Messina, Italy (2007)

After we went to Palermo, we took a train along the northern edge of Sicily until we reached the point closest to mainland Italy (the toe point of the boot). Messina was founded in 724BC and was the point (Straits of Messina) in the Odyssey where Odysseus had trouble crossing (between a rock and a hard place).

The water point.

Fishing for Scylla, the 6-headed man-gobbling monster.

We encountered the tacky monster in town.

Attack of the tacky!!!

A nice fountain.

The graffiti all over Italy was very loving.

Clock tower.

This clock tower was actually kind of cool because those little figures moved to ring the bells at the hour.

Church on hill.

That bus is headed to Sparta. Cool.

Our crossing the Straits of Messina was also difficult. First we went to the train that we were supposed to get on but they said that there were no trains crossing Messina. They directed us to the boat dock where we ran to find that our train was being elaborately taken apart and put onto the ship. Why couldn’t they just have a train on Sicily and a train on mainland Italy?

Comfortable on board.

The treacherous Straits of Messina. Actually they were quite calm. I think Odysseus was a wuss. After looking up the story on the internet we found out that Odysseus was afraid of a whirlpool named Charybdis (along with Scylla the monster). Scylla may have been a reference to giant squid in the sea around then. In 1783 there was an earthquake that changed the sea floor and made the whirlpool much weaker. I don’t understand why Odysseus didn’t just look up a better route on the internet.

Here, I am tied to the boat and plug my ears so I don’t hear the call of the Sirens.

Looking back on Messina.