was pretty and authentic (in places) and clearly worth a day's visit, but I would have no particularly
desire to stay longer. The duomo (built in the early 18th century) is definitely a place to
visit--uniquely different from many other cathedrals as one side incorporates pillars from an ancient
Temple of Minerva. The pillars can be seen from both the exterior and interior of the cathedral.
There is also a captivating side chapel. As soon as we entered it, Casey asked if he could pray and so
came about one of my favorite pictures.
We walked out to the end of the island to see the Castello Maniace--so much reconstructed that it is
really not very interesting-not much left from the original--in fact, not much there at all. We
wandered the streets some more, selecting an old neighbor pizzeria for lunch. By the time we
returned to our car, the market was over and the street sweepers were cleaning up the residue of the
day's activity and preparing for the next day's repeat.
of lava spilling down the mountain's side. It is truly
spectacular to see and worth trying to arrange time to
see it at night.
From my journal: "Last night the gods of the
mountain roared, letting it be known that they have
never left the bowels of their fortress. At 3 AM the
fiercest, wildest, loudest, most angry storm I have
known took over the world for 60 long and exciting
minutes.
commotion was so overpowering. Then, as suddenly as it started, it was over and calm returned; in the distance, we could hear the gods giving their message to a
new location. And so, sleep returned. It is no wonder that the ancients created gods to explain the phenomenon of the mountain. People inherently seek answers
for the unknown; thus when an answer is not apparent, one must be created. Without answers there is no control.
In the morning, King Etna was snow covered--a beautiful site after the night's anger. Sun glistened, clouds kissed the mountain and hung in the blue skies. And on
the other side, beyond the orchard of lemon tree pots, the Ionian Sea was once more sparkling with sundrops. What a glorious way to greet the day given to us by
the one true God! "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24
Roman estate--possibly owned by Maximanus but if not, certainly by an exceedingly wealthy patrician. The Villa's claim on the
world today are the incredibly preserved mosaic floors throughout the large home. Because of a flood of mud which buried them
in the 12th century, they are some of the "greatest, most magnificent mosaics in western Europe today." If you have been to
Istanbul, these floor mosaics rival the ones being excavated there. Then, in addition to the floors, several walls with colorful
fresco paintings are still partially standing. This was an easy day excursion from this side of the island; however, it is equally
accessible from the other side.
meander; however, if time is short, this can easily be foregone as there are many other
such places in Sicily. There is an interesting and unusual duomo there--at the very top.
It should come as no surprise that Casey found this day "boring"--ancient floor mosaics
just don't hold much attraction for a 6 year old. All he wanted to do was get back to the
villa to play with Lucio as we were leaving for Limoneto, outside of Syracuse, in the
morning. That night we treated ourselves one last time to dinner by Cettina--Oh, the life
of the aristocracy!
LIMONETO BED AND BREAKFAST. For some inexplicable reason, after months of detailed
planning, we thought this was located somewhere between Ragusa and Syracuse (closer to
Ragusa.) The truth is that Limoneto is a tucked away little bed and breakfast right outside of
Syracuse. It is a secluded, quiet, wonderful place to return to after a day in the traffic congested
streets of Syracuse--really, chariots would be a whole lot easier! It is very simple and basic; the
owners are delightful, and the grounds nice to walk around in. We were able to watch one of the
workers gather olives off the trees in preparation for the press, use their computer to access the
internet for the mundane chore of bill paying, and, best of all, Casey found another
playmate--Alessandro--and, there were dogs to love. The only negative was that we had been told
to be sure to eat dinner here because the meals were excellent; however, we did not find this to
be true--perhaps there was a change of chefs. We ate there twice but elected to go into Syracuse
the other nights. Additionally, the breakfast was skimpy and unsatisfying even by Italian
breakfast standards. But, considering we were not paying Westin prices, I guess we shouldn't
complain.
of NOTO--with our usual timing of
arriving when all was closed. We
even had a difficult time finding
someplace to eat. We wandered
around for a while, wishing that we
could visit the duomo which is closed
right now due to its bell tower
collapsing several years ago. This is
a town which whispers of its
past--one that clearly was eventful
and rich but now is in decay. There
isn't really a whole lot to do here,
but I am glad we went as it is
different from other Sicilian cities
in terms of architecture and stone
work.
Casey at Limoneto so were able to spend time really looking and absorbing, which was good as the museum demands this type of attention. The layout of the
museum is incredibly efficient and good so that the routing is easy to follow and impossible to get lost in. The architects should be hired world wide for museum
design. The museum moves from pre-recorded history up through the ages with displays, archaeological treasures, photos, small recreations, etc. We spent several
hours here and, if not needing to get back to Marc and Casey, would have been there longer. This is high on our recommendation list--just make sure to allot
enough time. Also, check on opening and closing times as the printed times in various publications varied--and they were all wrong! It appears that these times are
quite schizophrenic, depending on ??. I do believe it is accurate to say it is closed on Monday.
DELLA NEAPOLIS is a must. It is here that you see and enter
the Ear of Dionysius, located in Latomia del Paradiso, the most
famous of the ancient stone quarries. The Ear is really nothing
more than a huge opening in the rock. Myth says that Dionysius,
because the acoustics were so good, would force prisoners in
there at night so that he could eavesdrop on them. However, the
greater interest in the parc is the Teatro Greco, built in the 5th
century BC. It is one of the greatest Greek theaters of the
classical period. Incredibly, the seats have all been sculpted out
of the rock rather than being built of hewn blocks. As in many
other theaters, classical Greek plays are still being performed
there. There are other ruins also--including, the Altar of Hieron
II which was a sacrificial site, various grottoes, rock quarries and
a Roman Amphitheatre.
While here, we took our eyes off Casey for all of 30 seconds when
we heard one of the old men "guards" semi-holler at someone.
Sure enough, when we turned around, there was Casey trying to
climb into a sarcophagus. Later, when we walked back, the little
man pinched Casey's cheek and gave him a hug while his
compadres smiled and chuckled--so typical of the love Italians
have for children.
Hint: We had lunch at the El Teatro Ristorante right outside of
the parc. It was quite good and very convenient. You can park
right there at the back entrance and then after eating walk
straight up the hill to the ruins. Otherwise, finding a place to eat
around there is difficult.
wind blows through the ruins and history comes alive as you drift into stories
of the past-- with eyes that see ghosts walking ramparts, sentries standing
straight, searching the horizon for marching enemy and with ears that hear
the silent whispers of the ancients scurrying through tunnels. In the
background is the ringing of hammer and chisel being raised by slave and
captive as mammoth blocks of stone are formed.
This is the CASTELLO EURIALO, built in the 4th century BC, it is the best
preserved military fortress "and most important work of military
architecture in the Greek world." It was built to protect Syracuse from the
Carthaginians. There is no entrance fee to this monument and it is
somewhat difficult to locate but with perseverance you will get there--just
keep at it. I recommend getting there early in the morning, sharing it only
with the lizards that now populate the ruins. The fortress was a huge
complex-spreading over many hectares. The labor that went into building
this fortress truly challenges comprehension.
day, ancestors are recognized and cemeteries buzz with respectful activity. Major traffic jams clog roads and side
streets as citizens don their best dress and arrive to honor those who have passed away.
This activity actually begins several days prior as relatives visit the tombs and mausoleums, cleaning them,
arranging flowers, literally scrubbing floors and walls. Flower wagons line up outside the gates and polizia busily
direct traffic. We wandered around the major cemetery of Syracuse a few days prior to the holiday. There was much
to hold our interest--large, very large, family mausoleums richly adorned and built of marble in all hues with
lovingly arranged pictures and tributes. Today's families continue to care for the resting places of people who died
many generations ago. Buckets of soapy water, brushes and brooms are used to make things shine once again. It was
really all quite moving. Then, on November 1, we somehow found ourselves again on the road running past the
cemetery--what a disaster that was. Finally, a nice policeman helped us get out of the fray and we were on our way to
the town of Palazzolo Acreida for lunch.
someone encourages you to take a motorboat
trip down a flume (unfortunately, I do not
remember the full name), don't do it. It is a
real rip-off as there is not much along the
way and nothing at the end other than an
abandoned power structure of some kind.
route rather than the coastal route which meant we gave up plans to visit the often acclaimed Ragusa. But--sometimes
when you have the fun of traveling with a child, you adopt a whole different range of things to consider in the decision
making process--like how much travel time can you take before "Are we almost there yet?" conjures up some very child
unfriendly thoughts.
reason to take it--wouldn't trade it for the coastal route. The interior of Sicily
from Catania over to the other side is very different--for those of us who are
drawn to the barrenness and abandonment of deserts, this land holds the same
intrigue. Here there are treeless, dry, arid, windswept hills dotted occasionally
with old stone houses the same color as the hills and fields--houses that give all
appearance of being abandoned long ago until you see clothes drying, strung
along the front. It is as if rain has forgotten this area. Then, periodically, there
are aqueducts carrying water down the brown hills to a fertile valley floor
covered with sweet lemon orchards. These are sights that imprint themselves on
the camera of the mind.
Temples-outside of Agrigento. We have been to Greece and Turkey and so have seen many of
the amazingly preserved buildings and structures from early great civilizations but this place
is different in its concentration of ancient worship temples in one place. I need a Hollywood
epic film to try to picture what it would have been like with the richly, gaudily painted
temples, flames burning, people scurrying, priests and priestesses doing their things, children
playing and life being lived. Sometimes we become so aware that there was life before us.
Travelogues/Photos
China, Peru,
Tanzania, Ecuador,
France, Spain
Portraits of Casey
PAGE
