Franciscan on Sister Water

While traveling through the Balearic Islands, I discovered that Saint Junipero Serra was born in a small town called Petra on the island of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands off Spain.  Since he is so important to my state and my regional fraternity, I decided to extend a visit there and see what it looked like.  It is always a surprising experience visiting a new place and this was a very pleasant and interesting one.

I left from Porto Cristo by bus to arrive in Manacor, then took the train to Petra.  Petra being a small town one had to only follow the one road into town from the train stop.  The first stop was at the Church of St. Peter in Petra where St. Junipero Serra was baptized.

Church of St. Peter, Petra, Mallorca

Just by accident Miquel, a Secular Franciscan, was there and was preparing to bring communion to the sick.  He opened the church and let me take pictures.

Baptismal font for Miquel Joseph Serra i Ferrer and another Miquel

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I feel so blessed to say I have been able to visit Assisi twice.  The first time was quick, wonderful and I was able to visit so many places where St. Francis experienced his life changes.  This time it was slower and I had more time to think about St. Francis and St. Clare’s life in the town and how Assisi has changed, and yet still exudes much of the same special spiritual presence of these two charismatic saints.

When approaching Assisi the hill-town looks beautiful and is surrounded by a green valley.

Approaching Assisi

We proceeded to the road leading up to Rocca Maggiore, for parking is expensive in Assisi and this road is free to park on and we would not be in anyone’s way.   From there we took a short hike down through the trees to our apartment.

Rocca Maggiore, Assisi

From this Fort, which was used extensively through the time of St. Francis, you can see much of the town and surrounding area. Read the rest of this entry »

Last Winter we stayed in Licata, Sicily and were able to travel around the island to enjoy many of the sites, tastes and cultural events of Sicily.  Many people have influenced the Sicily of today and while visiting around one can sometimes pick out a particular group’s influence and historical accomplishments.

One of the most impressive historical site is found in Agrigento, where you will find the Valley of the Temples built by the Romans and also there are many amazing churches in the town.

Temple of Jupiter, Agrigento

Majestic Church, Agrigento

Another ancient site is Villa Romana del Casale where one can see some of the most amazing preserved tile floors and while in the area visit the hill town of Piazza Armerina.  The only thing to be careful of in Italian hill towns is the narrow streets, which can be a challenge to even the locals.

Floor Mosaics, Villa Romana del Casale

Elaborate Moasics, Villa Romana del Casale

Villa Romana del Casale, Piazza Armerina

Street Challenges, Piazza Armerina

Many churches, Piazza Armerina

I got lost in Piazza Armerina and had to pass through this way several times through narrow roads before I found the right road down the mountain.  Hill towns are amazing to me and there are many, one in particular that we enjoyed was Modica.

Modica is famous for it’s Aztec styled chocolate, using the recipe from the Americas containing no milk products but adding natural flavors to enhance it.  Each year there is a chocolate festival there and we enjoyed it immensely.

Modica

Modica Chocolate Festival

Speaking of festivals, there are many Mardi Gra  celebrations throughout Sicily.  We celebrated in Sciatta with lots of people, characters and color.

Sciacca Carnival Characters

Sacrificial Carnival Character, Sciacca

Sciacca has a bit of a twist to their main character in that after Carnival he is sacrificially burnt.  There must be some message that we didn’t get, but a ritual that is essential there.  Also, throughout Easter there are parades of images and processions through the streets to welcome participation.

One of my favorite towns is Trapani were you can get the best Arancini, cones of rice filled with meat and vegetable, which is unique to Sicily and comes from the Arab influence.

Just northeast of Trapani is a town up on a mountain called Erice, which has the best views all around and is an amazing old town in it’s own way.

View from Erice, Sicily

View from Erice Castle, Sicily

There are so many magnificent moments we had in Sicily and beautiful ones that I could not put them all in a blog unless it became a job, so I will just add here at the end a few more joys of Sicily.  My next blog will probably be on Sardinia.

Opera House, Catania, Sicily

Imaginative fountain, Catania, Sicily

Interesting Food Displays, Sicily

Pastoral Views, Sicily

Example of Street Art, Sicily

Hope you enjoyed this small trip through Sicily through pictures and may you be able to visit this fascinating island.

While traveling in different countries, I have observed how others live and have discussed the Worlds’ events with those having varied viewpoints.  One thing that is most disturbing for me, and to many World citizens, is how radical politicians are sprouting up around the World, promoting violence and hatred.  We last saw this in the 1930’s with Hitler and Mussolini.  People who think their life situations are inadequate and think some one else is to blame, are listening to arrogant men who are looking for power, control and money (paybacks).  Violence and hatred is being promoted around us.  Are Americans willing to fall into this trap?

I’ve heard it said that the United States needs to be great again.  Apparently, those saying this have no idea about the rest of the World.  My country has as it’s base the ideals of liberty, justice and the pursuit of one’s potential and happiness.  In the past, this has been the goal of the United States and in the World this has been and is still applauded and reverenced.  However, there are those who do not wish to promote the dreams of struggling people.  Our country has become great because people from all over the World have come to the U.S. to pursue their dreams of a better life and have been willing to work for it.  Our nation has profited by these talented people.  At present U.S. citizens have the opportunity to work toward their dreams, if they choose to do so.  This is not true everywhere.  Are we willing to sacrifice this opportunity for all?

Another form of violence is the suppression of the truth .  There are many who do not want others to hear the truth about themselves or about World events or want to slant it from the truth.  They want to suppress the legitimate news agents, so no one will know how people have been injured  for profit and gain.  Freedom needs to be upheld for the support of lives and to realize what is happening around us.  Are we American enough to believe in this?  Freedom of thought has always been important.  But, it does not mean inflicting injury on others or telling half truths or lies.  The welfare of our citizens is more important than a philosophy of life or twisted emotions.  Rational thinking should guide our actions in life and in politics.

We have allowed our citizens to carry weapons, so that if the government becomes too oppressive against citizens’ rights they can defend themselves.  This was a reality in the 1700’s.  The decisive power of our various State Governments , the checks and balance of the executive branch and the gridlock of Congress make it impossible for the government to be oppressive, if at all functional.  So, why do we allow people to purchase high powered assault rifles?  Do government officials need to be culled?  Are deer, rabbits and birds getting faster?  Or do people just want to express their own power with a powerful gun?

I venture to say, express your values with your vote and voice.  Truth will always prevail.  Goodness always trumps evil.  Violence is a result of fear and loss of self power and worth.   As Americans we should promote our values that have served us from our inception.  If we promote positive ideal, I suspect we will have strength and success in the future to come.

Last summer we decided to explore Cyprus and winter there.  We arrived at Latchi, Cyprus in July and sailed around the island, from Latchi to the UN border.  We found many beautiful places to stop and had a great summer.

Blue Lagoon near Latchi

One of my favorite places was Serenity Bay on the East Coast.  The bay was peaceful and the taverna ashore was delightful.

Serenity Bay Beach Bar

There were many beaches to visit and harbors to stop at when a stop was needed to resupply the boat.

Our longest stay was at Limassol in the marina.  We stayed there six months and enjoyed the time immensely.

With the many trips available and advice supplied by the City’s Tourist Office we had a great Winter.  There where many sights to see and activities to keep us active from October to April.  At Limassol Marina, we spent time working on the boat and finding out about the different activities available.

In November, the city of Limassol offered bus rides for winery tours through the 6 wine routes in Cyprus.  That was one of our favorite activities.  We would samples wines and find some favorites and then visit a local village. Read the rest of this entry »

Tarsus, the birthplace of St. Paul, lies in the southeastern part of Turkey in the province of Cilicia. It was the ancient capital of the area. It is claimed to be a 9,000 year old city and has been fought over and changed by Hittites, Greeks, Romans and other civilizations for all that time.  Today, there are a few remains of the Roman era around the time of St. Paul, and many pilgrims and visitors come to see where the famous apostle lived.

At the time St. Paul was living in Tarsus there were many schools of philosophy in the city and it was believed that St. Paul was influenced by them. It is said that he went to a school of rhetoric and honed his skill and style of speaking.  Because of his Roman citizenship and educational background he was able to communicate effectively to many groups at the time.

In Tarsus today,  there are ruins of some Roman structures.  There is a very good excavated sample of a roman road that went through town to the agora.

Roman Road, Tarsus

Businesses near Roman Road, Tarsus

Roman Road, Tarsus

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I’ve been reading the story, “The Odysey” by Homer and it reminds me a little of our travels.   Of course, we haven’t run across any Cyclops, sex crazed Goddesses or man eating people, etc.  However, while traveling through the Aegean you never know what you may come across.  There are always new adventures, people to meet, puzzles to solve and situations to ponder.  Now I know why it took Odysseus so many years to get back home.  There are such delightful experiences to be had on the water and when visiting other places.

Food is always an amazing issue.  Even in parts of Turkey, food is served differently and sometimes can be amusing to us.

Garnishes for starts

One of my favorite enjoyments of travel is to view beautiful scenes as we visit a new place.  Sometimes there are hidden surprises.

Lovely Beach

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Yes, we moved ORCA to Finike and met our future boat buyer.  So, we have said our goodbyes to ORCA and we found another boat in Bodrum and sailed her to Finike.  How life can change quickly, when you least expect it.  We had planned to go to Cyprus and Egypt with ORCA, but now we will explore life on another boat.  Our new boat is OCEAN DREAM.  She is just a little shy of 35 feet and has much more living space, meaning more comfort.

OCEAN DREAM

We spent half the Winter getting used to OCEAN DREAM and repairing and improving her both inside and out.

While in Finike  we had a great time with a very active community.  There were Sunday BBQs, Wednesday Coffee Hour, Friday Concerts and various activities, such as guitar practice, yoga, card games, etc.  So, we were kept busy and I was off the computer a lot.

Socials

I got involved with a guitar/music group and had fun with singing while they played.  Musicians just enjoy jamming.

Music Group

The marine at Finike is full of sailors from all over the globe.  We have enjoyed sharing many foody experiences and much fellowship.  We had a great winter and a safe one.

Finike Marina

We love to hike and there are several long trails that can be explored.  Our big hike followed a large gorge down the hill.  It was dry when we came by, but is very torrential when it rains.

Hiking along the Finike Hills

Trail to Gorge in Finike

River Gorge in Finike Hills

We will miss Finike with it’s beautiful mountains, people and all.   Finike will always be remembered with fondness and we will keep in touch with many people we met there.

It is time for further travels and presently we are in Gazipasa.  There will be more adventures to talk about on this summer’s slow cruise.

Symbol of Finike

Finike Beach and Mountains

While we waited out the rough weather of Winter in Marmaris, Turkey, we’ve enjoyed good fun with the small community of cruisers and members of the greater town community.   We’ve had many celebrations, walks, talks, moments to stop and socialize.  Sometimes I forget how important being part of a community is.  I noticed over time I spent more time being involved with the people around me and have not added to the blog for those in the other communities I have been involved with in the past.  So sorry, life can get very involving.  Since leaving Marmaris in May to accompany some friends down the Danube (my second time), I’ve come to recognize the great benefit of communities and what they do for us.

Christmas Celebration

A Special Celebration for a Special Lady

We’ve celebrated many birthdays, holidays and many spontaneous adventures.  A few of us joined together to become the hikers, originally “The Dead End Hiking Gang”.   It seemed we made a few wrong turns when first exploring the area, but we soon found some pretty exciting views.   We also joined other cruiser families and it was a joy to have the kids along.

Hiking with friends

Hiking – Kids Leading the Way

Many of us ladies enjoyed getting together for coffees and exploring around town visiting the art and cultural centers.   In the picture below, some of us are in front of a cultural center where women are encouraged to learn and practice traditional methods of weaving fabrics (rugs, clothing and other household items).  They could then sell them at this site, if they wished.

Visiting a cultural center

Marmaris has many events that are open to the greater populace to enjoy.  We attended a musical dance presentation at the fountain center, where we enjoyed the local dances and the Turkish doughnut holes that where given away.  There were seasonal presentations of traditional musical that we enjoyed.

Turkish Dance Presentation

Yummy Donutholes for the Public

Sometimes when there is a special holiday being celebrated lighted candles were sent up into the air.  It is a touching sight to see.

Sending up lighted candles

Through all these encounters with friends and community I’ve come to realize that community is very important for our growth.  It supports emotionally and gives us strength for encounters ahead.  We have shared joyful moments and tearful ones.  These shared moments have brought us closer together to express our love and care for each other and to understand each others strengths and needs.  This brings its own peace.

I think about St. Francis and how he grew with the help of his followers that he called brothers.  He shared their struggles and became wiser, humbler and at peace.   I wish you all a good adventure in discovering this peace.

There is a lot to see in Northern Greece.  This summer we decided to cover the section from Thessaloniki to Thassos, with a lot in between.    Weather to an extent dictated where we would go and also mooring possibilities were not always available.  Our first objective was to go as far North before the southerly breezes died and the northerly winds began.

We sailed up to Lesvos to a few quiet bays and small towns.  Sigri being one of our favourite small places.  We hiked around the area.  There is a Petrified Forest Museum here, in which you can see the remains of large trees that were covered and preserved in ash.

Sigri, Greece

Orthodox Church, Sigri, Greece

Then off to Limnos stopping at Mirina with it’s interesting commercial streets and incredible castle.  Limnos is also famous for it’s wines, which we took advantage of.

Commercial Street, Mirina, Limnos, Greece

Mirina, Greece, from the castle heights

and of course the castle.

Mirina Castle, Mirina, Greece

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