Sicily, Italy 16-06-2011 - 28-06-2011

Strictly speaking, this is actually my first backpacking trip. I travelled alone. The main focus of this trip is Sicily. One way ticket from France to Sicily and figure out my way back to France. After watching the Godfather trilogy, i am really fascinated to mafia stories and really hope to see what it really looks like in Sicily. 

My flight flied from Marseille. So my first stop, Marseille. Marseille, packed with foreigners, not tourists but workers and immigrants. In the city centre, there are actually more foreigners than french. My friend once had a joke about Marseille, saying "Marseille? When you are there, you are no longer in France." Anyway, when i was there, there was some sort of carnaval going on on the streets. Marseille was very happening that time.

Street performers

Vieux Port at night

A church at the Vieux Port

Morning market at Vieux Port

Château d'If

Calanques de Cassis

Notre-Dame de la Garde

Inside Notre-Dame de la Garde

I slept in Marseille airport for one night, then flied to Palermo the next morning. Palermo, like what i had read in the book, the traffic there is a mess. But other than that, overall, it is quite a nice place.

Inside the train station

Train station of Palermo

coastal area

Pretoria Square

Quattro Canti

Palermo Cathedral

Evening market in Palermo

A wedding ceremony

The resto where i had dinner, no foreigner inside. When
i got in there, everyone was looking at me. To me, everyone
inside looks like mafia, because everyone wearing suits,
sunglasses and looked serious. There were some policemen
too and when they came in, they greeted everyone there.

i get these for only 4 euro, supercheap, i couldn't
even finish the food 

Get a beer. It somehow became my ritual, i always try the local beer wherever i go

Next stop, Siracusa. I took the cheapest train, which passed by Messina. I had to wait in Messina for a few hours, so i took a walk inside Messina. 

Messina cathedral

It took almost 8 hours from Palermo to Siracusa. In Siracusa, i met a singaporian, a girl travelling alone in Italy. We shared the same dorm in the hostel. Nice chatting with her. There was also a japanese sharing the dorm with me also. He has been in Italy for a few years already. A full time traveller, works only his pocket money is low. He really likes Italy, that i can feel his passion about Italy while chatting with him.

The bridge to Ortigia

The square infront of the Duomo of Siracusa

Morning market in Siracusa

Sunset on the mediterranean sea

 

A modern cathedral

A giant cave

This is the train from Siracusa to Catania, the engine broke down and the personels were working on it. At the end, they scheduled another train for everyone on the train.

The roman theater. It wasn't really magnificent though comparing with other roman theater i have seen

Then the next stop, Catania, a big town situated beside the Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. What suprised me is, there is alot of indians working there. The hostel i stayed in is very hard to find. From the station, it took me almost 2 hours walking around to find it while it only takes half an hour if you know the way. Using my limited italian vocabulary, asking people, finally i found it. It is situated inside an alley from a main road. No wonder i didn't notice it, while i had passed by there 2 times.  

Yet again, Duomo of Catania

wedding 

Ancien roman ruins infront of a church

A hawker stall

morning market

Elephant, the symbol of Catania

After Catania, i took an overnight train from Catania to Napoli. It took 8 hours approximatively. From Sicily to mainland Italy, we have to cross the strait of Messina. When the train reaches Messina, the train will be enter into a ship, another train from Palermo to Rome also will enter, and the ship carries both train across the strait to the town at the opposite side, Villa de San Giovanni. It is trully an amazing experience to see how they do all this. Once inside the ship, we can get down from the train and get some snacks. The ship journey is around half an hour. 

In the compartment where i slept, i shared the compartment with another people. Most of the people in the train are actually heading to Rome rather than Napoli. 

The compartment where i slept

Loading trains into the ship

left : Giangarlo, right : Mario, we shared the same compartment.
They were heading to Rome for casting of a play in theater.
They are really nice guys.

Enjoying the night view on the deck

I arrived at Napoli at 5am. The day was bright already but the town is like a ghost town, absolutely nobody. I barely slept the night before. At that moment, i just wanted to go to hostel and sleep for a while, except one particular thing floated in my mind. From the book, Napoli is well known for its organised crime and gangsters! And suddenly, a bunch of youngsters running on the streets, seemed like chasing after something or somebody. Then i noticed 2 of them had guns, guns that people used for hunting. I stood still, didn't know what to do. I thought, this must be my bad day!!! Luckily they didn't even bother me, they saw me and they continued their chase. What a great relief! 

The hostel i stayed in is on the 3rd floor of a building. There are a few doors i need to pass through before getting into the hostel. With this kind of high security design, i guest there must be alot of criminal events around. I don't really know the reason behind the high security, i just assume so. Anyway during my stay, nothing very serious had happened, except a streetfight. But, the problem was rapidly solved with the others help, so nothing serious. 

I went to Capri also. I don't like it because it is too chic. Suitable for those who like luxuries. Everything there is expensive for me, and ridiculously expensive if comparing to Napoli. Hard to imagine. Napoli, a city where rubbish is everywhere, and not very well-lit at night. Then there is Capri, situated just outside the Gulf of Napoli, filled with tourists, beautiful beaches, and luxuries. So obvious the contrast.  

  

Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius are also inside my must-go list. Mount Vesuvius is a volcano, the one that destroyed Pompeii. From the top of the moutain, we can have a 360° view on Napoli and the Gulf. We can even see Capri, if the weather is good. Pompeii, an ancien city, the site is huge, much bigger than i thought. 

Capri

A church on island

Port

View over a cliff

An ancien church on Capri

Crystal clear water, beautiful beach

The crater of the volcano Vesuvius

A view over the modern town of Pompeii

One of the entrance to the ancien Pompeii

Pompeii

I think it is the drainage system. It used to be a 2 storey building. 

Castel Nuovo

Piazza del Plebiscito

Stranded dogs everywhere, which is very uncommon in Europe. 

Napoli, pizza originated here, so i tried some pizza at the local stalls

A religious parade

Rubbish caught fire, they trying to put out the fire

Rubbish everywhere

City of Napoli

Next stop, Rome, the eternal city. I have been to Rome a few years before. There is one saying, whoever made a wish at the Fontain Trevi will come back to Rome again. I made my wish there when i came to Rome for the first time. I guess the saying is true. This is my second time to Rome. My wish did come true, everthough it didn't last. I only stayed at Rome for one night, just passing by. Rome is still lovely as always. 

Castel Sant Angelo

Tevere river at night

St. Peter's Basilica

Spanish steps

Fontaine Trevi

Pantheon

Vittorio Emanuele monument

Colosseum

After Rome, i headed to Florence, the most beautiful city during Renaissance, hometown of the Medici's family. From Florence, i also visited Pisa and Siena. Beautiful cities, but too many tourists and i don't like that.

Santa Maria Novella

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

Fontana del Porcellino, the second time i see this boar, first time in Munich

Palazzo della Signoria

Behind the statue is the Uffizi

Lovers' lock beside the river

Streets of Florence

On the Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio at night

Piazza del Duomo of Pisa

The leaning tower of Pisa

Piazza del Campo of Siena

Duomo di Siena

Siena 

After Florence, I took a super long train journey from Florence to Nice, France, passing by Cinque Terres, Genoa, Ventimiglia and Monaco. The Cinque Terres are trully beautiful. Not many tourists also. Too bad i didn't have time to take a stop there. Next time, when my family come to Europe, i surely will bring them there. Once arrived at Nice, it was already 7pm. I took my dinner, a walk in the old Nice, and planned to sleep early. But i didn't sleep very early. I met a malaysian in the hostel i stayed, what a coincidence! He just arrived in France. He is going to do his Phd in Nice University while teaching. In the same dorm, there was also a brazilian, studying in INSA Lyon. We chatted until late at night. Even the receptionist of the hostel also joined us.     

Nice

The next morning, i headed back to Grenoble, preparing to go back home, Penang,  for the summer holidays. 

In general, the trip is quite fun, alot of new experiences and met alot of people. I love Sicily in particular. The people there are nice, and also cool in their own way. The food tastes good and with a relatively low price. With 4 euro, you can only get a sandwich in France, while in Sicily, you can get a decent meal. I don't like Pisa and Siena very much though. Too many tourists that i felt suffocated, everything there are priced for tourists, expensive for some useless souvenirs. I believe too much tourism will eventually destroy the beauty of a city, just like Venice and Santorini. After my trip, it is time for my shoes to retire. They have followed me to many places for almost 3 years.