The ironman of travel Yoshimasa Ikeuchi

Palermo in Sicily

Transfer from Itami-Narita-London-Rome to Palermo, Sicily by Aritalia Airlines.
Arrival at the hotel is at 12:30 at midnight. I finally arrived.・・・
　 The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an island that is a little bigger than Shikoku with a population of 5.2 million. Monreale on the outskirts of Palermo takes about 30 minutes by car from the city. Climbing Conca d'Oro to the top of the hill, the streets are full of bougainvillea and oleander.

Sicily

Monreale Capo Market

　On both sides of the town, illegally parked cars rows, rows and rows dust and bumpers are distorted, and 50cc (unlicensed) motorcycles run around. I feel it’s a completely different life. Light four-wheeled greengrocers, fishmongers that even open on the road, etc.
　The scorching sun in southern Italy is similar to that in Okinawa. The Norman Palace and the old town are truly historical, and the Byzantine-style mosaics show a touching appearance that shines in the light.
　When you point the camera at the children in the plaza, you can see the white teeth with the friendly loveliness and the richness of the innocent heart. "Grazie (Thank you)" The Italian word I just learned naturally pops out of my mouth. For an old woman who is enthusiastic about knitting in the middle of the alley. "Von Giorno!" The old lady continued knitting and sometimes smiled.

Monare Cathedral / Byzantine Mosaic

Capo market

　When I visited, I was in the middle of world cup soccer, and when I walked in the market, I heard a voice saying "Is it sorghum or Japone?" When I said "Japone", the shout of "Nakata, Suzuki" and the dashing fishmonger came back.

　The bright red tomatoes grown in the shining sun and the ones that look delicious are lined up.
　Finally, dinner time. Spaghetti with a 1 cm round hole and seasoned with meat tomato sauce were baked in the oven, and for the rich taste, the guide recommended. Duca En Rico (Sicilian red wine) matched the tongue.

Temple of Agrigento, Temple of El Colle

　The temple of Agrigento, which lights up only during the summer, travels back in time about 2500 years ago. World heritage sites are too far away to be seen with my 200mm telephoto. Photographers who are proud of their skills boast 300mm and 400mm. After all professional tools are different.・

　About 1km from the Valley of the Temples of ancient romance, the temple road continues. Shooting tours find your subject and get hooked on snaps, no need for a guide to explain.

Temple of El Colle

　Me, a local Italian, and a Japanese guide from Florence.
　It was a big deal because students from Japan also came for training in architecture. The Parthenon in Greece uses marble, but here it is a construction method in which sandstone is painted with a sick. The most moving thing is the temple of El Colle. The figure that remembers the ancient times with eight pillars still towers bravely toward the heavens.

　Take a leisurely tour of 20 temples over a period of 1 hour and 30 minutes. Anyway, it's hot ... it's over 30 degrees. However, the local guide has a cool face. Rare caper fruits and flowers that bloom on the roadside, and almond fruits are lined up, making you forget the heat a little. A temple tour recommended by Tetsujin whom everyone should visit once. (Bring a parasol) At the resting place, the famous sherbet moistened my throat.

Hotel window

Taormina

　It takes about 4 hours by highway from Palermo to Taormina.
　One of the leading resorts in the Mediterranean. Taormina faces the Ionian Sea and people from all over the world in search of the Grand Blue Sea. The beach was full of ladies in bikini’s and topless, and the melting pot of the race gave me eye candy.

　The hotel is a four-star class towering on a precipitous cliff. It is a mechanism to reach the front desk by a dedicated cable car (running 24 hours) from the road to the top by elevator.

　The Ionian Sea from there is said to be the "Queen of the Mediterranean Sea" and is just like a postcard. I finally felt Italy in the contrast between the colorful flowers and the blue sea.

Taormina's Ionian Sea

Greek Theater

Front of Greek Theater

　The highlight of Taormina is the Greek Theater. Built in the 3rd century BC, it is a mortar-shaped theater that can accommodate 15,000 people. (Maximum diameter 109m)
　 Mount Etna shines in the blue sea far away from the ruins in front. I sat down at the top of the Greek Theater on a scale larger than I had imagined, and stood still for a while.
　 The tourists visiting are diverse from all over the world. Germany, America, France ... Surprisingly, Japan was next.

　The Greek Theater Street is lined with Sicilian specialty stores, and local people sell wooden toys in the open air. Sweat and rush that shines on that forehead! I bought two souvenirs for my grandsons for the first time on my trip. (Eh, why two? Twins)
　 Handmade Sicilian dolls as a souvenir for someone, my teacher, Dai Hachisuka (professional photographer) ...

Sicily is a place where you can fully enjoy Sicily just by sitting at a bar near the square on April 9 and looking at the passers-by.