 | Vista Point PALERMO Italy VPG-DVD-194 - PALERMO Once known as the stronghold of the Mafia, Palermo, the capital of Sicily, has gradually improved its image and the joie de vivre of its inhabitants has turned it into one of the most lively cities in Italy. The monumental Palermo Cathedral is located on the edge of the Piazza Cathedrale, throughout the centuries a place for rendezvous, celebrations and justice. Following the city's conquest by the Saracens an ancient cathedral on this site was transformed into a Friday mosque and was later used for Christian ceremonies. When in 1072 the Normans conquered the island they were so captivated by this 'paradise on earth' that they were careful to preserve it. They admired its oriental splendour and Arabian-Norman architecture but when the kings of Aragon attained power the golden age of Palermo came to an end. The Castello Della Zisa is the largest building of Arabian design in Palermo and in former times it was a residence situated within a regal park that was used for the royal sport of hawking. In a mountain area close to Palermo is the picturesque town of Monreale, a townscape that for more than eight hundred years has been dominated by a single building: Monreale Cathedral was built due to a struggle for power between the Bishop Of Palermo and the Norman King, William The Second. The Sicilian metropolis of Palermo has been both feared and loved but it most assuredly remains 'a flower within a golden shell'. |
 | Sicily Discoveries: A Country Drive around Mount Etna May 1, 2007: Italian Labour Day and a perfect opportunity to rent a car and drive into the Italian countryside. We first visited the Gole di Alcantara, stopped off in a mountain-top village of Motta Camastra and continued our local explorations on the Sicilian highlands. Feel free to check out my travel articles at www.travelandtransitions.com. |
 | Capuchin Cemetery http://www.xo4.com/Capuchin/capuchin.html Music by Incompetech.com |
 | Mezzogiorno Sicily: About Greeks, Romans and Carthage FMF-DVD-00001028 - Mezzogiorno - Sicily: About Greeks, Romans and a Carthage general begins in the center of the island at Casale, near Piazza Armerina, where are located the best-preserved mosaics discovered in a Roman villa covered for centuries by a mudslide. From there we go on the southern coast city of Aggrigento and visit the famous Vale dei Templi that overwhelmingly impressed Goethe in his visit to Sicily. We stop for a short while in Eraclea Minoa and in Sciacca, famous center for ceramics in Sicily. The visit continues to Selinunte, the most southern Roman colony situated right on the sea, conquered at one point by Hanibal , the Carthage general;to Erice, a medieval town up in the mountains of the western coast of the Island, immersed in mist and ending up at Sagesta temple, a sister city but also rival of Selinunte. |
 | palermo palermo city |
 | Vista Point SICILY Italy VPG-DVD-191 - SICILY Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and the most diverse region in Italy, a land of gods and natural forces and a place of ancient cultures. Catania in the north east of the island is Sicily's second largest city that has been strongly influenced by earthquakes and also the volcanic activity of Mount Etna. It is believed that Greek settlers from Chalkidi founded it and some centuries later it was conquered by the Romans, and later the Arabs brought the city a new wave of prosperity. Noto is a charming town with around twenty thousand inhabitants and it is one of the most beautiful enclosed Baroque towns in Sicily. However, many of Noto's historic buildings have been neglected for many years and are thus in somewhat less than perfect condition. The Catedrale Di San Nicolò also fell into disrepair as a result of continued neglect and this caused both its dome and part of its roof to collapse in 1996. A proud and mighty volcano rises above eastern Sicily. Mount Etna, the largest volcano in Europe, is the undisputed ruler of this fascinating Mediterranean island. The snow on the summit region of Etna obscures the fact that deep within the volcano is an unimaginable natural furnace with a temperature of around a thousand degrees Celsius. Marsala was given its name by the Arabs who called it 'Marsal-Allah', 'God's Harbour'. The monumental city gate is a reminder of the landing of Giuseppe Garibaldis on the 8th of March, 1860. In the mountain area close to Palermo, another wonderful city featured on our journey, is the picturesque town of Monreale, a townscape that for more than eight hundred years has been dominated by a single building. Monreale Cathedral was built due to a struggle for power between the Bishop Of Palermo and the Norman King, William. Sicily is exquisite. An ancient island of both discovery and pleasure. |
 | 7 Days SICILIA Italy 7DY-DVD-136 - Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and is the most diverse region in Italy, a land of gods and natural forces and a place of ancient cultures. Throughout the history of Sicily there have been many battles, rulers, cultures and religions. Prior to Roman rule both the Greeks and the Carthagians fought against each other. Later came the Arabs and the Normans. Catania is Sicily's second largest city and has been strongly influenced by earthquakes and also the volcanic activity of Mount Etna. Therefore only a few historical remnants have survived. However, after each disaster the city was rebuilt and the result is a Baroque city dominated by fascinating sights full of character and charm. A devastating earthquake in 1693 destroyed the original town of Noto and left it in ruins. Construction of the new town took almost a hundred years until at end of the eighteenth century most of its buildings had been rebuilt. In addition to the geometrical design of its streets the remarkable architectural harmony of the town has been created by much use of ochre-coloured sandstone. The privately-owned train, the Ferrovia Circumetnea, travels around Mount Etna from Catania to Riposto. A couple of kilometres outside Catania there are vast fertile fields. In the background is the mighty and over three thousand metre high Mount Etna, one of the most active and famous volcanoes in the world. Taormina is situated on a rock high above the Ionic Sea. The Teatro Greco was built out of the stone of Monte Tauro in the third century A.D. and five hundred years later it was enlarged by the Romans for gladiatorial battle. The old town ended at Porta Messina whose medieval palaces and villas have been preserved right up until the present day. A few kilometres from Palermo and set within a beautiful bay is Mondello sheltered by the slopes of Monte Pellegrino that contains a grotto, an altar and a pilgrims church, the Santuario Di Santa Rosalia. Here this fascinating journey comes to an end. Sicily is exquisite, an ancient island of both discovery and pleasure. |
 | Breaking the grip of Italy's mafia - 06 Dec 07 Al Jazeera's Karl Stagno-Navarra travels to Palermo where the city's business community is taking a stand against the payment of protection money. |
 | Global Treasures PRAGUE Praha Czech Republic GTR-DVD-1220 - Prague, the Golden City, does full justice to its name. The beauty of this historically rich metropolis on the banks of the Vlatava has been well known for several centuries. One of the city's many architectural focal points is the Charles Bridge which since the 14th century has connected the old town district with part of the Hradschin, Prague Castle. Prague's Astronomical Clock is world famous and not only does it display the time, it also shows the date and the corresponding sign of the Zodiac. South of the famous Hradschin Castle is the most ostentatious residence in the city, the Palais Waldstein that is of Late Italian Renaissance design. Beautiful and spacious gardens round off the elegant appearance of the palace that was built between 1624 and 1630. Petrin Hill and its sixty metre tall iron tower that dates back to 1891 is yet another attraction offered by the capital of the Czech Republic. A number of the buildings in the historic Jewish district of Josefov, such as the Old-New Synagogue, have been well preserved and the historic, romantic and enchanting atmosphere of Prague's Jewish Cemetery has been the subject of several novels. Considering the abundance of its historic monuments it is not surprising that Prague continues to shine out in all the splendour of its glorious and colourful past. Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments. |
 | Austria - The gigantic pilgrimage church of Maria Trost This video clip was taken on August 1, 2007 during my trip to Austria, my home country. I started my day off with a quick hike with two of my friends through the Raabklamm (Raab Gorge), a deep river valley that is cut into the surrounding limestone cliffs and features numerous wooden bridges and trails that snake through the narrow valley. Then I had a lovely Austrian lunch at a rural restaurant and made friends with some freely grazing cows. Finally I went on an excursion to the Styrian provincial capital of Graz. A city of about 250,000 it is the second largest city in Austria, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Graz has one of the best preserved medieval and Renaissance city centres in Europe. Its location surrounding the Schlossberg (Castle Hill), framed by mountains on three sides is beautiful. I explored the main shopping street Herrengasse, the Main Square (Hauptplatz) with its stunning City Hall, and walked across the newly built Murinsel (Island in the Mur River). I also took the Schlossbergbahn (the Schlossberg funicular) and explored the main sites on this famous hill including the Uhrturm (the clock tower) which originally dates back to the 1200s and was preserved due to a ransom payment by the citizens when Napoleon ordered the castle on the hill destroyed in 1809. Beautiful 360 degree views open up from this elevated location. My fascination was captured by the many beautiful hidden courtyards that grace Graz's old quarters. I also explored the Bermuda-Dreieck (Bermuda Triangle), the main entertainment district of Graz and punctually at 3 pm I had a chance to see the carillon on the Glockenspielplatz (Carillon Square). I capped off my visit with an exploration of the narrow side streets that lead off the main square to the embankments next to the Mur, the river that flows slowly through this city, and one of the main rivers in the entire province of Styria. I am actually a travel writer who loves to explore international destinations as well as my chosen home town of Toronto. On Youtube you will find hundreds of video clips from a wide variety of destinations. Feel free to check out some of my 700+ articles and interviews on http//www.travelandtransitions.com. My personal travel stories are located at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos.htm and my Austrian travel articles will be published in the next few weeks. Also, my FREE travel ebooks containing stories from my trips to destinations such as Sicily, Havana, Mexico City, New York City, Chicago, Florida, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Halifax and many others are available right now at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/ebooks.html (more). |
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| Sheraton Suites Philadelphia Airport | |
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