The Sightseeing Tunnel

The Shanghai Sightseeing Tunnel is a three minute ride under the river to cross to Pudong. Only 30 years ago, the area of Pudong was rice-fields, today it's skyscraper central. If you've seen any pictures of Shanghai, they were probably taken in that area. 

The tunnel is different though. It is a bit like light shows of the holiday season, but instead of lit snowflakes and x-mas trees, there are tubes of lights strewn across the tunnel. 

I guess I would say that it is the combination of a holiday light show and a car wash. It might not be as epic as you hoped, yet the pictures can be really cool. 

We're Famous! *not really*

Welcome back to A Virtual Postcard! I have many adventures to report! We've traveled to the Bund, the Hyatt, the Sightseeing Tunnel, and the Shanghai Museum. Not to mention our daily adventures on bicycles and around town. 

Our day at the Bund was a bit smoggy, but there were still plenty of things to see! I think it's interesting how locals openly stare at you or take pictures of you. The photo below is of a tourist couple and their baby. Do you see the crowd? There are two women taking close-up shots and a huddle of men around. Now, I love babies too, but I have never experienced such a phenomena. 

Also, people like to strike up conversations and ask where you're from. It was a bit unsettling at first, but you get used to it. 

Musei Vaticani

This post is a bit late, but I couldn't leave Rome without mentioning the Vatican museums! Although I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the Sistine chapel, I snapped a few shots of modern, renaissance, and ancient Egyptian art.

I'd like to start off by saying that the walk to the Sistine chapel is a long one. First you buy your ticket and climb the main steps, then you go through hallway after hallway until you reach the chapel. 

The Sistine chapel is worth the walk though!

On the walk you can pass through the lovely Raphael rooms. They were commissioned by Julius II in the early 1500's and Raphael and his workshop covered the walls in frescoes. This is the School of Athens. 

Not only did Raphael paint ancient Roman philosophers, but he included a portrait of himself and Michelangelo. Michelangelo is the man in purple in the foreground. Raphael and Michelangelo were working around the same time, so it is likely that Raphael would see Michelangelo sketching plans for the Sistine chapel. 

The Michelangelo that Raphael painted is very muscular and is similar to the sibyls and prophets Michelangelo painted on the Sistine chapel ceiling. 

Here is a photograph of Jeremiah by Michelangelo. 

(http://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/Prophets.html)

The Vatican museums also houses a collection of modern religious works by artists like Diego Rivera, Francis Bacon, and Jacob Lawrence. This one is by Botero. Now, many people don't like his work, but I think this piece is just really fun. Everything seems to have been stretched, the priest, the trees, even the chubby cow. 

The collection of Egyptian art is fantastic! I really like these urns.  

The Belvedere courtyard was originally planned by Bramante, yet his project was built on top of and the existing lawn is much smaller than his original plan. 

This is one of the most famous ancient Roman sculptures today. The entire collection of ancient Roman artifacts is really incredible. 

The famous stairwell! The entire spiral staircase is covered in signs that say "Watch your step!" since each step gets bigger as you go down and the spiral closes. 

Noto!

Before leaving Sicily and returning to school I went to Noto. This small town was built in the late 1600's after an earthquake destroyed the city. The new city of Noto was moved a few kilometers away from the destruction and was built in a very baroque style. 

The main street is lined with churches, government buildings, and shops.

The sky was really pink on our first night! 

The balconies on the fancy palazzi have awesome figures like these horses. Others have mermaid looking people or little putti [cherubs].












This is a picture from the top of a church tower. The staircase up was a bit treacherous, but we made it to the top.

Cow!

We drove to visit the old, destroyed town of Noto. This was the view from the top of the town wall. As you can see, it was a very strategic spot for a town. 

Dad dropped his camera lens protector and it rolled under the fence and down a few feet. I climbed under the fence for it. 

I was so sorry to leave Sicily, but I know I will have to come back eventually. Maybe in the summer next time for some swimming and more sunshine. 

The Ultimate Nativity Scene

At the airport before leaving Sicily there was an old police fiat with a Nativity scene inside.

This combination of two Italian classics is perhaps the most original Nativity I will see for a long time. It may not have been easy to make, but the result is well worth any troubles.

Caltagirone

Caltagirone is a small town in central Sicily. The town is known for its lovely ceramics and massive staircase. 

The staircase would have been a street if the city planners hadn't deemed it too steep. There are 142 steps in total and each one is decorated with a unique ceramic pattern. 

These were two of my favorites. Funky peacocks and dragons. Do you spot the fish? 

This is the dog of the steps. I think he has owners, but when we were there he was just running up and down the stairs like it was easy on his tiny legs. Hardcore pup. 

Map of Sicily in ceramic. This was outside a store by the stairs. Supposedly, the ceramic shops get less expensive as you climb to the top. 

At the ceramics museum, the works ranged from giant Greek amphora to colorful modern pieces. I like this one with the circus animal and performer. 

The Symbol of Sicily. 

Happy New Year! 

Taormina

In the summer, Taormina is full of tourists from around the world, but in the winter crowds disappear and many shops close. While it isn't a ghost town by any means, I liked how calm it seemed compared to Rome.

The Greek Theatre we visited has a great view of the Mediterranean. You can see a bit through the arch.

Okay so these signs are kind of weird. We went to a museum and these plaques were sort of thank you notes to saints for being saved from death. The cat lady above was attacked by her own furry kitties and the chefs were bit by a dog. They were just so funky that I had to include them in a post!

Taormina had a chocolate festival going on while we visited! These were a few of the sculptures at the choco-art gallery. The jewelry was really cool, if not practical. 

On Christmas Eve fires were lit in the center of town. There were orange sparks in the air and whole crowds formed around. 

Candy! These candies were sculpted to look like fruit. They even had candy roast chicken!

The beach. There were even a few swimmers on the sunny day!