Messina to Napoli

 We took a train from Berlin to Frankfurt, spent the night in a train station because we had to catch a shuttle to the Frankfurt airport at 3:50am. We didn't sleep at all that night. Then after an early morning flight, we waited all day in the Milan airport for a 8pm flight to Sicily. So we were extremely exhausted by the time we reached Sicily. Gracious and beautiful Karise met us as the airport and took us to her home in Messina where she is working as a ministry assistant in a church there. It was night when we arrived, and after an amazing night sleep in her apartment, we woke to this paradise-like island to explore.
The view from the port. Karise took us to try all kinds of traditional and delicious Sician food.

 The view from on top of the city.

 We went to the ocean one day and I got stung by a jellyfish, while you do not need to see this visual of the sting, I personally have always wondered what that would look and feel like. It looks like this and feels a lot like being zapped by a electrical shock. It swelled up something crazy and Karise found out that we should have immediately scrapped the surface of the sting with a credit card, which would have removed the stingers and helped prevent swelling. Anyways that was fun. :)

 One of the ladies from the church Karise works at offered to take us to the nearby town of Taormina to see the sights, so we went there one day of our 6 day stay with Karise. This is me and Ruthiey overlooking the bay in Taormina.

 The sunset in Messina.

 Watching the ferries from the beach in Messina.

 Traditional and epic pizzas, I don't think pizzas back home will be able to compete anymore. Sician dining is a new experience in that they don't bother you about needing the seats, they seem to think you have come to spend the evening there. It is very conductive to good conversations. :)

 The day came to say goodbye to Karise. :'( We took the train in the morning to Palermo, which is on the coast of Sicily still but on the other side. From there we got on the overnight ferry towards Napoli.

 View as we departed the harbor, watching the sun set over Palermo.

 This is the next morning - 5:30 as we watched the sun rise over Mount Vesuvius in Napoli. We didn't sleep much on the ferry but it was worth the view!