Top to Bottom to Top Giro d'Italia 🇮🇹

In September, Judith and I spent all of the month on a Roadtrip doing a "Top to Bottom to Top" Giro d'Italia 🇮🇹.

Hope you enjoy our "Travelogue".

Part One: Top to Bottom

The Top to Bottom Giro d'Italia

Driving South from Nürnberg, we took one day passing through Austria🇦🇹, Switzerland🇨🇭, a tiny bit of Liechtenstein🇱🇮, back into Switzerland🇨🇭.

Home to Landquart, Switzerland

Switzerland and Liechtenstein

The first two days were only for transit to Italy.

Valduz Liechtenstein: Judith and the Valduz Castle way off in the top right corner. We made a stop to be able to say we had set foot in Liechtenstein.

bSmart Motel in Landquart, Switzerland. Their Check-In-By-Kiosk was not so smart... or maybe we weren’t so smart. It took us a few minutes to figure out how to open the door.

Genoa

On day two we entered Italy🇮🇹, close to Lago di Como (Lake Como), and continuing South to Genoa for three nights. Our hotel, Hotel Bristol Palace was very nice and central to the city. We used the Hop On Hop Off Tour Bus to get a general sense of Genoa, which worked out pretty well.

Landquart to Genoa

Genoa: We stayed at the Hotel Bristol, which has quite the impressive spiral stair case.

Da Genio Hostaria con Cucina. A Hostaria is much like an Ostaria, a place serving wine and simple food, but where travelers could have a warm meal and also stay overnight. Da Genio is located on a busy pedestrian alley, that also serves scooters.

Da Genio Restaurant Neon Sign. In Italy, Neon signs mark restaurants and shops, metro stations and government buildings.

Many Neon Signs, if not most are attached to buildings so that they are jutting out from the front outside wall, and are "one sided" or "naked". You see right through them. So, depending on the side you are looking from the letters may be backward. I am told is is because they are designed to be viewed from a distance.

And right down the street from this nice Restorante...

... a Gelateria was Spotted

Trattoria alle 2 Torri is located next to the Porta Soprana, thus the restaurant's name.

Porta Soprana - Porta Soprana is the best-known gate of the ancient walls of Genoa. After major restorations carried out between the 19th and 20th centuries, it has regained the appearance it supposedly had at the time of the construction of the so-called Barbarossa walls (1150 ca.).

Piazza De Ferrari is the main square of Genoa. Situated in the heart of the city between the historical and the modern center, Piazza De Ferrari is renowned for its fountain, which was restored in recent years along with a major restyling of the square.

Banco di Sardegna at the Palazzo Giacomo Spinola (or Palazzo Giacomo Spinola di Luccoli) Built mid 15th Century, the building is the seat of the Bank of Sardinia.

The staircase of the unknown Soldier, popularly known as the staircase of the three Caravels. The design stands out that symbolically recalls one by one the three caravels used by Christopher Columbus for his enterprise in the discovery of America (1492). The caravels are made with floral decorations inside the flower beds themselves.

Bruno Catalano created "Pierre David Triptyque” who is a member of Bruno Catalano's “The Travelers”, depicting characters immortalized in the midst of a mysterious journey.

A shopper with his helper. The Eastern Market, or Mercato Orientale Genova (MOG), is the main market in Genoa. Opened in 1899, it is located in the central Via XX Settembre, in the ancient cloister of the convent attached to the church of the Consolation, built between 1684 and 1706 but never finished.

There is an amazing array of fruits, vegetables meats, such as this Choco-Beef (Chocolate Beef) from Finland, fish, poultry, flowers, nuts and most anything else at the MOG.

Florence

Leaving Genoa, after three nights, we moved South, staying close to the coast along the Tyrrhenian Sea (in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea), until passing Pisa, and turning toward Florence.

We have been to Florence on a few occasions so we only stayed one night.

Genoa to Florence

Rome

Leaving Florence, we ventured further South towards Rome for three nights. Even though we were in Rome in somewhat off-season it was still crowded. One of the items on the to-do list was dinner at Luciano Cucina Italiana. The owner/chef is the self-proclaimed "King of Carbonara", and I wanted to give it a try. It was quite good, as were the appetizers.

Another tour on the Hop On Hop Off Tour Bus to get the overview of Rome, and some walking around Piazza San Pietro (Saint Peter's Square).

Florence to Rome

Piazza Cavour. Named after the Piedmontese statesman Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour. Our car was parked in a garage under the Piazza.

The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. An 86-year-old Michelangelo was responsible for the construction. It sits across from the Piazza della Repubblica. The fountain is the Fountain of the Naiads.

Colosseum: Lines and Lines and Lines – we did not partake in the standing in the Lines.

Not even a 100 meters from our guest house. We had a great dinner here… second best of the three we had in Rome.

Castel Sant'Angelo: The Mausoleum of Hadrian, also known as Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering rotunda in Parco Adriano. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The popes later used the building as a fortress and castle, and it is now a museum. Construction started 135 AD and completed 139 AD.

Looking at St. Peter's Basilica from Piazza San Pietro

Naples

From Rome we continued South to Naples to spend three nights. Traffic in Naples is maybe the most crazy to date, but I was getting the hang of how to drive. Maintain eye contact, be aggressive, and do not hesitate, and you're fine.

Night one we had Neapolitan Pizza... what else in the home of Pizza. There are two "basic" Neapolitan pizza styles that cover the vast majority of the pizzas you'll find in Naples: the Pizza Marinara or Pizza Margherita.

The first night we ate at a simple Mom & Pop Pizzeria, and it was splendid, inexpensive, and the outdoor seating offered a delightful atmosphere.

Night two was in a more upscale restaurant, which served very nice food, but was missing the atmosphere of the Pizzeria.

Night three took us back to another local Ristorante with atmosphere, amazing pasta and wine.

The Hop On Hop Off Tour Bus provided another half-day overview of the city, and then some supplemental walking.

Rome to Naples

Castel Nuovo, often called Maschio Angioino, is a medieval castle located in front of Piazza Municipio and the city hall in central Naples, Campania, Italy. Its scenic location and imposing size makes the castle, first erected in 1279, one of the main architectural landmarks of the city.

The Sirena fountain is a fountain in Naples located in the Mergellina area. It was erected by the sculptor Onofrio Buccini, with the collaboration of a very young Francesco Jerace, in 1869 to adorn the gardens of the railway station, but in the1924 was moved to Sannazaro square.

Palazzo Donn'Anna is a historic residence in Naples, Italy. It sits prominently at water's edge at the beginning of the Posillipo coast, just west of the Mergellina boat harbor. The building is on the site of the so-called "Rocks of the Siren" and, indeed, was originally called La Villa Sirena. The original building on the site was probably built by one Dragonetto Bonifacio in the early 15th century. It changed hands a number of times and finally was inherited in 1630 by the woman whose name it now bears, Anna Carafa, duchess of Stigliano and wife of Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán, the Spanish Viceroy of Naples.

Naples Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Napoli; Neapolitan: Viscuvato 'e Napule), or the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary (Italian: Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta), is a Roman Catholic cathedral, the main church of Naples, southern Italy, and the seat of the Archbishop of Naples. It is widely known as the Cathedral of Saint Januarius (Cattedrale di San Gennaro), in honor of the city's patron saint.

Amalfi Coast to Vietri sul Mare

From Naples we continued down the Amalfi Coast to Vietri sul Mare. And yes, the Amalfi Coast is spectacular, and traffic is pretty insane on the Amalfi Coast.

We stopped for a snack in the town of Amalfi. Miraculously, there was a parking spot about 50 meters from the Bar/Restaurant. Maybe the only open spot for 75 kilometers in either direction.

After our afternoon snack we continued on and finally left the crazy traffic. We only spent one night in Vietri sul Mare, but it was at a lovely B & B on the coast.

Naples to Vietri sul Mare

Yes, the traffic on the Amalfi Coast is as bad as they say!

Amalfi

Parco Regionale dei Monti Lattari, Amalfi, Campania, Italy

Bari

From Vietri sul Mare we turned East to head to Bari on the Adriatic Coast. Bari is an ancient harbor city. The harbor was mentioned as early as 181 BC.

However, we were there to enjoy Spaghetti All’ Assassina, in a restaurant Stanley Tucci visits in Season 2 of “Searching for Italy”.

If Stanley Tucci recommends it, it must be great. It was. The restaurant is Urban l' Assassineria Urbana (sometimes referred to as Urban Bistro).

Not too much else to say about our one night stay in Bari other than dinner was great.

Amalfi to Bari

Here's a couple of pictures from the Internet

Spaghetti All’ Assassina – AKA "Killer Spaghetti"

Chef Celso Laforgia, unidentified woman, Stanly Tucci

Messina, Sicily

Leaving Bari we had a long drive to reach Sicily, first along the Ionian Sea coast. We crossing over to the Tyrrhenian Sea coast and following it to the Ferry Dock in Villa San Giovanni where we boarded a ferry for the short crossing of the Strait of Messina to the city of Messina for a one night stay.

Very little say about Messina I'm sorry to report.

Bari to Messina

The drive to Messina was uneventful, and to some extent boring... no, it was quite boring, so no pictures other than this.

Villa San Giovanni: Waiting for our Ferry to Messina... it's the yellow and blue one.

Part Two: Bottom to Top

The Bottom to Top Giro d'Italia

Taormina

It is a short drive from Messina to Taormina, a very picturesque ancient city, built on the side of a seriously steep hill.

Our drive down was relaxing, with a break on the coast at a almost deserted beach.

I made a serious mistake of only booking one night here. Taormina is a gorgeous small city. We stayed at the Hotel Casa Adele, which is just a fantastic boutique hotel. So... a reminder, next time stay longer.

Messina to Taormina

Nizza di Sicilia, Isole, Italy: We stopped at Caffé on the way to Taormina, and we drank Caffé while watching a storm head out to the Ionian Sea.

Duomo Taormina and Fontana di Piazza Duomo. Lots of activity.

Numerous small alleys interconnecting with small streets.

Sometimes the small alley takes you to a surprise gorgeous view.

Or, a small street might take you past a Wedding at the fifteenth-century Palazzo Duchi in Santo Stefano di Taormina. A masterpiece of Sicilian Gothic art with characteristic elements of Norman.

The three-way intersection of Via Crocefisso, Via Pietro Rizzo and Viale Apollo Arcageta Corso, is just a few meters from Porta Catania at Corso Unberto, and the Gateway to the Ancient City.

Turn around from this intersection and there's another superb view.

Or someone having some fun...

...and hearing about it afterwards.

And shortly after we were treated to a pretty agreeable sunset.

Pensione Casa Adele – our accommodation in Taormina. It is a beautiful Pensione. (Not my Photo)

The breakfast room at Pensione Adele.

Mount Etna and Catania

Next, after leaving Taormina, the was drive further South to the city of Catania, but first, a side trip up to Mt. Etna, and then followed by the short drive down from Mt.Etna to the coast and Catania for two nights.

Catania was founded in 8th century BC, and is the second-largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population.

The view from our hotel was directly out to the Mediterranean Sea. It was a long walk to center of the city, so we took a taxi to the Piazza del Duomo. After exploring the Piazza we once again used the Hop On Hop Off Bus to see more of Catania. That was followed by a wonderful dinner at an ocean front restaurant not far from the hotel.

Taormina to Mt. Etna to Catania

Mount Etna

Mount Etna, Cratères Silvestri: One of the Silvestri Craters. The Silvestri Craters are situated below the top of main Mt. Etna crater and they are certainly the most visited part of the volcano, as you can drive right to them. Don't worry... they are not active anymore. The Silvestri craters which are formed of two main craters along with other few of a smaller size. They all originated from the massive eruption in 1892. There are two walking trails. The upper trail takes you to the top and is named “The Goat Trail” for an obvious reason. Look closely and you can see hikers going up.The Cratères Silvestri are at 1,900 Meters elevation. The main crater, and peak of Mt. Etna is at 3,403 Meters elevation.

Catania

Catania: View of the Ionian Sea from our balcony at the Plaza Hotel.

Catania, the night view.

Piazza del Duomo is the main city square in Catania, flanked by both the centers of civic power (city hall at Palazzo degli Elefanti on the right) and religious power (Duomo or Cathedral of Saint Agatha on the left).

Representing the civic power, The Elephant Fountain is a monument located in the center of Piazza del Duomo in the Sicilian city of Catania, designed by architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini between 1735 and 1737. Its main element is a black basalt statue of an elephant, commonly called u Liotru, which has become the emblem of the city of Catania.

Representing the religious power, Basilica Cattedrale Sant’Agata V.M., Sicily, Catania, Isole, Italy: The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Agatha (Italian: Cattedrale metropolitana di Sant'Agata), usually known as the Catania Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Catania), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was the seat of the Bishops of Catania until 1859, when the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese, and since then has been the seat of the Archbishops of Catania.

The cathedral has been destroyed and rebuilt several times because of earthquakes and eruptions of the nearby Mount Etna. It was originally constructed in 1078–1093, on the ruins of the ancient Roman Achillean Baths.

The Flag of Sicily, along with other items for the tourists.

Castello di Aci, Catania: The town of Aci Castello developed around the castle, which was built in 1076 by the Normans upon the foundations of a 7th-century Byzantine fortification. In 1169, Aci Castello started to expand after an eruption of Mount Etna made the towns in its vicinity uninhabitable. The castle later became the property of the Bishops of Catania.

Ragusa and Modica

Ragusa was our next destination after Catania. We followed the coast through many small villages and agricultural areas. Not far from Ragusa we stopped in Modica for a Gelato at Caffé Adamo. We had read that the Gelato at Caffé Adamo is among the best Gelaterias in Sicily. It was right on the way, so why not. And, well, it was darn good.

Ragusa is built on a wide limestone steep hill between two deep valleys, Cava San Leonardo and Cava Santa Domenica. This makes for narrow, winding and steep streets. Of course, much of Sicily can be described that way.

We had another wonderful boutique hotel in Ragusa, De Stefano Palace Luxury Hotel. On our first night we did not feel like venturing out for dinner. Even though the hotel only serves breakfast they offered to prepare us some antipasti and wine, which we took out on a terrazza next to our room. A very pleasant evening.

Catania Modica and to Ragusa

Modica

Modica is a city in southeast Sicily, Italy. It’s known for its Baroque buildings, like the Cathedral of St. George. There is much to explore in Modica, but we were there for a different reason. Modica is the home of perhaps the best Gelato in all of Sicily – Caffé Adamo.

Caffé Adamo: Fior di latte and Creama Caffé Gelato... Delicious!!

Ragusa

Piazza San Giovanni, Ragusa. Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista.

Agrigento

Agrigento was our next stop. Founded around 582 BC by Greek colonists from Gela, and is noted for its Valle dei Templi ("Valley of the Temples"), a misnomer, as it is a ridge, rather than a valley.

Our little B & B was pretty central in the old city, but nearly impossible to drive too, let alone park. The B & B was located just off a main shopping street and since it was Saturday the street was super crowded. I managed to park about 75 meters from the B & B, in order to unload the luggage, without blocking too much traffic. There was an underground garage 500 or so meters away, so after unloading I parked there.

We were only staying for one night, so we didn't see too much, but had a nice dinner. Actually, it's pretty hard not to have a nice meal in Sicily.

The next morning was Sunday and the street was almost completely empty in the morning, making parking and loading the luggage a breeze.

Ragusa to Agrigento

Corleone

Next, on to Corleone and the “The Godfather’s House Museum”. When I discovered Corleone and The Godfather's House Museum I felt we couldn't pass it up. Fortunately, Judith agreed.

On the way to Corleone we made a brief stop for Caffé in Casteltermini, which is located on the top of a winding road up yet another steep hill.

Corleone is a bit of a bleak town that had played a central part of the Sicilian Mafia, but only had a shoestring connection with the movie, The Godfather. We did enjoy the museum and our interesting, charismatic guide. Although, I have to say I'm not 100% convinced all of the what he had to say is correct.

We also visited. Royal Palace of Ficuzza, which is close to Corleone. The Royal Palace of Ficuzza, also named Reggia or Real Casina di Caccia (hunting lodge) of Ficuzza is located near the town of Corleone, and located some 45 kilometers from Palermo. It was commissioned by Ferdinand IV of Naples and III of Sicily during his exile in Sicily starting after the establishment of the Parthenopean Republic in 1798.

Agrigento to Corleone

Casteltermini

Castelermini, Sicily: We stopped in a small village looking for Caffé and parked at Piazza Duomo, across from Chiesa Madre di Casteltermini. It was Saturday afternoon and and the entire village must have passed through the Piazza.

Corleone

The Godfather’s House in Corleone, Sicily. This is the home of a real Sicilian Mafia Godfather, not the fictional Godfather portrayed by Marlon Brando.

However, the town of Corleone, for almost half a century was the stronghold of the mafia’s bloodiest and most powerful clan, and the fiefdom of Italy’s most feared mobster, Totò Riina.

I’m not certain if this old home was really the home of a Sicilian God Father, but the tour was worthwhile.

The entrance of the Godfather’s House.

The Godfather’s House Master Bathroom.

The Godfather’s House Kitchen.

View from the Godfather's House was good to for watching out the local cops

And, I got to play Godfather for a few minutes

Monreale and Palermo

Palermo was next, but first we stopped in Monreale to see their spectacular Duomo, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Nuova di Monreale and the nearly 70,000 sq. ft. of glass mosaics within the interior.

After being vastly impressed with the mosaics in the Duomo we headed to Palermo for a stay of three nights. Our hotel, Centrale Palace Hotel, is right in the heart of the historic old city, located in a large Pedestrian Area. You are allowed to drive through the Pedestrian Area if you have a hotel reservation. It's pretty wild however. People really do not move out of the way it seems...

Once again, we found ourselves on a Hop On Hop Off Bus getting the quick tour of Palermo. We did some walking that day as well.

The following day we walked to a large outdoor market and got caught in a good rain storm. With luck we were right in front of a small Wine Bar...

"Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm."

(Thanks Bob Dylan)

And as always seems the case, finding a great dinner and wine was as simple as turning around.

On our last day in Palermo we had a Ferry leaving at 18:30 (6:30 PM). We needed to be at the dock around 16:30 (4:30 PM). Since we had some time and it was a nice sunny day we drove out to Spiaggia Libera (Free Beach) to take in the local sights and have a beer.

Corleone to Palermo

Monreale

Monreale: Piazza Guglielmo II - Cattedrale di Monreale
Overlooking the small Piazza Guglielmo II in the village of Monreale stands a Cathedral of the same name that is an undisputed jewel of Norman art. According to legend, Our Lady appeared to William II in a dream and showed him where to build the church. In reality, the construction of the church was driven by rivalry between Gualtiero Offamilio, archbishop of Palermo, and William II, who saw the monumental complex as a manifestation of the king’s power.

Construction of the Cathedral of Monreale, also comprising the Convent and the Royal Palace, began in 1174. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015.

The exterior has a simple style: it impresses with its portal flanked by two Norman towers and its three richly decorated apses. But the real marvel is inside: the three naves are entirely covered with enormous golden mosaics. It is the largest mosaic in Italy, second in the world after the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul: over 6,000 square meters of glass and stone tesserae.

Duomo di Monreale - Detail of mosaics

Duomo di Monreale - This is nearly all mosaics, not paint.

Duomo di Monreale - mosaics

Palermo

Our Hotel in Palermo
(Not my Photo)

Palermo, Sicily: The Eurostars Centrale Palace Hotel has an old world hotel vibe. I haven't seen a hotel with the daily newspapers on a news baton in some time.

Part of the lobby in the Centrale Palace Hotel

Palermo, Sicily: The alley, leading to to the parking garage at Eurostars Centrale Palace Hotel, was certainly a "small" challenge.

The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house and opera company located on the Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Sicily. It was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II. It is the biggest in Italy, and one of the largest of Europe, renowned for its perfect acoustics.

Cattedrale di Palermo (Duomo) - Back side. This was after a long walk (for me at least) and I was ready for a beer at our hotel, so we skipped the front side and the inside.

The photo is a panoramic of the Quattro Canti taken from the center of an intersection. At this intersection are the corners of all four of the ancient quarters (Cantons or Canti) of Palermo: the Kalsa (SE); Seralcadi (SW); Albergaria (NW); and Castellammare (NE).
Our hotel was next to Quattro Canti, officially known as Piazza Vigliena, is a Baroque square in Palermo, it is considered the center of the historic quarters of the city.
This small scale urban plan was laid out on the orders of the Spanish Viceroys between 1608 and 1620 by Giulio Lasso and Mariano Smiriglio.
The piazza layout is octagonal, four sides comprise the streets, while the remaining four sides are nearly symmetric, concave Baroque facades, each with four stories with three full size statues in their centers. The photo is a panorama, but not doing the Piazza justice.

The Politeama Theatre is a theatre of Palermo. It is located in the central Piazza Ruggero Settimo and represents the second most important theatre of the city after the Teatro Massimo. It houses the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana.

Primi Piatti, a small restaurant down an ally, was a good find for a late dinner.

Spiaggia Libera (Free Beach) in Mondello, Palermo

Alle Terrazze Ristorante (in the Mondello region of Palermo) is within The Antico Stabilimento Balneare (Ancient Bathing Establishment) located a seaside borough north of Palermo. The building is an Art Nouveau or Liberty-style building atop piers of the beach in the town. The term balneare is related to the Spanish and Portuguese Balneario which is either a swimming or beach establishment, but also with affinities to spas, with amenities such as changing rooms, cabanas, bathrooms, and eating establishments.

During the Second World War, the facility was occupied first by the Italian, then the German, then the Allied armies, and much of the furniture was extracted. Since the 1990s a refurbishment has aimed to restore much of the structure and decorations. The site now houses a restaurant and hosts beachside activities.

Homeward Bound

Palermo was the conclusion of our time on Sicily, and almost the end of our Giro d'Italia, but we still needed to get back to Nürnberg. To begin our final portion of the Giro d'Italia at 16:30 (4:30 PM) we boarded an overnight ferry in Palermo that set sail (so to speak) at 18:30 (6:30 taking us to Livorno. We arrived in Livorno about 14:00 (2:00 PM). Next was a short drive to Chiesina Uzzaneseback for the night.