We finally made it to Italy

It's been cool and rainy for the past two weeks and more is predicted for the week to come. We were a little nervous when we signed up for a trip across the ferry to the mainland for Saturday. It was cold when we got on the bus and we were all bundled up. But when we got to the ferry the sun came out and immediately warmed everything up. The ferry ride was amazing. Wind in your face, mist from the sea and all that. Our friend, Kelly, joined us on the trip and we all laughed a lot. We had a great time.

The city of Calabria Reggio has a couple of things to offer, a beautiful church and a museum with pottery, tools and bronze statues from the Greek era in Italy. We immediately saw the difference in the decor of the cathedral from those we've seen in Sicily. Much color in the murals and intricate carvings all around. Even the doors are carved to tell the stories of "the life of the Virgin Mary," the days leading up to the crucifixion, the travels of Paul, etc. We could only imagine how long it took to make each piece---and the building was full of alll that beautiful work, in wood, in stone, in marble.

From there we went to a castle in Scilla, a coastal town--beaches and palm trees for miles. What they call castles here aren't like the castles we imagine from seeing them in movies. More like fortresses. They're built on a hill and are made of rough stone. Basically places to watch for the enemy and have a high place to shoot from. They did have an interesting wagon, though so I made Bob stand beside it for a shot.