Oosterdam European Adventure, Messina, Sicily

I was out for the sail into Messina via the Straits of Messina…it was extremely windy going through the Straits. This sea passage is just 2 miles wide at its narrowest point and there lies the city of Messina. Our journey today started from the cruise terminal across from the Municipal Square with the statue of Don Giovanna. From here we made our way to the Piazza del Duomo, where we visited the Cathedral of Messina also known as the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, the Column of the Immaculate Conception, the Fountain of Orion and I climbed the Astronomical Clock Tower for a great view of the city. The clock tower puts on a show every 15 minutes whereby the figurines rotate…on the climb inside the clock tower, I could see the figurines up close. The Piazza del Duomo is the main square in Messina that is surrounded by historic buildings. On our way up to Sacrario di Cristo Re, we visited the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele III. From the outside you would never know of the splendor of the interior.   Leaving the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele III, we climbed to the Sacrario di Cristo Re (Shrine of Christ the King) a tomb built in 1937 to house the remains of those who died in the two world wars. Inside the shrine, there is a monument to the Unknown Soldier. It was fitting to be at this memorial on the anniversary of D Day. Aside from the top of the Clock Tower, it has the best views in Messina. With no set plans we enjoyed our day in Messina and covered many of the city highlights by foot. We returned to the ship and I spent a couple of hours in the sun. Big plans tonight…having dinner in the Pinnacle for the Morimoto pop-up with some of the crew. Stay tuned…We are doing some scenic cruising this evening past the Stromboli Volcano.