Friday at Sandos Caracol Resort

Friday was a glorious day at the Sandos Caracol Resort near Playa del Carmen on the Yucatan Peninsula with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius which is about 85 degrees Fahrenheit.  The humidity made it feel much warmer especially for royund people such as myself.

I brought the Nike jogging shoes on the right plus a pair of flip-flops.

Laurie felt the need to bring a few extra pairs of footwear.

The Caribbean Sea

One of the Sandos Caracol's many pools.

Andy and Jenn's Saturday wedding will take place here.

Another Pool

Claudio, can we grow these in Sicily?

Sabrosito!

Dinner at Las Mascaras Restaurant

A mascara is a mask and they have about 30 different masks around the restaurant.  I liked this one near our table.

Time to Graze

Laurie and Koreen taking advantage of their all-you-can-eat-and drink opportunities.

The Brothers Contreras being brothers

My thoughts keep drifting back to the team in Catania.

Cemetery of the Capuchins in Rome

One last thought on Rome.  I finally found the Capuchin Cemetery that holds the bones of over 4,000 monks who died between 1528 and 1870.

It is located at Via Veneto 27 near the Hard Rock Cafe of all things as part of the Santa Maria della Immaculata Concezione.

The actually have bones, mostly ribs and vertebrae, nailed to the walls and ceilings create some, shall we say, interesting designs. 

Pictures are not allowed and for once I obeyed in respect to the dead.

This is a picture of a postcard I purchased.

In the last room the bones have a sign posted reminding us that:

"What you are, we once were; what we are, you soon will be."

Interesting and eerie at the same time.

Trans-Atlantic Day

6:30 a.m. at Rome's Termini Station

 

At Atlanta's Airport, CHINESE FOOD... Orange ChicKen and Beijing Beef!

In the Reception Bar at the Sandos Caracol Resort near Playa del Carmen.

 The Elephant motif works for me as a good omen of things to come!

A long day with my 20 hour ordeal finally over... Wedding anyone?

A Day in Roma

This blog post covers my Wednesday in Rome in two parts because I'm at the mercy of Mexican internet systems.

I got up very early on Wednesday to catch the Blu-Express plane from Catania to Rome.  I am travelling light with only a carry-on and a back pack because Laurie is meeting me in Mexico with a suitcase of clothes for me to bring back to Sicily to prepare for her invasion.  At check-in the young lady wanted to weigh my carry-on and it was one kilo ovder the allowable lmit.  I opened it in front of her, toolk out my toiletry bag and I was legal.  I then walked 20 feet away from her in plain sight, replaced the toiletry bag in the same offending carry-on and proceeded to embark on the first leg of my trip to Mexico for Andy and Jenn's wedding ceremony.

After the short flight it was on to the Leonardo Express for the 20 minute train ride to Rome's Termini Station.

The Fiat 500 has it's own piazza in Rome?

Caesar Augustus

First stop was the National Museum of Rome and what is generally considered to be the world's finest collection of Roman statuary.

The Boxer

Easily my favorite piece in the collection.

The Boxer's face close-up.

Although it looks like he has received his fair share of punishment over the years...

The Boxer's Fists

... I would guess his hands have also dealt out more than their fair share of punishment as well!

Man Leaning on a Staff

My second favorite piece of art in this museum.

A Noble Roman Visage

More on him in "A Day in Roma Part II

A Day in Roma Part II

We continue to talk Roma while battling the Mexican internet!

The Thigh of Man Leaning on a Staff

I know, I know... no smart remarks please.

The Discus Thrower

I actually posed for this at the scene of the ancient Greek Olympics on our cruise of the Greek Isles a few summers ago.  It came out nice don't you think?

How did they do this man's clothing???

Sarcophagus Carving... AMAZING AGAIN!!!

Elephant's Owner, Davide Giuliano, instructing a Rookie Linebacker.

They also had some fine mosaics.

This reminds me, I haven't seen Laurie in three weeks!

"What do you mean I got another ticket in Florence?"

They also had some nice jewelry for the ladies.

That's going to leave a mark!

After leaving the Museum I started yet another walking tour of the Eternal City.

I liked the final verbal warning as you enter this church partially constructed by Michelangelo.

On Piazza Navona

The Four Rivers Fountain, Piazza Navona.

Trevi Fountain

Obelisk

Looking down on the Spanish Steps and Via Condotti.

Possible Elephant Coaching Shoes

Trajan's Column.

Outside the Pantheon

The Pantheon still has a huge hole in it's dome called the Occulus.

When it rains like it did today the inside of the Pantheon gets wet too.

Vittorio Emmanuelle Monument

The Colosseo

So ends another day in a VERY fascinating city.

Heather Linderman Ad of the Day

I saw this one in Rome's Termini Station.

All I can say is that it makes me proud that our son Michael is an AC Milan fan!

Mt. Etna Exploration and the Arrival of Jason and Christie

I've been away from the internet for a few days due to my travels from Catania to Rome to Playa del Carmen for Andy and Jenn's seaside wedding on Saturday, February 14, 2009... Valentine's Day!

This post will deal solely with what happened on Tuesday, the day before I started my trans-Atlantic journey.

The morning saw me gat my first haircut from Giogio the Aci Castello barber I used all last season.  Last year a haircut and beard trim cost 10 Euros, of course no prices are posted.  This season my first visit cost only 5 Euros!  As with all things Sicilian, life is on a sliding scale or maybe it is the economic downturn... "No lo so?"

The afternoon continued Paul's travels around the greater Catania megalopolis with a trip up the Mt. Etna Sud road towards the village of Nicolosi.

Mt. Etna in all her winter glory.

A Trotter or a Pacer?

When you leave downtown Catania and it's insane traffic patterns, you will often see these horses working out.  I've been told that at night, on quiet streets rigs like these meet for the equivalent of "Sicilian Drag Racing", I hope I can be privy to one of these clandestine meetings this year.

A rather unique tower in one of Mt. Etna's many small towns.

In the evening, Jason Johnson and Christie Chorley, my roommates last season arrived in Catania for a week to visit all of our friends before they start their football season playing in Innsbruck in the Austrian League for the defending Euro Bowl Champion Raiders.

Christie and Jason back at Malibu with Gregorio Barbagallo

Night time in front of the "New and Improved Dorm" in Aci Trezza

This again is the view on the balcony where Luke, Larry and soon Taber live.  In the summer the empty street you see will be wall-to-wall people enjoying La Dolce Vita.

With our main man Gustavo Bonanno

Dinner at Pizzeria Ciclopi in Aci Trezza with the "Usual Suspects" yet again.

Shockingly, Valerie, here with Peppe was a little late to the meal.

Is Roberta smiling again for fans in America?

I had to fly out to Cancun the next morning so I won't see Jason and Christie again until Laurie and I go up the Austria to visit them during our first Bye week.  I must admit that I really feed off their energy and miss them at Malibu greatly.