Loyal blog readers might remember my recent girls’ getaway to nearby Sicily. Michelle and I ventured out, armed only with the clothes on our back (and all the clothes we could cram into our cases) and her mini corno, you know, to ward off the malocchio!
And, it worked!
One of the most picturesque sites we visited en-route to Palermo, the cannoli capital of the world, was Tindari. Hidden in the mountains only 60 kilometers from Messina, and most easily reached by car, is the tiny village town that is home to one of only a few black Madonna statues in the world!
A short two minute walk from the sanctuary, however, will reveal even more about this Tyrrhenian jewel. Settled in 1500 B.C., Tindari was the last Greek city settled in Sicily, before being conquered by the Carthaginians, Arabs, and Romans. What is left is a marvelous array of architecture, culture, and history that succeeds in setting Tindari apart from the crowd.
In addition to the amphitheatre that was built in 4th century B.C., the ruins at Tindari offer temples, mosaics, and sophisticated baths.
The awe-inspiring columns stand proudly as a reminder of the village’s rich past and enduring strength.
This goat mosaic, just one of many at the ruins, takes us back to a different time and place. And, it makes me wonder … WHAT in the heck did that goat represent?
Here are the remains of the water pipes, used to heat water for the baths of ancient-day Tindaris.
Whether passing through briefly like we did, or settling in for a few days, like we’d have wanted, Tindari is a true hidden treasure, and a “must-add-now” to your Sicilian itinerary.
You won’t be sorry!
Drugstore.com shop opens on Facebook.(News)
Chain Drug Review February 14, 2011 BELLEVUE, Wash. — Drugstore.com is looking to turn its Facebook fans into shoppers.
Late last month drugstore. com and sister site Beauty.com launched a virtual store on the popular social media portal. According to social commerce solution provider Adgregate Markets, whose secure ShopFans technology powers the store, drugstore.com is the first major health and beauty care retailer to enable its Facebook users to shop directly within the Facebook environment.
At the Facebook store drugstore.com and Beauty.com’s 182,000 Facebook visitors can vitally promote and share products as they shop via the social “hooks” within the social media site, Adgregate says.
“Social commerce on Facebook is a natural complement to our trusted store, online and print networks,” states Colin Veach, director of Internet marketing at drugstore.com. “Many of our customers are already engaging with us on Facebook, and we know they’re going to enjoy the benefits of shopping securely with ShopFans. We’re looking forward to venturing into and gaining from this next phase in online commerce and customer engagement.” Drugstore.com will leverage ShopFans to spotlight deals for daily essentials as well as hard-to-find health and beauty items, giving Facebook users access to all products, Adgregate notes. Facebook visitors can search products by clicking on tabs such as Just Arrived, Top Rated, Hard To Find, Gift Ideas, Under $25 and Best Sellers. see here music notes facebook go to website music notes facebook
Explaining how a typical online store differs from a shopping outlet on Facebook, Adgregate notes that social commerce involves understanding how users engage with a page. ShopFans tracks these “conversations” as they occur, which shows how the buying conversion appears within Facebook. “Customers hold more than just spending power. Perhaps even more effective over the longer term is their referral power,” comments Henry Wong, chief executive officer of San Francisco-based Adgregate Markets. “Drugstore.com is quickly going to see enhanced customer relationships and greater transactions amid their online commerce. We also expect drugstore.com to gain insight on product recommendations, purchase intent and conversion rates.” [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Couldn’t agree more! And I just *love* that goat
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Those colors are so different! I can’t wait to be in Sicily for a while, but even more determined to go to Sardegna.
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Don’t you, though, Michelle?
How about a quick stop in Calabria en route to Sicily? I cant wait to go to Umbria!
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yay! This looks great. We need to put this on our list to do next time we’re in Sicily. We didn’t get to do even a small amt of all the things we wanted to do there…there’s so much!
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WHAT in the heck did that goat represent?
My guess is dinner.
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Great pics Cherrye! The water pipes are very interesting. Probably worked better than the boiler in our house
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So lovely!
My brother and I are thinking about taking a trip together in the fall. (Is it weird to take a trip with my bro? We’re great buddies and neither one of us is married and most of our friends are, so it’s hard to find a traveling buddy!) Anyway, Italy is on our list. I may email you for a little more info, we’d love to make Il Cedro a stop on our list.
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I love ruins and ampitheaters!! What a great day trip!
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Well I knew that would fix the problem!
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You do, Erin. And, next time you need to swing through here!
LOL, Running! LOL!
Ha, ha…Linda! They may have. They sure have been there a long time, haven’t they?
I don’t think it is strange at all to travel with your brother, Geggie. You will actually fit it really well around here. We would so love to have you guys in Calabria!
Rhea, it was so nice. Luckily, we were with a girl who now lives in Messina. She told us about it (and drove us in her car!)
Poor, J. We should go on strike against wordpress for calling you spam – EVERY TIME!!!
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