there is another good exhibition on at the british musuem from march until september, it is the artifacts from pompeii. Also if you come to the musuems to things that you have to pay entry for and come by train , go on the train website and you can usually print off a voucher for 2 for 1 entry.

I have worked in Italy many times, but luckily as a paid employee, and we have holidayed there a few times as well and we both like the country. Yes  trying to work in their economy and get paid for the work in arrears is probably a totally different experience.

We made landfall in Sicily once from a cruise ship, in the port of Messina- we did try to take a train out to Taormina which has a medieval castle , but just missed one that would have given us enough  time to sightsee and get the train back to be on time for the departure (only stayed a half day in port) so we stayed in Messina, had a coffee and pastry, watched some men trying to move around some huge shop counters and get them in to a small shop without smashing the large plate glass windows. It was done with lots of shouting and some brute force, but they managed.

After touring the inside, we were then treated to a lovely display at noon of the animated figures that appear at different levels on the outside of the bell tower of the Cathedral accompanied by music as well. It was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1908 and an astronomical clock was installed in the 1930's as well.