PHOTO SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST

Thank you to every one who voted for me --- I ended up as #361 ... not a bad showing

LAST MINUTE PLEA FOR VOTES -- ENDS ON 12TH - TOP 200 CONSIDERED FOR SCHOLARSHIP

My Favorite Photo (I've Ever Taken) Brickfish

ST JAMES FESTIVAL - CALTIGIRONE

St. James is the patron saint for Caligirone and his feast day is 25 July. Every year on the 24th and 25th, the 142 steps of the Scala di Santa Maria dei Monte (each riser decorated in different styles, colors and patterns) are lit up by thousands of lamps fueled by olive oil. At 9:30 in the evening, the town lights are turned out and one long wick is lit that runs to all the cups (think of a domino chain) lighting the design.

One of newer churches in town ...it was built after 1669 when the major earthquake distroyed much of the town ...
Ceramic tiles set in a bridge wall ...
A guard at the entrance to the government building ...

The staircase with thousands of people lighting candles ...
Thousands of individual candles set on a huge staircase -- each with an outer wrapper of red, green or white paper (the colors of the Italian flag) laid out in a design selected the town council of Caltigirone. The red figure at the far end is St. James.
Looking down the stairs (another visit to town, Don and I watched the candle lighting from about where the white car on the left is).
The stairs of Caltigirone without the candles -- another visit.

CARMELA'S FLOWERS

Carmela (our landlady) could make a dead stick grow! Here is the planter on one side of the front door ... don't remember ever seeing flowers quite like this one.

FISH MARKET

A quick trip down to the Catania fish market ....