Greetings from beautiful and partly sunny Paola, Italy.
Yes, we’ve made it to the top of the toe of Italy.
Paola is a smallish town, 16,000 residents on the Tyrrhenian Sea (part of the Mediterranean Sea).
It’s a vey isolated and mountainous region, very high unemployment and very little opportunities for folks. We’re just here on the way to Sicily, where we’ll travel to tomorrow.
Our drive across the bottom of Italy was uneventful, four hours in total, but across some large mountain ranges. It was raining and snowing at higher elevations. The land is very, very green here. The drought in Europe is over✔️
History here is the history of Western civilization, everyone including the Vikings have ruled this area.
Easy check in and safe parking at the Airbnb!
It’s very hilly here and everything, and I mean everything, is by stairs and very, very steep. 😬
The Santuario is a very important pilgrimage sight.
Paola is an important pilgrimage sight and has over 20 churches in the city.
Only 14,000 steps, but brutal steps and hills.
Headed to Sicily tomorrow, which involves a ferry ride and driving in Sicily. Wish us luck👊
Arrivederci! Ciao! Ciao!
That’s Mt. Stromboli in the foreground, it’s an active volcano off the coast of Sicily.
Trafton’s European Tour 2024-2025 