2012-08-18

My 11-day Trip to Southern Italy, Malta and Cyprus








Naples




Pompeii







Capri Island



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Palermo


Segeste


Agrigento


Taormina









Siracuse





Malta










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Cyprus














Places I visited:
Southern Italy: Naples, Pompeii, Capri, Palermo,
Segeste, Agrigento, Taormina, Catania, Siracuse
Malta: Valletta, Mdina, Gozo
Cyprus: Kourion, Paphos, Nicosia

Feelings:


Southern Italy is similar to Greece where there are lots of ancient buildings. In Segeste and Agrigento, people can visit the ruins of the ancient temples. Besides, the city of Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is
certainly worth a visit. It is a buried Roman town near modern Naples. Pompeii was partially destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Pompeii was lost for nearly 1700 years before its rediscovery in 1748. Indeed, I have never seen anything like these before and I am amazed by the intelligence of ancient people.

As for natural beauty, I am slightly disappointed. I only like the Blue Grottos and the sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches. I could hardly stand the blistering heat throughout the trip. I had to apply sunscreen, take a UV-proof umbrella and keep drinking water. 

The city traffic is chaotic in Italy.

Northern Italians and Southern Italians do not like each other. It is said that southern Italians are poorer, but nicer.

In Italy, many people do not understand English. The Italian English accent is also difficult to understand.

Italy is famous for tomatoes and Gelato.

Italians are very good-looking!

Not many Hong Kong people have heard of Malta. It is indeed a beautiful country.

Malta was formerly a British colony, so most people are able to speak English.

Malta is safer and better off than southern Italy which is impoverished by the Mafia.

Frankly speaking, there is not much to see in Cyprus, but I am intrigued by its history and the hatred between Greek Cypriots living in the south and Turkish Cypriots living in the north. Like Malta, Cyprus was formerly a British colony. It gained its independence in 1960. On July 15, 1974, President Makarios was overthrown in a military coup. On July 20, Turkey invaded Cyprus, asserting its right to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority. Turkey gained control of northern Cyprus as a result. Since then, the island was partitioned into Greek and Turkish territories separated by a UN-occupied buffer zone. Turkish Cypriots proclaimed a separate state under Rauf Denktash in the northern part of the island on Nov. 15, 1983, naming it the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.” The UN Security Council declared this action illegal and called for withdrawal. No country except Turkey has recognized this entity.
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怪誕小學雞 ParaNorman - 4.1 / 5
狼的孩子雨和雪 Wolf Children - 4.1 / 5
小學雞私奔記 Moonrise Kingdom - 4.3 / 5
女朋友。男朋友 GF‧BF - 3.5 / 5
閃亮人生 Intouchables - 3.8 / 5
禮儀師之真假殺人事件 Bernie - 4.2 / 5
獵頭遊戲 Headhunters - 4 / 5
星爸克超有種 Starbuck - 3.5 / 5
光豬舞壯士 Magic Mike - 3.5 / 5
賤熊 30 Ted - 3.7 / 5
時凶獵殺 Looper - 3.7 / 5
奇可和麗塔 Chico And Rita - 3.6 / 5
書中字有夢女神 Ruby Sparks - 4.2 / 5
怪誕復活狗 Frankenweenie - 3.8 / 4
收購風雲 Arbitrage - 3.9 / 4
少年自讀日記 The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - 4.2 / 5
警戰實錄 End of Watch - 4 / 5

23 則留言:

  1. 個太陽好猛呀,你係咪曬到變咗舊碳返嚟呀
    [版主回覆08/23/2012 22:47:16]冇增磅 - the tip is that one should try not to eat too much in the morning, no matter how tempting the morning buffet is haha.
    [chestnut girl回覆08/20/2012 08:22:18]唔怪得之有幾張相冇乜笑容啦 :p
    冇增磅,叻!!!
    [版主回覆08/19/2012 21:59:06]I was like a piece of melting ice. Besides, it was hard to laugh when taking photos because of the dazzling sunshine. I already applied sunscreen, but I was still a bit tanned. A piece of good news is that I have not put on much weight. ^^

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  2. 恭喜你有時間又出發!太動人的相片
    [版主回覆08/19/2012 23:35:57]Thank you. I go traveling once a year and the depressing days are coming soon.

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  3. Itr's great to have a chance to visit those historical sites!!!
    [版主回覆08/23/2012 22:49:45]True! It is a pity that I have to imagine what the ancient temples exactly looked like in the past, since they don't have a roof.

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  4. 除咗羅馬, 我都冇聽過其他城市名, 我真係孤陋寡聞的井底之蛙啊~
    [版主回覆08/25/2012 00:48:29]The cities in Southern Italy are not very famous indeed. Before my trip, I only heard of Naples, Pompeii, Capri and Cyprus. I even did not know the location of Malta and the fact that it is a country.

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  5. what's the wonderful trips! Admired and jealous u again, just known that Cyprus is a small island, is it belonged to Italy?
    Why not show that delicious Cyprus syrup with potato chips u told me last time?
    [版主回覆08/25/2012 13:50:41]Thank you! Really wanna go to more places in the future, e.g. Iceland. Italy, Malta and Cyprus are three different countries. Did I talk about the food you mention? I can't recall that?! But I do love the fried eggplants shown in the picture. They are like French fries. ^^

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  6. good weather~
    [WongKi回覆09/23/2012 01:31:10]
    [版主回覆09/01/2012 11:14:32]The end of July.
    [WongKi回覆08/31/2012 23:57:06]OOOO, which month?
    [版主回覆08/26/2012 02:57:36]TRUE!!! That's why the photos are great. Last year, I went to Eastern Europe and it kept raining.

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  7. 景色很美﹗看你笑容及氣息~~很開心啊^^,真好去旅行充電後迎接新學年的來臨,祝一切順利。Italians are very good-looking!~~認同
    [版主回覆08/29/2012 10:33:30]You too. After rain comes fair weather. Let's smile and appreciate the beauty of life.

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  8. Pandora 香傭講法文2012年8月29日 上午5:34

    i like Gozo very much. btw, 你有少少似黄子華 (青年) 呢^^
    [版主回覆08/29/2012 10:38:00]Gozo is nice, but I'm more impressed by Valletta. The harbor is really beautiful. Some of my friends say that I look like a TVB news reporter Wong Tai Kwan.

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  9. nice...wish i were there with u!!^^
    [版主回覆08/29/2012 19:16:42]I wish I could go traveling more often, but time is limited. We spend too much time working working and working.

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  10. you are a sunny young man, a very good photos to share, one day one city trip, ha ha!
    [版主回覆08/30/2012 00:48:52]Thank you for using sunny to describe me haha. I believe my smile can clear my gloomy days.

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  11. Taking advantage of the younger days of multi-out tour, an unforgettable moment, life is really a very valuable experience. Also, thanks for your visit to my blog.
    Wish you a day happy !
    [版主回覆08/30/2012 02:24:29]You are welcome! Life is full of possibilities and I'm still learning how to live it to the full. Traveling, watching movies, dining out at nice restaurants, playing badminton, listening to music, etc. are just some of the ways.

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  12. So enjoyable in your trip! Wonderful trip......
    [版主回覆08/31/2012 00:14:08]It is! Of course, I still prefer Switzerland, France and Northern Europe. It is just toooooooooooooo hot.

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  13. {Not many Hong Kong people have heard of Malta. It is indeed a beautiful country.] Agree!
    [版主回覆09/02/2012 00:28:19]Next time you'll have a better checklist! Join Kuoni and visit Switzerland. You'll love it.
    [亞邊個回覆09/01/2012 15:08:44]Ha~ha I mean I agree not many HK ppl heard of there, me 2! 跟團同細妹去過西歐咋, 由英國一路南下, 走馬看花, 嗰次係第一次去咁遠, 又帶唔夠衫, 死慳死抵咁,仲比團友笑, 最靚係瑞士啲草色, 好舒服!
    [版主回覆09/01/2012 13:59:30]You have been to Malta? It is small, but beautiful.

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  14. lovely scenes!
    so many places u have visited, it must be a very tight itinary.
    [版主回覆09/04/2012 21:15:53]Not very tight frankly speaking. I joined a tour organized by a local travel agency and I saved a lot of time traveling.

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  15. 又有古蹟又有靚景睇真好
    唔知有無咩美食呢
    好似曬黑左
    [版主回覆09/08/2012 11:46:51]The seafood is good. The most special one is fried eggplant. They taste like french fries, haha. You can see it in one of the pictures. By the way, I did put on sunscreen and so I did not get sunburnt.

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  16. 嘩~~一流旅程!!!~
    [版主回覆09/14/2012 23:17:05]Already looking forward to the next trip in July 2013, haha.

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  17. Wonderful trip
    [版主回覆09/22/2012 00:46:10]Right! I'm one of the luckiest people. I should never take things for granted. Thank you very much for your encouragement.
    [BK回覆09/21/2012 23:03:04]No no.....you are one of the most lucky person la .... Work hard play hard & enjoy your life
    [版主回覆09/21/2012 18:30:03]Surely! It is a pity that I can only go travelling in July and August. Pooooor me...

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  18. 原來 Kenji 也去了看Bernie,評分都 OK 高喎 :)
    會看 Starbuck 和 Headhunters 嗎?兩齣我都喜歡。
    [chestnut girl回覆09/24/2012 08:25:38]Thanks Kenji! I'm watching Ted and Upside Down this Thursday. Let's see if I can watch it as well :p
    [版主回覆09/23/2012 22:43:26]Magic Mike is OK. I feel for the main character, but the romance can be further developed.
    [chestnut girl回覆09/23/2012 09:19:52]Thank you, Kenji :)
    Let me know if you think Magic Mike is good. I'll watch it too (I like most of Soderbergh's work).
    [版主回覆09/23/2012 01:25:14]Happy Birthday!!! I wish you good health! I have read a negative local review about Magic Mike, but I am watching it because it gets 79% fresh at Rottentomatoes and it is directed by Steven Soderbergh.
    [chestnut girl回覆09/22/2012 21:55:31]I watched Bernie on my birthday. Jack Black's performance is great!
    I love Headhunters too. A very engaging one. (I nearly screamed in the cinema ...)
    Ted should be OK. Don't expect too much from Magic Mike though. Anyway, enjoy!!!
    [版主回覆09/22/2012 21:43:45]I'm watching Magic Mike and Ted tomorrow at the Grand tomorrow. I hope they are good.
    [版主回覆09/22/2012 21:43:09]I have seen both movies. I love Headhunters, but Starbuck is just average.
    [版主回覆09/22/2012 21:42:23]Bernie is only released in UA, so most of my friends have not heard about it. Jack Black's performance, probably the best one in his acting career, blows me away. The other members of the cast also act naturally. I really like this movie, a unique and original one that I seldom come across. I highly recommend it to you.

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  19. 看來《禮儀師之真假殺人事件》Bernie和《獵頭遊戲》Headhunters 都不錯。
    [版主回覆09/28/2012 20:35:08]Looper is well received and I won't miss it.
    [chestnut girl回覆09/28/2012 10:34:04]Headhunters 現在一天只餘下一、兩場,想看也難就時間。不如看新上映的 Looper?故事挺有意思。
    [芝回覆09/24/2012 22:40:19]我有同事看了《獵頭遊戲》,說不好看。不過我本身也對Bernie興趣大些。
    [版主回覆09/24/2012 21:20:54]Both are very good and should not be missed by movie lovers. Bernie is even more impressive because of its originality and the very powerful acting.

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  20. Ted 有少許失望。我期望笑位會多些的,結果最好笑的部分,在預告片中都看過了 :<
    [版主回覆10/02/2012 23:33:31]Right... and I expect to watch more good movie at HKAFF. As for Looper, I like the idea and message, but I am personally not into sci-fi and there are a few questions in my mind. For example, how do the gangsters immediately know the captives have escaped? Why do people in the future have supernatural power?
    [chestnut girl回覆10/02/2012 16:07:24]所以年尾選十大時,就要花多些心思了 :)
    覺得Looper如何?我收工去買KINO/12的票,買到再過來報告 :p
    [版主回覆09/30/2012 11:34:29]I recently had a movie weekend haha, watching two movies on Saturday and two more on Sunday hahaha. I really enjoyed it! There are MANY good movies in 2012.
    [chestnut girl回覆09/29/2012 20:10:09]Indeed. But I think it's quite nice if you do this (movie marathon) once in a while :)
    [版主回覆09/29/2012 12:49:53]I can watch two films a day, not three... it is just too tiring.
    [chestnut girl回覆09/28/2012 20:58:09]Maybe I was too tired to enjoy it. I watched three films yesterday, from 11 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., and this is the last one.
    Anyway, Looper carries a meaningful message, and I really like that :)
    [版主回覆09/28/2012 20:38:15]Really? I personally find the other bits quite interesting, probably because of the stark contrast between a very cute bear and a mature and nasty being living inside. Some members of the audience even burst into tears at the climax. Anyway, I did not take the plot seriously, so I enjoyed it.

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  21. 走寶啦,Even the Rain 好好睇!
    [版主回覆10/17/2012 23:35:01]Exactly! Anyway, it gets better! Thanks to the internet and movies, things have been changing rapidly.
    [chestnut girl回覆10/17/2012 09:03:11]其實我覺得好唔公平,只不過性取向不同,那些人憑甚麼去嘲弄和歧視別人 :<
    我唔多鍾意 Glen 的個性,但想必他受了不少的壓力和逼迫,所以才以這種方式待人處世,無奈 :(
    電影有一幕是二人騎一輛騎單車,拍背面。我覺得那一幕很動人。
    [版主回覆10/13/2012 21:06:02]By the way, the song is about a man who wants to revisit the candy store he used to go to in his childhood. It is a pity that the candy store is no longer here. It symbolizes the singer's wish to return to the beautiful past. The song mirrors with the main character's attempt to recall what has happened in these two days and his wish to return to the past and freeze the time.
    [版主回覆10/13/2012 21:01:33]The last song of Weekend is mesmerizing.
    John Grant (feat. Midlake) - I Wanna Go To Marz (lyrics in desc.)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h639y09K-2I&feature=related

    Another thing that I want to draw your attention to is the motif in the movie. CCTVs can be seen here and there in the film. It symbolizes the oppression they face every day because of their sexual orientation. There is a beautiful scene at the end of the movie. When they are saying goodbye to each other in the train station, we see them behind a net. We can hear a few guys teasing them. The scene shows the discrimination they face.
    [chestnut girl回覆10/13/2012 19:25:54]Weekend 好睇!Russell 的寂寥,讓我看得有點心痛。
    之前 Spanish Film Festival,有一齣叫 For 80 Days,講兩位70歲 les 的故事,我覺得很好看,故事寫得好,主角又好演技。
    [chestnut girl回覆10/07/2012 13:42:35]唔緊要啦,有DVD嘛,YouTube仲有個無字幕嘅版本添!
    [版主回覆10/06/2012 23:47:14]

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  22. ops, nice journey :)
    i am going to visit Malta early nov...may you tell me how to get to Blue Grotto from the port Valletta?
    [版主回覆10/27/2012 00:56:10]Thanks a lot. As I joined a tour organized by a travel agency, I'm afraid I can't help. Still, I know there is a famous local sightseeing bus company Hop On Hop Off. Their bus stops and buses can be found here and there. Just talk to the guys in uniform standing on the streets. They are very friendly. Of course, you can call a taxi in your hotel (BENZ). They don't have a meter system. Each trip costs 150 HK dollars.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odFxtSBomps

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  23. Very nice journey !
    Sicily & Cyprus are my dream destination :)
    [版主回覆01/04/2013 20:44:34]Kouni's tour is well organized. You may consider joining the tour.

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