would you believe I have just typed all you are about to read and lost the lot. I could cry. I hope I can remember it to do it all again.
To date I have taken in excess of fifteen hundred photos, I have probably also deleted about three hundred, from these I have selected about two hundred and fifty shots and had tem developed. I couldnt wait until I got home. Some of them are superb even if I say so myself. I cant wait to get home now to create my album.
I now also have a collection of stones and rocks (tiny). I have collected stones from Cape finnisterre, Calabria (Lynnes family castle at rochella and on the beach, ancient ruins at Taomarina and Tilardi where the black madonna is and Lupi (vulcano). I will put these with the rest of the collection I have gathered from around the world.
I forgot to mention my venture when in Rochella. Lynne and I decided to walk up the mountain and visit the ruins of her family castle. When we arrived we discovered that the castle had been fenced off and the gate was locked. but this was not going to stop Lynne, she simply said this is my family castle and no one is going to keep me out. There was a narrow opening under the gate, next thinkg I know Lynne is flat on her gack laying on the dirt and rubble sliding under the gate. Come on she cries, I hesitated all Icould think was this site has been closed for a reason and we shuldnt really be doing this, she yelled out again - come on, so down I got - what a sight. As we walked around Lynne was bitterly disappointed she commented on how much the castle had fallen down and sisintergrated since she last visited seven years ago. However. the reason it had been closed off to the public is that they are doing a lot of reconstruction and restoration works, perhaps one day it will once again stand in all its glory.
Sicily,
After climbing many steps, probably close to one hundred or more we finally arrived at our accommodation. The B&B was just magic straight out of a romantic storybook. It was an old two story villa which the owners Massimo and Daria had just recently purchased and rennovated. They had only been operating as a B&B since early this year. They had done a wonderful job with the design and rennovations right down to the finest detail.
Massimo and Daria were a beautiful couple probably about my age or perhaps a little younger. They used to live in Milan where Messimo was a buyer for coal. He had a very good understanding of English as he had purchased a lot of coal from Australia. I am not sure what Daria did, but they both certainly have excellent taste when it comes to decorating.
It was fairly late when we arrived and after booking in we had to walk back down to get the car, which was some distance away so it was quite dark when we returned and so we didnt have much time to fully absorb or take in the beauty of the villa.
The following morning as I sat in the kitchen having breakfast, I was sitting and daydreaming when the light from a window caught my eye. The window was situated across the sitting room which had been painted in a lovely soft apricot colour. As I gazed out the window I suddenly realised that the colour of the walls picked up and highlighted the terracotta rooves on the houses up the mountainside. After breakfast I wandered around the villa, they had some amazing pieces of jade sculpture, the largest I have ever seen. One of the walls had been made from brightly coloured glass panels and the sun had just caught it creating a ray of light dancing on the floor. There was an archway which had been painted in the most beuatiful shades of deep brown, red, and golds and had the most amazing pattern, very moorish. The floors were tiled and covered with beautiful persian rugs.
Outside was just as beautiful. To get to the front entrance one had to walk up the stone pavement and bluestone steps. Stragetically placed were terracotta pots containing plants, mainly cactus which stood out against the backdrop of the stone wall. As you walked into the front courtyard with its tiled walls and floor you were greeted with a bright display of colour from the the orange and purples of the boganvillas and the green of the capers all cascading down the stone wall. Just below was a herbal garded fill with lots of aromatic herbs including rosemary and lemon verbana. The back courtyard was also magnificient. Once again fully tile. The walls also had a border of softly colured tiles in blue, lemon and green. In the centre of the couryard was a tiled fountain in bones and browns with a pattern similar to that I had seen in many of the Italian churches. Placed around the courtyard were huge terracotta pots containing an assortment of citurs trees. The road side of the courtyard had a wrought iron fence which had a large cream coloured enamal flat flower as part of the pattern.
When it came time to say goodbye, we had stayed there for two nights, I felt a little sad so did Daria we had made a real connection.
The drive to where we were to catch the ferry to the Islands of the Sicily coast was less stressful, perhaps I am starting to get used to it or it could be wer were driving on the freeway much of the way and road was wider. Our timing was perfect the hovercraft was there waiting. It was a glorious day ideal for taking photos, shame wer were confirned to inside. If I was to do it again, although a little longer, I would take the ferry.
The first of the two islands we visited was Vulcano, the vulcano on this island is still active and we were told very spectacular at night (they have special tours in the evening - how awesome). The sand and the soil is very black from the vulcanic ash. From here we went to Lipari, the biggest and the main Island within the group. We spent several hours here walking around, unfortunately we had not taken into account siesta time 12 - 5pm and all but a few bars and cafes everything was closed.
We climbed down the mountainside to the rocks, again the colour of the water was unbelievable but it was the rocks and the larvae from the volcano which caught my breath deep maroon, purples, reds and blacks. We sat for quite a while just absorbing the vista and the peace, only disturbed occasionally by the the lapping of the water against the rocks and the cry of the sea birds in the distance. What a beautiful place this was. If only we had time to visit the rest of the Islands. Byt the time we left it was night, and what an amazing feeling as we made our way across the sea with not a light in sight, everything was completely black. It was indeed a wonderful site as we approached the port and were greeted by hundreds of welcoming lights that shone like tiny stars against the black sky.
We decided on advice from the tourist office that we wouldnt drive up to Tindari to see the Black Madonna but would take the bus instead. The drive up in the bus although still frightening was not as nearly as stressful as when we drove up and down the mountain the day before. As we drove up the driver was honking the horn the whole way to let oncoming vehichles know that we were coming up. The road was very narrow and windy.
When we arrived, we had to walk the last little way to the top and as we arrived I heard the tinkling of bells, my thoughts went back to the camino where I had heard this sound before, we were greeted by a small group of goats and sheep.
The church was magnificient, it was beautiful inside not overstated like many of the churches I had seen in other parts of Europe. The walls were line with murals of thehe stations of the cross which had been created with mosaics. Above each mural was a circular coloured glass window and as the light shone through it hit the mosiacs make them glisten. The Madonna was in a huge gold cage type structure held and supported by black carved wooden angels.
Lynne and I both sat for a while to basque in the energy. I offered prayers and thanks to my family and riends and to all those who have supported me during this time. I prayed for my Aunty Roma and my friend Fay both dealing with the challenges of cancer. I pryaed that they be given the strength and courage to helpt them with the challenges which lay ahead and that in some small way I might be able to comfort and help them.
As I walked out the church it was twelve noon, the bells began to chime - I froze they were playing Ave Maria - how I felt is indescribable, all I know is that my heart sang. When I started this journey in Lourdes we sang Ave Maria in the procession and a lady sang Shuberts Ave Maria at the end of it. On the morning I did the ritual for the scattering of the ashes, the letting go of the old and the embracing of the new, at Cape Finnisterre the church bells chimed Ave Maria and now at the end.
My Journey of the Spirit has been completed - or is this just the start?
I leave for Australia tonight and I have very mixed emotions. A sense of sadness that the journey has come to an end. The saying of goodbyes to the many wonderful people who have opened their hearts and their homes to me - but oh how I am looking forward to seeing Ken, my children, my grandchildren and my friends again - like my transplant journey this journey has once again demonstrated to me how precious they are. I miss them all so very much.