summertime goes south

Vessel Name: Summertime
Vessel Make/Model: Southerly 110
Hailing Port: Wootton Isle of Wight
Crew: Geoff & Linda Gray
About: We have owned and sailed Summertime since 2001. We have sailed around Ireland and to Scotland and many times to France. Now it is time for a big adventure through the French canals to the Mediterranean and beyond.
Extra: We are members of the Cruising Association, the Southerly Owners Association and the Island Sailing Club.
20 June 2018 | Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta
14 June 2018 | Marzamemi
03 June 2018 | Syracuse
17 May 2018 | Catania - Circolo Nautico
15 November 2017 | Marina dell'Etna, Riposta
23 September 2017 | Porto Dell'Etna, Riposto
22 September 2017 | Messina
21 September 2017 | Milazzo
21 September 2017 | Salina
17 September 2017 | Lipari, Isola Lipari
16 September 2017 | Porto di Ponente, Isola Vulcano, Aeolian Islands
09 September 2017 | Cefalu
11 August 2017 | Palermo
09 August 2017 | Castellmare di Golfo
09 August 2017 | San Vito Lo Capo
09 August 2017 | Terrasini, Sicily
30 July 2017 | Marina di Sant'Elmo, Cagliari
25 July 2017 | Marina di Villasimius
22 July 2017 | Porto Corallo
18 July 2017 | Arbatax
Recent Blog Posts
20 June 2018 | Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta

Grand Harbour, Malta

19th June Marzamemi to Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta

14 June 2018 | Marzamemi

Marzamemi or bust

13th June: Syracuse to Marzamemi

03 June 2018 | Syracuse

How much history can you take?

31st May: Catania to Syracuse

17 May 2018 | Catania - Circolo Nautico

A New Year Begins

15th May 2018

15 November 2017 | Marina dell'Etna, Riposta

Winter Quarters

We found the marina at Riposto to be relatively new with good facilities and close to the town. The cost for overwintering is reasonable and we are close to Catania airport, so we decided to leave Summertime there for the winter. We will have to hope Etna stays quiet for the next 6 months as Riposto [...]

23 September 2017 | Porto Dell'Etna, Riposto

Volcanoes again

23rd Sept: Messina to Riposto

Palermo to Cefalu

09 September 2017 | Cefalu
Geoff/cooler and cloudy
8th Sept-Palermo to Cefalu
After a month at home, we spent a couple of nights in a hotel in Palermo before resuming our voyage.
On my second visit, I was able to look beyond the obvious shortcomings of Palermo and see a city with a rich heritage and some outstanding buildings. There is much left to discover and I am sure a more leisurely visit would reveal hidden gems, away from the obvious but still impressive tourist attractions. But it is time to leave.
We planned a short trip eastwards for our first day but our destination port was full, so we pressed on to Cefalu. The weather is forecast to become very windy for up to 3 days from Sunday, so we wanted a sheltered harbour which Cefalu offers.
The wind duly arrived and in addition Sunday night we had an enormous thunderstorm, the full works which seemed to last for hours and I do not recall such concentrated lightning. The shore power supply was put out of action but the marina staff jury-rigged a replacement supply. Health and Safety eat your heart out!
Cefalu is a lovely town on a conspicuous promontory. It is built on a rocky ledge around the base of a volcanic plug, surrounded on three side by water. It is a popular tourist destination but now it is September the crowds have thinned, leaving a lively atmosphere without overcrowding. The original fishing village retains its medieval character with narrow streets and alleys, the newer developments on the fringes do not detract from the ambience.
The village must have been very small in the 12th century but this did not deter King Roger II from building a huge cathedral, widely regarded as one of the finest and best preserved examples of Norman architecture anywhere. It is a truly impressive building, begun in the 1130's. A statement of Norman power on an island they conquered in the 12th century.
The apse contains a Byzantine mosaic depicting Christ Pantokrator, (a common representation in Byzantine and Catholic iconography). To quote John Julius Norwich,
"for many, the greatest portrait of Christ in all Christian art"; quite a claim. It dominates the vast interior of the cathedral and is recognised a true masterpiece of medieval art.
Putting my nerdy hat on, I have dug a little deeper into the concept of Christ Pantokrator (a new idea to me) and the Norman rule of Sicily.
Depictions of Christ Pantokrator do not document events described in the Gospels, rather show Christ as the omnipotent guide and redeemer for us mere mortals. The Cefalu depiction shows the head and shoulders of Christ holding text from St John's Gospel, "I am the light of the world....". The huge, predominately gold, mosaic positioned high above the altar, even after 900 years still literally shines his light on the congregation. Even a confirmed atheist cannot but be impressed at this consummate PR.
The Cefalu Cathedral continues to demonstrate the combination of western, Byzantine and Arabic architectural styles and language, shown in the Medieval buildings of Palermo. I consulted John Julius Norwich's short history of Sicily to find clues to why this unique combination should have flourished in Sicily but is not found elsewhere in the Mediterranean.
He ascribes it largely to the enlightened rule of King Roger II. It took 31 years for the Normans to complete the conquest of Sicily. When Roger was crowned King Roger II in 1130, he was canny enough to harness the population in his support. There were sizeable Greek, Muslim and Christian populations which Roger, rather than persecuting sought to accommodate to the new order. He practised religious toleration, allowing mosques, encouraging Greek Orthodox worship whilst harnessing the talents of Greeks, known for their seamanship, in Sicilian ships and the mathematical skills of the Arabs in finance and administration. He actively encouraged scholars and intellectuals to come and work in Sicily, to undertake secular research (actively discouraged by the Catholic Church). Roger was a formidable intellectual himself and actively participated in the debates and controversies of the scholars. The cosmopolitan ethos was reflected in the buildings he commissioned including his own palace in Palermo. This blending of western, Byzantine and Arab architectural styles was a deliberate act of will by Roger II, a tangible expression of his political objectives.
This is even more remarkable when seen against events elsewhere. The Crusades were underway and the Spanish were in the process of expelling Muslims from Spain. This fracture in relations between Christians and Muslims was not reflected in Sicily which became the crossroads between three continents. Unfortunately this state of affairs did not survive long after his death in 1154. As J. J. Norwich says 'the court of King Roger...was by far the most brilliant of twelfth-century Europe'. The architectural record is perhaps his most brilliant legacy.






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Summertime's Photos - Main
This will show various conditions and facilities enjoyed/endured during the journey around the med. in 2016
8 Photos
Created 12 June 2016
No Photos
Created 30 August 2014
No Photos
Created 30 August 2014

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