Greetings!
Leaving Monreale early, we drove to Trapani to catch the 9:20am ferry to an offshore island where the Grotto de Genovese contains neolithic cave drawings 7,000 to 12,000 years old. Cameras are not allowed, and the journey is not for those prone to seasickness, or claustrophobic. Inside the cave, our guide pointed out early (12,000 year-old) carvings (with obsidian not found on the island since it split off from the mainland) of deer, wild donkeys (the kind with humps), and bison. The drawings in occre and charcoal from the 7,000 year-old period (after it became an island) show tuna and dolphin, and lots of male and female figures.
The promotion indicates the drawings are on par with Altamira and Lascaux. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but still worth a visit. There are two ways to the cave once on the island, neither easy for the sea-challenged or non-hiker. But the air is fresh, the sea is warm, and the people are generous and knowledgeable.
On our return to Tripani, we registered at the Hotel Vittorio (That's the statue of him in the square across the street), and found a little restaurant (Triolo's) where we had pasta and some local white wine. We're right now resting in our rooms, and thinking about our evening adventures.
To view the photos taken today, click on Grotto de Genovese.
Gregory
No comments:
Post a Comment