Italians have a sense of humor, Vulcano Eatna smoke

A few things I learned about Itatians.
1.They have trouble with left and right.  I'm not kidding, 4 people in a row pointed to the left and said, "Turn right" when I asked directions.  "Do you mean right?" I said,  "Yes, I meant right."  Do with that what you like. 
2. When you get off an Italian airplane they say, "Cera.  Buona cera.  Arrivederci"  (not "bye bye")
3. Italians have a sense of humor.  Ten minutes ago the receptionist asked me what room I was in. I wanted to practice my Italian, "Numero Ventocinque.  That's the first time I ever said that."   "You said that very well" she replied" and laughed.
Seriously though-  It seems that at their core Italians are exactly like Americans.  I get that feeling. When I say something in English and they don't speak English they can figure out what I'm saying anyway.  Same thing in reverse, I've asked for directions or about sme shoes in the window and I could piece together their Italian even though I hardly know 50 words.  You an tell a lot by the context, hand and head gestures and tone of voice.  I was at a scooter shop in Catania yesterday. 
I point all over and said, "Do you know where the banca is?  Banco."  And by gosh he started to point and tell about the turns and landmarks etc. No a word of English did he speak.

The clouds to the right are only 1/2 clouds.  The other half is vulcano smoke from Eatna. Can you see the brown?

Old Fiats, Shooting photos at night, Sorrento Italy

 Scooters from above at night Sorrento. I tried 5 times to get best amount of tail light light.

 This one with the Fiat, boat and guys was outside of the mass I attended last Saturday in Sorrento.
The church is right at the marina.  Restored (or semi restored) Fiats are popular. I see several of them every day.  In the USA I see several in one year. 

 Another old Fiat. I don't think this one is operating by the look of the contents. I'd love to have a car like this.  Dent's and all but operating smoothly.

 Segnore Ruby at a swanky Hotel on the road leading down to the marina in Sorrento.  It's closed for the season. More than half of the hotels were closed for the season.

Paolo and Fuji shooting photos at night.

YouTube Videos made in Sorrento and Taormina Sicily January 2014

Go to Paul Ruby Italy Videos
This one is in the main plaze in Sorrento on a rainy cool evening. The locals feel this coolness is VERY cold.  They dress in winter gear.  In Pennsylvania medium to light weight jackets are common in this weather. 
The second video is me going down Giovanni Corse right out of the main plaza where the taxis hang out Taormina Sicily.
The third video is the same road but at night on the scooter.

Taormina Moutainside video

Looking closer, Lemoncello, Sicilian Coast at night, Pompeii photos

 I was looking at all the photos I took this trip.  There are hundreds of them.   I looked more closely at things in Italy because I was looking for potential photos. On one hand I might think "I sure spent a lot of time working on photographs. Perhaps I should have spent more time doing vacation kind of things."  But taking photos is what I do when I'm on vacation.  There is plenty of time for normal things too. I shop a little, eat a little and hang out with the locals some.  

 Down the East Sicilian Coast at night. That is Catania in the distance.  The monument is in Taormina up on the mountaintside.

 Rain and wind out the train window. On the train to Messina south of the  Amalfi Coast

 Pompeii puddle. I remove those chains in P. Shop.  This one might have some energy.

Pompeii mosaic in the horse stables area.

Room Cleaning Lady, Vesusius at Night, Iphone in urn Pompeii

Mount Vesuvius at night from Marina in Sorrento

This is the room cleaning lady. She posed me.  She said, "Grrr Segnore Ruby let me clean your camera."  Camera is the Italian word  for room ironically.  No kidding.

Iphone and orange peels in ancient urn in Pompeii (really).

Dardy, Naples to Messina Train, The reason you go first class, Judging and Labeling

I thought I'll save 20 euros and go second class on the Napoli to Taormina high speed train. A older man wearing  a city worker hat reached out for my ticket and then grabbed my luggage and started running towards a train.  "I'm part of the train system (he wasn't). We have to hurry the train is leaving." He loaded my stuff on the train and then I realized he was working for tips. I gave him 2 euros. 
But in my cabin was a teenager stretched out taking up a few seats sleeping wearing ear speakers plugged into an Ipad. And there was a family with loud kids in the next cabin.  Then I realized what the extra 20 euros was for.
30 minutes later. I said to the young man, "Do you parla inglese?" "Yes" he replied. Which began about two hours straight
of us talking but mostly me asking about him (His name is Dardy, he's 30, He works as a waiter in Roma and Monoco, he's traveling to
visit his family in Calabria.)  I got out my camera to shoot the passing landscape we were following the Mediterranean coast.
Dardy with excitement said, "Quick a picture of this island" then "Look out left window my dad designed that church". 
He said that during the grand prix in Monaco his resturant charges 450 euros for the 6 oclock dinner buffet and 750 for the
same buffet at 11pm.  Let me do the math for you. That's about $1100 for dinner, tips not included.  I said who would pay that?
Dardy said the rich. He makes $6000 in tips during that one month leading to the car race. I guess I can rule out the idea of seeing
a formula one race at Monaco. Visiting Italy was number one on my bucket list. Going to a formula one race in at Monaco or Italy is
also on the list. Dardy said he'll  send me a Facebook friend request when I get back to the USA.
So of course we got to be friends.  And my judging and labeling of Dardy was not only incorrect but it colored my perception.  And after all the lip I give people about that judging and labeling people.   I did that all in my head but it's nearly the same thing as speaking it out loud.

 The entire train is loaded onto a ferry.  The ferry goes across the narrow straight at Messina Sicily. It's about a mile or two across I estimate.  That's right the train-goes - on - a ferry.

This is the entrance to the Sicily side of the crossing.  It appears to be a gun fortress but I'm not sure. They haven't build a bridge because of political deadlock.

Guido Valastro California Rental, Savoca Sicily, Orange Trees, In the Hills

Guido the manager gave me a key to the shop so that I could put my scooter indoors at night. It's close to the Hotel.  I said,"I'll tell my friends you trusted me with the keys.  All this equipment and cars."Guido, "You are an American. I trust you."   Paul, "I know what you mean"

 Vulcano Eatna has been erupting. I'll include a photo below.   These are pieces of ashes that landed in Taormina from an eruption 2 months ago.

It covered the town like a inch of snow only it was vulcanic ash.  No airplanes flew. It ruins the engines says Guido. 

 Me and my Chinese Vespa

In car rental shop after hours.  I park in here so it doesn't get stolen.  Guido's request.

The quality of light can make all the difference. I waited for the sun to  be partially obscured. See the soft edge of the shadow. Second level things can come alive sometimes. In full sun photos it can often look snap shot like. I've been lucky there have been clouds. This is up in the mountains. Savoca.

Deep in the hills.   Orange trees.  I see them being grown everywhere. The commercial growers often had plastic tubing and spray heads for watering.  The private growers not so much.

Ti amo Ariel! Drama on the Circumvesuviana Train

Ti amo Ariel, Drama on the Circumvesuviana Train
Jan 22 2014
Who every Ariel is she sure is liked.  At three consecutive trains stations there was graffiti that said, "Ti amo Ariel!" I love you Ariel.
There was a little drama on the train this morning. My bad.  Hey I'm an American I don't know the lay of the land.  It went something like this.
A scruffy man said down beside me and the lady across of him made the sign of the cross.  I figure some kind of hoodlum kind of trouble was coming
our way.  Then this other dude came over to me and he said to me "Italian stuff and more stuff etc".  People turned and looked. He pointed up. He was
pointing at my luggage with was about to fall on the hoodlum's head. I said, "I'll take that down" he replied in English, "There is a policy about
large things up there they can fall down and hurt someone". The train was packed solid and I could barely stand and I stretch up and
yanked the thing out and knocked the ceiling light loose. So now the lamp is loose and it's swinging and hanging partly down. Then I sat down with a two large pieces

of luggage on my lap.  Stacked up they went above my head. The lady across from, not the sign of the cross one another lady, came to my rescue and put the larger of

the two down between our legs. We were sitting facing each other. I was a bit frazzled from almost killing the hoodlum and for breaking the train. I let out a loud
sigh and people smiled.  It seemed they were saying, "Chill dude. We are in Naples. This is nothing for us."  Indeed 5 minutes later, the light was still hanging
down the bulb feel out, but no one seemed to give it a second thought.  Caio!

   

Pompeii II, Additional photos

 I'm back at Hotel Isabella in Taormina.  This is the first time I've had WiFi so I can post photos out of my good camera here.
Here is some  background info I typed up on the train...
Pompeii Jan 20 2014 South of Naples Italy
I'm sitting at the Naples train station waiting for my train to Taormina.  I believe we make a stop in Palermo.
Yesteray I visited Pompeii.  It rained almost continuously and I didn't have a umbrella.
A little about the photography:
I took 145 photos, most of them carefully composed.  My skills from large format view cameras came in handy.  I have new Photoshop CS6 at home.
I can corrected for converging diagnols with that.  Many of the images will require that adjustment.
No tripods are permitted so they took mine from me at the entrance.  The lighting changed alot so was often asjusting ASA and F stops
and focus because I needed as much depth of field without the camera shake.  I could rest my arm against a wall or on the metal gates.
It was easy to compose for form and volumes on the LCD display. It was very similar to my view cameras.  It was helpful using the LCD display because
I could see things converted to two dimensions (versus looking through the optical viewfinder like you'd have on Leice M3).
The camera was getting wet. It's a new Fuji X110s. When it rained hard I kept it under my coat or staying under a few of the buildings that had overhangs.


  

 I was very lucky it was raining.  It makes the photos much better. When I get home I'll look them all over on my large monitor and make prints of the "maybe's"
I can picture the millions of photos all the tourists have taken.  Most of them in ordinary sunny day light. The range of illumination is far narrower on a rainy day.  So there might be less distraction from the high contrast like on a sunny day. The drawback is you could to use a tripod in order to get that  everything if focus view camera look. No tripods allowed here.

 Below is a photo of a water trough for your horse.   On the left is a row of stables.

Forza D Agro, The Godfather, Taormina Sicily

I rented a scooter from Luigi at California Rental today.  He said he was hesitant to rent a scooter to an American, they often damage them.  I convinced him that I have a lot of scooter experience.
He gave me the key to his shop.  He wants me to park the scooter in the shop at night so it doesn't get stolen.  I think he said its is son's business.  Photo: On the road to Forza d Agro Sicily

You might recognize this photo. Young Vito was hiding in a cart pulled by a mule past the bad guys that were on these steps, "Anyone found hiding Vito will pay. If you turn him over to us so and so will be very grateful".  For years I've wanted to see this town in person The Godfather movies are some of my favorites.

More photos of Forza d Agro
Many of the building have fallen in on the interior but they have stabilize them with posts and straps an concrete reinforcement so the exteriors don't fall.

 This is the view of the roadway and the fortress leading to Forza D Agro. 

Back to Taormina
This is a manned torpedo. Two fellows sit on in to steer it. Hopefully they bail out before impact.  Location: Main Park Taormina

 I believe this is a structure from several hundred years ago.  It's about 5 levels. The entire thing
is in bad condition. I was perhaps a place to lounge around.  All open.  I had my face up against a steel fence around the corner looking at a old fountain and I think an oven or two and I looked to the left and low and behold there were two parrots watching from 2 feet away.  No photo of that.

I ha

Pompeii

Nothing prepare me for this place. I felt like I almost literally went back in time 2000 years.



That's ashes stuck to that door.


On the train from Sorrento to the Pompeii station. The train station is almost entirely dedicated to to ancient site even though the train that serves it is intra city Naples metro.