Closing Out In Messina

 With a day to go, Wife and I decided to do one last trip. We took a train to the city of Messina. Messina is the Sicilian city closest to Mainland Italy. It is the only major (or even semi-major) city in Sicily that we have not visited. But another part of this trip was to take the ferry across the Straits of Messina so we could set foot on mainland Italy and specifically the province of Calabria, one of the very few areas of Italy we've not visited. 

Figuring out the train, getting the tickets and heading to Messina was not terribly difficult. Initially, my research indicated that there was a ferry port, just steps from the train station. However, researching further showed many different embarkation spots some quite far from the train station. Multiple internet searches kept coming up with a single ferry line that seemed oriented to auto ferry traffic. And hardly any of these sites referred to going from Messina to Villa San Giovanni (the location in Calabria). They were all for going in the other direction.

When we arrived Messina, we looked around and wandered into a construction zone. Wife asked one of the managers who directed us to a location that was evidently close by. A little bit of wandering and we are at a ferry port where two lines are shuttling folks to and from Villa San Giovanni. This is how you transfer when you are taking a long distance train! Why none of this showed up is beyond me. And the price was about 1/4 of what the price quoted for the big car ferry.

As we made our way out of the train station, there was a cool piece of street art.

Yup. Here it is. Ye Olde Ferry Terminal

We were taking the BluJet Ferry

Looks fast doesn't it. It's not.

Hey What The Hell Is Going On Down There?

Damn it. We want to go to Calabria!

The strip across the Messina Strait was smooth

30 minutes later

Let's just say that (at least this part of town) is not even 'C' list

BUT!

All is redeemed by a great lunch at the Trattoria Marconi. This was the only place I could find on Google Maps and we didn't have much time before we had to catch a return ferry. Actually, I thought we were somewhere else, so I was quite pleased afterwards when we found it was actually the place we were looking for. It was great little meal. This is a place for locals. There were three big groups from local companies that came in for the menu of the day that was put out for them in short order for then to eat and be on their way. 

We had a Calabrese Antipasti Plate that was the best of this trip.

Two cured meats, three cheeses, Three fried fritters - one meat, one vegetable (eggplant I think) and one with a chile paste inside, and cured mushrooms. It was a nice size for the two of us to share.

A nice chilled red wine

Wife had a pasta with meat and mushroom ragu

While I did Spaghetti with Mussels

Pecarino cheese was the accompaniment and very pungent. They also had a dish of marinated hot chile that was really punchy.

It was a great meal

But back to Messina for photo touring!

Mussolini era heroic style

Ferries and Fishing

Art Deco

A church with a reputed great view we did not visit as it was too far and we didn't have enough time.

WHAT! Oh You Are Missing Me Showing You A Duomo? 

Forgive me please

In fact this was a really interesting find. It was Renaissance style. Very different from what we've seen elsewhere. If you look an my post from Parma, you will note the similarity in the basic design. The exterior has the same kind of colored marble striped effect.

It also was decorated in a very restrained fashion.

Then though in the front, we were back to the classic mosaic based style

The Clock Tower is quite unique it was destroyed during an earthquake in the early 20th century and was rebuild to be an astronomical clock.

Esposous Fotograficus!

 

Bastard! Stop Stalking Me!

A very unique example of fountain style repair scaffolding 

Whereas most of the sculpture we've seen in Sicily has been by Italian artists, this statue of Charles the III, of the House of Bourbon by French artists is a stark contrast.

Now See. People in Messina are Happy.

You know why? 

Because they have a Happy Store!

Maybe you should be looking to get one of these for your community?

To close off our second to the last post from Sicily...

A SIGNS OF THE WORLD SPECTACULAR

A store in Villa San Giovanni. The name is a play on words it is Hunting and Fishing but it sounds like the pasta Cacio e Pepe

Seriously. How often have you been in a toilet and wondered, "Where the hell are the sinks?"

Clearly a toilet map is something that should be more widespread.

The Fatti Un Panino plague still rages.

And the Italians don't mess around. You cross the yellow line, you lose part of your leg.

I am assuming they have schools for other parts of the body as well.

Your ferry as downed a few too many vehicles? I can go and get rid of them here.