral of Saint-Etienne attracts several tens of thousands of visitors every year.” https://toul.fr/cathedrale800ans/

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Joan of Arc
Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Toul
Nave of Toul’s Cathedral

The 139 statues of the portico were destroyed during the French Revolution. The roof and the south tower sustained damaged in WW2. They were restored in the 1980s.

Messina: A Surprising Pleasure

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It takes a half hour on a fast ferry from Reggio de Calabria to arrive in Messina, crossing the Strait of Messina. The large port is home to numerous ferries, commercial vessels as well as military ships. The city center of the small city of 215,000 is about 12 kilometers from the entrance to the Strait. The lovely City Hall sits along the harbor. The city, wracked by a major earthquake in 1908 leading to a devastating tsunami, backs up against hills to the west.

The Greeks liked this location, settling the area in the 8th BCE. Artifacts in the Museo Interdisciplinare Regionale (the Regional Museum) bear witness, but there is much more. The 1908 earthquake produced such vast devastation that many buildings were not rebuilt. Their decorations, paintings and other valuables were placed in the Museum. Capitols and a wide variety of other carvings sit in a special exhibit. An exuberant hostess showed us around and helped us with their 3-D glasses. These give you a 360 degree perspective, providing context for the objects upon which the presentation focused.

North end of Messina's harbor
North end of Messina’s harbor

A room of the special exhibit simulates the deafening sounds of the earthquake. Beyond lies a huge collection of religious art with countless figuring staring into the clouds, as was common in that era. There is a collection of the works of Antonello da Messina, a well known painter of the early Renaissance. His works are much above average for the time. There are several Caravaggio paintings. He stopped here on his way to an early death near Napoli from the wounds he suffered in the last of his many street fights.

Caravaggio's Adoration of the Shepherds
Caravaggio’s Adoration of the Shepherds

Reggio de Calabria, then and now

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The comparative few who give previous thought to this small city in southern Italy wonder at its name. “Reggio’ comes from the ancient Greek for ‘region.’ There’s a Reggio elsewhere in Italy so ‘de Calabria’ distinguishes the two.

Despite its present day obscurity Reggio de Calabria was home to a perhaps legendary early king named Italus, whence ‘Italia.’ Italia initially referred to the general area surrounding Calabria before becoming the name of the whole peninsula circa third century BCE. This suggests a significant level of influence.

Reggio de Calabria is among the 100 largest cities in Europe, home to 500,000 plus. It was heavily damaged by the 7.1 earthquake of 1908, giving rise to much modernization. I’ll tell you a bit more about that quake in the upcoming post on Messina, whose municipal museum has extensive exhibits on the topic.

Calabria itself is not that well known. It is the toe of the boot of Italy. The other side way down here is the heel- that’s Puglia. I wrote about that lovely yet also less visited region a couple of years back. See https://garyjkirkpatrick.com/puglia-italian-cuisine-youve-never-met/ and https://garyjkirkpatrick.com/puglia-slide-show-set-to-a-famous-song/

Reggio sits near the entrance to the Straights of Messina, across from its buddy city Messina. Reggio was a major stopping point for ships bound for Rome, often carrying wheat from Egypt. Much earlier it was a major city in Magna Grecia, the Greek speaking area which includes today’s southern Italy: Puglia, Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata and Campania.

Reggio de Calabria view of the Strait
Reggio de Calabria, view of the Strait

The famous Riace bronzes are in the town’s important Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia. It is protected by an antechamber that seals off the temperature and humidity of the rest of the museum. They are magnificent life size works, with a height of 199 cm/6’6″. Few of these bronze statues remain. These two were found about 200 meters from the shore in nearby Riace either by a diver or four young boys. One of the figures may have been holding a spear and shield, with one sporting a helmet. Restored at the museum over almost a decade after their 1972 discovery and again in 2011, the sculptures date to the 5th century BCE.

Riace Bronzes
One of the Riace bronzes

Reggio de Calabria has a long (1 kilometer) pedestrian zone. It is the main shopping street, running parallel to the coast. Via Garibaldi is lined with magnolia and exotic palm trees. The city is laid out on a steep hill(s) but the pedestrian zone is on the flat. The train station is one level down, just above the sea. Opposite the station it is a tiny shop selling 30 varieties of arancini.

Arancini are the street food of choice for Sicilians. Cooked risotto is formed into various shapes. Then things like mozzarella, fungi (mushrooms), shredded beef and other meats, bits of eggplant and so on are added. The attractive middle aged woman who runs the place across from the station came up with many variations. There was even one with spada – swordfish.

arancini shop in Reggio de Calabria
30 varieties of arancini

Once formed into the desired shape, the sticky rice and its other contents are rolled in corn flour, then deep fried. They end up with a nice crunch and an orange color, thus the term ‘arancini’ – oranges. And please try not to refer to the singular in the same manner. If there is only one then the word is orancino.

Back to swordfish. They are in these waters apparently in large numbers judging by their predominance on the menus. There are several variations in their use in the restaurants. Aside from grilled, it is added to various pasta dishes. Pasta Norma is one such. On its own Pasta Norma is a thick short noodle with tomato sauce and grated ricotta salata, a bone dry and very salty version of the otherwise soft, creamy cheese.

Pasta Norma and Caponata, Reggio de Calabria
Ricotta salata in foreground. Caponata is on most menus

In the old days ricotta was made by reheating the whey and then adding lemon or some other acid causing the milk elements to congeal. Thus the term ‘ricotta,’ re-cooked.’ Dry it out and salt it up and you have ‘ricotta salata.’ It all makes sense once you understand the language a bit.

Abruzo- the mountainous home of the wines of Montepulciano

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From Pisa we drove some 500k/300m to the Abruzo region, staying in the tiny town of Caprociano. This town is home to 100 people. It is nestled on a rocky hillside. Our rustic residence was in part dug out of the rock by our host Gaetano, a friendly sixty something jolly good fellow. The pellet stove we used for heat was smoking us out without warming us very well. Our Italian was barely adequate to deal with this issue but his good nature helped get us through. He moved us to his own gorgeous summer house just a two minute walk away.

The area is made for hiking, which is why our travel companions chose the location. Off they went on several occasions, following village to village trails. It was cold and rainy during our short stay but our trekkers did not hold back.

Nearly each little town has a castle, many in ruins but some rebuilt or repaired. We toured the Castello di Pacentro, resting on a steep slope overlooking the valley. I climbed the tower for the fabulous views. It’s a puffer of some 6 stories, its steep stairs posing a challenge for those who never exercise.

Pacentro Italy
Pacentro, pen and ink, 21 x 39cm/8.3×11.7″

We arranged for a wine tasting in tiny Vitorrito. Mariapaola greeted us at their winery. See http://www.vinidicato.it. This is a father/daughter operation making about 6000 bottles a year of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo without pesticides or fertilizers. The main grape is Montepulciano. One bottle she served was the typical mildly tannic red you find everywhere. Another was slightly carbonic, giving a slight fizz. They make a golden hued white from another grape.

Mariapaola showed us their small bottle filler and sealer. They can do four bottles at a time. There is also a corker. They put the labels on by hand. The newspaper Correre della Sera’s book “One Hundred best Italian Wines” names this winery as number 91 of 100, amazing considering its size and the thousands of wineries there are to choose between.

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Snow covered Apennines seen from near the winery

In addition to homemade bread sticks and two homemade sausages (salchichas seches, dry sausages), MariaPaoloa then brought out cake and other sweets. We left some uneaten and she worried aloud in her charming manner if we did not like them.

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Mariapaola serves bread sticks and crackers

Another day we went to Pescara, a beach town noted for seafood. For 150 euros for four we enjoyed fine dining and two bottles of wine in an attractive setting. The menu of the day was 25 euros (beverages not included). I had a seafood soup with some thick pasta and lots of shrimp and clams for a mere 13 euros.

Abruzo runs from this mountainous area down to the coast. It lies roughly in the center of the country but strangely considered culturally part of the south. Historically it’s been highly agricultural but from the early 50’s to the mid-90’s, it’s become more industrial. Mechanic engineering, transportation equipment, telecommunications and tourism have become important to its economy. There are boar running around the mountains, hawks and other wildlife.

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View of the Apennines from our car window.

Pisa: more than just a tower

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In the center of town we found the city’s main plaza, a large one flanked by majestic Medici era architecture. But the city goes back much further, to the Etruscans circa 800 BCE. Excavations in the 1980’s and 90’s proved its Etruscan origins, around the 5th century BCE. The city is close to the coast and was once a maritime power. It is split by the Arno River, which nearly topped it’s tall banks here and in Firenze (Florence) just a few weeks ago from the mountain rains to the east. The historical center would have been disastrously flooded.

Pisa was at its height from the 11th century until the 17th as one of the major maritime republics of Italy. The city’s port still provides significant employment as does tourism and the major universities and schools. The University of Pisa dates to the 12th century. The Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (high school teacher training), founded by Napoleon in 1810, is in the main plaza.

At night the old town streets are abuzz. It seems like most of the city’s 35,000 students are talking at the same time, clustered around bars drinking beer, wine and Aperol. It’s late March so the weather is more encouraging, with temps in the 10-20c (50-68f). The churches are still quite cold and damp.

pisa street life at night
The lively night life in il Borgo, the historical center of Pisa

It appears that Pisans seem to have a distinct preference for spaghetti, as opposed to say linguine or orecchiette in Puglia, as each of the restaurants we visited served only spaghetti (aside from lasagna) with the sauces on offer. I found a rice pie in one of the bakeries. I was hoping to try “cecina,” a flatbread made with garbanzo bean flour.

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Statue to Cosomo Medici

The statue to Cosomo Medici was commissioned by Grand Duke Ferdinando I in 1596. Pietro Francavilla sculpted the piece in the elegant Late Mannerist style. The building behind is the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, with only 600 students enrolled. It’s primary purpose is the training of high school teachers. The decor is painted onto what I believe is concrete or something similar.

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Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina. The wall on the left is the river’s retaining wall.

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina is a lovely and small Gothic church on the southern bank of the Arno. The Gualandi family built it in the 1200s, naming it Santa Maria di Pontenovo. It was moved to its current location to better protect it from flood waters. “Della Spina” refers to a thorn from the crown of thorns, no longer in the church. It is in the Chiesa di Santa Chiara on Via Roma. Pontenuovo collapsed in the 15th c, never rebuilt. It was closed when we were there. Too bad. There is a famous Gothic sculpture Madonna of the Rose by the Pisano brothers.

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