ELLIOTT ERWITT in Palermo

Elliott Erwitt in Palermo

Erwitt what’s famous for his photo of Marilyn Monroe standing over the draft from the air vent below, probably the subway, which blew up her dress. The photo below is not the exact photo that’s famous but it shows a little bit more action than the more famous one. It was interesting to see his exhibition in the Palermo Royal Palace.

Marilyn Monroe
Nixon with Khrushchev
There is another more famous photo of Nixon talking with Khrushchev over some kitchen related equipment and dubbed the “kitchen debate”. This photo I don’t specifically remember.
Hitchcock
of course you recognize Hitchcock
Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable
The last movie for Clark Gable and I think also for Marilyn Monroe
Memorable photo
This photo I remember will
Lion driving
Who is driving? Is it the lion?
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Kennedy
French morning
Typically French in the 1950s
Not impressed
The lady is not impressed
Dog face
Twins?
The French leap
The leap of faith?
Where is it?
The most modern of art? Where is the beef? Where is the painting? Where’s the …. anything?

Walking around Palermo

What amazed me about the city is when you’re walking around Palermo you see a lot of things that you probably don’t expect to see. Sicily has been left behind economically in comparison to other places in Italy and the tourism has not been that robust. But I see a big change in that and a great improvement and many new building projects and renovations going on. You will see some poorer parts of the city right next to a newly renovated and beautiful church or a very nicely decorated Trattoria or bar. This is a great city to walk around and to just go around the backstreet to see what you can find. You need at least three days in the center to start to see some of the interesting attractions. Here are some of them.

Royal Palace statue
This is a statue being renovated at the Royal Palace
Street food
a back alley restaurant with food already prepared. This is a Sicilian eggplant dish and a Limoncello with very fresh bread. The people sitting next to me were from England and we had an interesting discussion.
Italian duk duk
This looks like a duk duk but the driver was playing Randy Travis country music which I found refreshing.
Nuovo porto
The New gate
The King of Spain
Some well-known fellow who is dressed like a medieval Viking but it seems it might be King Philip the fifth of Spain
His crest
His crest
Norman and Arabic architecture
One of the interesting Piazza with a few churches of Norman and Arabic architecture. I took a shot when the Carabinieri (national police) were driving through.
Santa Katrina Church
Santa Catarina Church
Walking around Palermo
Picture
A good picture menu
I went to a local café and they had homemade deep-fried rice balls with other stuff inside. It was a good little breakfast
Street art
Street Art very close to my apartment
Delicious pizza
Not much much thickness to the topping but very tasty and the crust was crunchy so delicious
My eating place
This narrow alleyway is where I often eat, near the apartment
Small Piazza
A small Piazza near my apartment
Narrow roads
These pathways became roads hundreds of years after the buildings had a foundation
Delicious pasta vongole
This spaghetti vongole which delicious. It had a buttery taste
Smart kid
This kid with the sunglasses just looked like a mover and shaker
Good prices and the food is pretty good
Good place to eat
You can find better food somewhere in the city but for the price performance and the closeness to the apartment this has been a good choice and they are serving me well as a repeat customer
Calamari
Calamari with a Campari spritz
Thai Restaurant
I don’t think this place is open anymore. I would’ve liked to at least look at the menu
My favorite café
Walking around Palermo I found this is my favorite café with different kinds of morning bread with coffee. I usually order café Lungo which means “long coffee”. So it’s just espresso with a little more water.
Café
This is a café Lungo
Pastry
The different pastry offerings at my coffee shop
Nearby Piazza
This is a statue in front of the church at Piazza San Domenico
New façade
This is a church in this Piazza which is getting a new façade it seems
Face hair
Trying to look more distinguished with face hair. I wonder if I will get more respect?

Visiting the Count Federico

In Palermo you have many fascinating things to see which I never would have imagined. The last time I visited the city i was trying to enter with a rental smart car. As I got towards the entrance to the city and found a small coffee shop I stopped and walked a little bit and saw cars parked every which way on the street and the sidewalk. Not one car was free of scratches or dents. I decided I didn’t want to have a problem smashing up my rental car so I decided after the coffee not to spend time in Palermo. One very interesting tour I decided to take was the Palazzo conte Federico, the Royal palace of Count Frederick. I highly recommend this tour to you since you might get the chance to meet the prince, which is just one of his titles. You can even book to stay at the palace since it has 25 rooms including many bedrooms.

Wall plaque
Plaque on the wall
I'm assuming entrance
The entrance is very unassuming and looks slightly rundown
Race car of the count
The 1930s race car often driven by Conte Federico.
Side view
RaceSponsors
You can see the many sponsors of his races
Name on the car
You see his name on the side of the car
Right hubcap
You can see this hubcap is clearly marked for the right side
Left hubcap
And this one is marked for the left side
Family crest
The Federico family crest
The mother is an equestrian
The princes mother is an equestrian and a performing professional singer
The future count
this is the future count. His father is still alive and at 87 he is hoping to do some more racing. The future count has many titles depending upon the areas of land they used to own. But in the 1950s with land reform under the republic the king was exiled and the royalty had their land distributed. So the titles reflect no more land ownership except for the Palazzo. He gave us his tour.
Some original wooden ceiling
The family still lives in the palace. Here you can see some of the original but redecorated wooden ceiling. Much of the building was destroyed during the bombing of World War II.
The kitchen
The original kitchen with the pizza oven, of course, during World War II a lot of the contents disappeared and we were told a significant amount was hidden in different places and when they went back they found nothing.
The original Norman Tower
This is from the original Norman Tower. The family is with origins dating back to Barbarossa and the Viking king Roger from the 900s. This tower was built in the 1100s and is one of the corners of the palace. You have to walk about 1 mile to get to the ocean now but when this tower was built the ocean came up right next to the tower and it was used for defensive purposes.
Other inscriptions and decorations
here is some later decoration on the outside of the tower which is now inside the house created by Arabs and Spaniards who occupied the city at one time.

Hattusa city of Hittites

this is in Turkey not too far from Ankara. I recommend visiting here to see the history of the Hittites that would be good to hire one of the local tourist guides waiting at the place where you pay for entrance.

Try champagne in Châlons en Champagne

This town in the Champagne area is a really cute town to visit and they have a nice champagne winery to visit. Enjoy the photos with Bill Smale Adventures.

Châlons en Champagne
Our guy is showing us the different bottle sizes. He confirmed that the largest bottle size is not the one used to celebrate at the races.
Châlons en Champagne Yeast settling
Down in the caves you can see how these bottles are stored in order to get the yeast to settle so they can extract it. Sometimes the extraction is done by hand.
Settling yeast
The shows a bottle with yeast that still needs to settle.
Yeast venting
Cool cave
As with all wine caves this one is nice and cool. It was pretty warm outside.
Grape types
These are the three types of grapes used for their champagne at Châlons en Champagne. Only the Chardonnay grape is used for the Blanc de Blanc.
Vineyard map
This shows their vineyards throughout the champagne area.
Front entrance
The front entrance
Parking mushroom
A parking mushroom
River houses
Old houses on the river
Old church
Beautiful old church
Chinese restaurant
A Chinese restaurant named Angkor . I wonder if they’re playing with the Cambodian Temple complex name.
Perfume shop
Typical French perfume shop
Old buildings
Beautiful old buildings in Châlons en Champagne
Decoration
I think this lights up in the evening
Securing a building
Making sure this building doesn’t fall while they are putting up a new building beside it.
Eglise Collégiale Notre-Dame-en-Vaux
Pipe organ in Eglise Collégiale Notre-Dame-en-Vaux
Beautiful windows
Beautiful stained glass window
Original church
The original remains from the church
Original stone panel
One of the original stone panels
War memorial
A memorial for war dead
Canal map
the map of the canal and locks
Canal lock
The different locks in the canals in France allow boats to travel all over the country
Going up to the lock
a boat travels up to the lock
Control light
There is a control light indicating whether they should enter or wait
Entering the lock
The boat passes the first lock and up to the administration window
Securing the boat
The boat owner ties the boat to the stanchions to make sure it’s not moving too much
Ready to untie
When the lock is filled she can then untie the boat and proceed through the next lock
Front gate
This is the front lock gate
Fishing
Why not go fishing?
Old building
a beautiful old building

Blois, France a real gem

After 10 days in Paris staying with a friendit was time to move on. I had this idea to see a number of castles and this town, Blois, France, seem to have a number of castles in the area so off I went. But when I got downtown the bus schedule seemed to be sparse for the castles. By 11:30 the buses had already left and there wouldn’t be any others until the afternoon at about four or five so I decided to spend the day walking around town. What I found was very interesting. There is a castle here built and occupied by many of the kings of France for the past 800 years and there are different kinds of architecture depending upon when the structures were built to serve the king of the time. And of course there are some interesting churches and a beautiful town with a Tudor like architecture of plaster between wooden beams and supports. So I highly recommend visiting this small and very interesting town.

Fleur de lys explained
Here is the explanation of the fleur-de-lis usage by the French royalty
The station
This is the whitest station I have seen in a long time
War memorial
This is a memorial to the 1901 to 1906 conflict possibly concerning the movement to separate church from the operations of government. In 1905 France became a secular country.
Blois, France Diana
I think this is the statue of the goddess Diana of wild animals and the Hunt.
St. Vincent de Paul Church
St. Vincent de Paul Church. I liked the Romanesque statue presentations in various parts of the church. This was a very interesting way to present figures
Light blue ceiling
You can see the preferred light blue color of the ceiling which was often used by royalty
Alter
This altar was also very interesting with the various statues and the framing of the portrait in the middle
The church outside
The church from the outside
Hotel de France
When you look at the hotel name “Hotel de France” it is reassuring to note that there is a hotel in France
Château Royale de Blois
Château Royale de Blois

Blois royal château, built on a promontory high above the River Loire, forms the heart of the urban community. Around it is a bustling old town shaped by its history as a 16th-century royal town. There are several ways of getting to know Blois, a town of artistic and historic interest. You can follow itineraries indicated by brass studs on the ground, take a guided tour, or simply stroll along the streets or up and down the steps. Its diverse heritage spanning a period from the 12t to 20mh centuries, its links with. the Loire that is listed as a World Heritage site, its wide range of museums to suit all tastes, and its gardens with their breathtaking views constantly give visitors and locals alike a chance to see the town from a different angle.

Castle entrance
The castle entrance
Castle entrance Blois, France
The beautiful castle entrance decorations with a king on a horse
François I building
this structure was built by François I In Blois, France and occupied by Catherine Medici. Catherine left Italy, Florence, to become a queen of France and I believe one of the Strozzi family also went to France with her. My interest in this is that my great grandmother was a Strotz from Luxembourg and my great aunt claimed they were descendants of the Strozzi family of Italy, closely tied to the Medici family. No one has proven either way the veracity of this claim by my great aunt so I am spending time here and there trying to uncover the truth.
Beautiful staircase
This is a really beautiful staircase
Built by Gaston
The farthest structure was built by Gaston of Orleans as he laid claim to the title of King after the death of the current king. However, his nephew was born and it was decided he would become the future King, Louis the 14th, the one who built Versailles.
Porcupine figure
You can see the porcupine emblem above the door which it seems indicates the ability to shoot quills and conquer any adversary.
Beautiful chapel ceiling
in the chapel you see this beautiful ceiling with the light blue of the French royalty
Medieval defenses
This medieval structure as a defense battery remains
Beautiful view
Hey beautiful view of the town
Medieval building
The square corner building is left from the medieval times. The structure was built by Louis XII
Beautiful decorations in the Gaston wing
The staircase was built recently but the inside decorations were finished before the building was suspended due to the inability of Gaston to become king and inherited enough money to finish the project

Gaston d’Orléans, the son of Henri IV and Marie de’ Medici, commissioned one of the greatest transformations that the Château underwent in the 17th century. King Louis XIII’s brother and for a long time heir to the throne, he became Count of Blois in 1626 and lived there from 1634, when he launched the construction of a huge palace. The works were directed by the architect François Mansart. In 1635, a new main building was constructed at the rear of the courtyard, taking the place of the “Perche aux Bretons” building. But in 1638 the works were brought to a halt. The birth of the Dauphin Louis (the future Louis XIV) put paid to Gaston’s status as heir to the crown and to a large proportion of the financial resources granted to him by the King. Although incomplete, the new wing is a manifesto for French Classicism. It has a projecting central pavilion, a colonnade, perfect symmetry, three storeys, each with a different classical order, and two superposed pediments, all emphasising the sense of verticality. If the project had been completed, the Louis XII and François I wings would have been razed to the ground and replaced by new buildings. Gaston set up his apartments in the François I wing rather than finish the works. He died there in 1660. The Gaston wing remained an empty shell until the Château was turned into barracks at the beginning of the 19th century.

Fireplace
The beautiful fireplace on the ground floor of the François structure
Art
Some remaining artifacts are displayed here but the explanation says there are not many left since quite a few if not most were badly damaged since the king had to move here and there to remain control of his realm, stashing many objects in trunks and carried by carriages.
Remaining trunk
One of the remaining trunks
Beautiful windows in the chapel
Day to day life followed a rhythm of daily prayers.
The fervently Christian King and Queen attended daily public masses in the chapel and also had an oratory in their residence to allow them to pray in private.
The windows of this oratory, commissioned in 1858 by Duban from the master glassmaker Claudius Lavergne, were inspired by Michel Dumas’ sketches.
The Saints shown with their symbols all had a link to Catherine de’ Medici and the Valois familv.
The King's bedroom
The King’s bedroom where he used to accept visitors
Beautiful view
A beautiful view of the town
Porcelain violin
A porcelain violin
Old town
A very old town
Side Alley
A former main street
Church of Saint Nicholas
Church of Saint Nicholas under repair
Main altar
The main altar
Beautiful window
I really love this window
Different stain glass window themes
Each of the different alcoves had different color themes for the stained glass windows which I found to be very beautiful and creative
Beautiful window windows
A display of the varying window concepts

A short stop in Nancy France

Just across the border from Luxembourg and a short train ride you can enjoy a short stay in Nancy France. I had no idea what to expect in the city. It had some fairly interesting things to see so I think it’s worth a day trip. It’s very easy to get around and it’s not a large town center. So at least when you tell people you visited France I think it’s fun to tell people you visited in Nancy France.

Entrance gate topping in Nancy France
the topping on the entrance gate
Entrance to the plaza
The entrance gate to the Stanislaus Plaza
Stanislaus statue in Nancy France
Stanislaus was the big cheese in Lorraine
Entrance gate
One of the entrance gates. The French love to use gold
Large entryways
It seems obvious that these large streets were made for a large gatherings to enter, entertain and then exit. These entryways are very large.
Hotel de Ville
Every town seems to have a hotel de Ville. More than a hotel it seems to be the city Hall
A nice Vietnamese coffee
This was the best of Viennese coffee I have ever had
French idea of Thai food in Nancy France
Pitaya is a chain of Thai restaurants in France but they have their own concept of Thai food. It’s actually a Poké bowl. In Thailand they don’t put the main dish on top of the rice, they serve it on the side next to a plate of rice.
A cheese restaurant?
This is a pretty fun name for a what? I didn’t really find out but I think it’s got something to do with cheese. But it reminds me of how I used to call my dog DC when I wanted him to come home. I would say “cheese” this way. A little hint, he loved cheese.
An afternoon feast
at the museum this was the one piece of art that caught my eye. I found it an interesting portrayal of a feast on a farm. Noticed the fellow on the far right with this gigantic piece of bread he is slicing to serve people
A A beggar with a Japanese T-shirt
Many of the beggars in France have a long explanation of why they need money. This guy even had a T-shirt indicating he had been running for a long time in Japanese

Enjoying Topkapi surroundings

when you visit Turkey it’s important to go to one of the greatest sites in Istanbul. The Topkapi palace where the sultans ruled for hundreds of years is a real treasure. One thing you won’t see, however, is the diamond portrayed in the movie “Topkapi”. While you are there remember to spend time Enjoying Topkapi surroundings. It’s a very beautiful and relaxing place to spend three or four hours and maybe more if you’re interested in studying every aspect of the palace.

Palace entrance
Entrance to the palace
Main gate Enjoying Topkapi surroundings
The main gate
Enjoying Topkapi surroundings
The palace and its surroundings
Chimneys
These chimneys you will recognize from the movie
Enjoying Topkapi surroundings
Enjoying Topkapi surroundings
Courtyard
The center courtyard
Garden
Enjoying Topkapi surroundings
Enjoying Topkapi surroundings
Hey beautiful pool in the back
Tne view
The view from the garden across the strait
The view
You could see one of the main Bridges
Artistic Arabic
I am fascinated by how artistically Arabic can be written
Foot bath
One of the places to wash your feet
Pieces of an ancient palace
The archaeologist are still trying to locate places for pieces they have found

Hobnobbing with the Royals

Luxembourg is a very small country but it is also the country of my great great grandfather and grandmother. I decided to visit on my way to Paris to see what there is to see and there was an interesting happenstance. I went down one street and then on my way back to the hotel turned right on another and wound up at some barriers with people standing around waiting for something something. I asked a fellow from Italy what they were waiting for and he explained the royal family would be coming by at about three. So I decided to wait to see the Royals. It was a very interesting event, a church related religious ceremony, the itinerary is in a photo below with a mention of when the Royals will show up.

The Royals grand Duke and Duchess
I was able to get out in front and take a better photo of the grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg as they follow the end of the very long procession filled with bands and regional groups participating in the procession.
Secret Service
And of course it would not be complete without the Secret Service getting in the way
Posing for a photo
This group just wanted to pose for a photo so they asked somebody in the crowd to use their camera to take the shot
Young drummers
Young drummers
Photographers
Photographer is waiting for the Royals
A province
One of the provinces or Cantons
Scouting troop
This looks like a scouting troop
Head priest
This guy is the head priest
Deacons in white robes
It looks like some deacons in white robes
Church service
The church service with the Royals sitting in front
Schedule for the Royals
The schedule for the event
Famous Bishop decoration
Depiction of some famous bishop
Telephone
Every room in this ancient hotel has a telephone
Wi-Fi
And of course we also have Wi-Fi
Rides for kids
Rides for kids
Nice hamburger
I broke my diet and decided to have a hamburger and then I walked about 50 m and found the big event area with much cheaper hamburgers
Strange Thai Poké bowl
This Thai restaurant seems to want to make their traditional food on top of rice like a poke bowl. I decided not to try it since I was skeptical of the flavors and the way the sauces were done bleeding into the rice.
No Hawaiian pizza
Rejecting Hawaiian pizza
Acrobatic jumping for kids
Kids tethered for acrobatic jumping
The food court
The food court which was dismantled the next day
Train station
The train station of Luxembourg