Here Comes The Rain Again.........

It was a totally Eurythmics kind of day.......the rain came again and again. Still some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. We decided to be the former and went to Noto regardless of the rain.

Noto is another of those Unesco baroque towns that were completely rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake. The best part of Noto is along one stretch of street,  Corso Vittorio Emanuele which we walked, from the view over the surrounding hills,

through the Porta Reale,

Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi all'Immacolata,

Basilica Minore di San Nicolò,

Palazzo Ducezio,

Teatro Comunale "Tina Di Lorenzo"

and Chiesa di San Domenico.

I mention these because at various stages we visited each of them when we were becoming people who just got wet. We also visited Caffe Porta Reale for coffee and cannoli, Caffe Sicilia for coffee and icecream and Sabbinirica à putìa d'ercole where they make amazing sandwiches. We must be getting more Sicilan because we nailed tables at the last two pretty quickly whilst others had to wait a while.

By lunch time we had definitely become people who get wet, particularly as we made our way back to the car as the rain came again and again. Marjan's feet were soaking in her runners. I was better off in my hiking boots.

So off towards Etna we started. We had not made it out of Noto before the rain become torrential. We sought refuge in a supermarket car park as we could not see the road in front of us. From there the rain and thunder followed us all of the way. About 130Km in over three hours with many stops when the rain was so heavy we could not see. At times even Sicilians were doing 30Kph on a 130Kph road.

We got there safely with only passing glimpses of Etna as the clouds scuttled through. Marjan got dry and we are being cooked dinner by our hosts Cristina and Angelo.

You're just as crazy as they are....

Into Syracusa we headed today. The biggest most powerful city in Magna Graecia. We hit a traffic jam on the way into town and a roundabout with no lanes; either visibly drawn ones or those made by cars following a predictable path. Only way to deal with is was to drive in and put a little stick about.

Marjan's comment was "That was really good! You're just as crazy as they are!"

We walked into town and at every turn we were impressed. Old Syracusa, the island of Ortigia is beautiful. Obviously there is a little more money than average here. Some of it is being funded by the EU, and there are obvious restoration works at many of the city's fine locations. Greek ruins, an Archimedes science museum, lots of baroque Spanish stuff.

and some shops Marjan loved......

We were particulrly impressed by the Duomo, the cathedral of Syracusa. Of course it started off as a Greek Temple to Athena. The original columns were integrated into the wall of a Byzantine church about 800 years later. Then a mosque, then a Norman church and of course the Spaniards added their baroque touches during their occupation. A quite stunning place, set in the most lovely piazza in Sicily.....at least the most stunning we have seen.

It was beautiful and peaceful so we sat, ate waffles and watched the world go by. And because you can have waffles, ice cream and sambucca laden coffee for second breakfast.

We basically wandered up and down a few alleys and eventually got down to the water on the bay side and slowly walked to the old castle. A castle was built here in the 11th century, but the current one was built in the 13th by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Various royals have used/been associated with it Peter of Aragon, Charles V of Spain, various Sicilian queens. It was also ceded to Lord Nelson at one point and has been owned by several English dukes in succession. It is currently
 undergoing restoration.

Back along the other side of the island and some lovely laneways and side streets. You could probably spend a week exploring each laneway.  Loved the people on a tiny bit of beach.....and the church turned into an art installation.

We ended up at the fresh food market with wonderful assortments of fish and fruit. We found a place near there to sit and have a small ante pasta platter for lunch. It was quite chaotic, and very popular, and we were a little lucky to get a table quickly......I kinda did the Italian thing again and ignored any potential queue. Just as we were paying up the rain started.

We weighed up our options and decided to go back to the car and drive back. We would skip the archeology park. Apparently the Theatre is interesting, but it is not well maintained. The Spaniards plundered/recycled the material for all the other beautiful buildings.

Just as well. Almost the moment we got into the car, it went from an irritatingly insistent drizzle to a mighty downpour. That lasted a little while before settling back into a drizzle. In the meantime the roads became bloody awful. Drainage is not a concept Sicilian traffic engineers want anything to do with.

More rain tomorrow. We'll see how we go in Noto.

Caves of the Ice Picker

I went out early to have a look at some of the dry stone walls that just dominate this plateau.

We decided to drop down into the valley and have a look at the Cava Ispica, or as Jaimie Lee likes to tell it, Cave of the Ice Picker.

The caves have an interesting history with the Siculian peoples first occupying the area some time before 1000BC. They were an italic people who came south and lived in this area. They started the caves for their burials, building extensive catacombs with tombs of all sizes dug into the rock.

All of this over a fertile valley bottom.....

and the only company..reptilian...

Obviously at some stage the Greeks used the caves as there are Greek gymnasiums for army training in a couple of largish rooms with ablution pits.

It also has churches, monasteries, christian catacombs etc. For a while the local people lived here quite extensively to defend themselves against African raiders. Poor people lived in many of the caves till they were mostly abandoned after the earthquake of 1693.

The whole place was very creepy. It is quite extensive occupying both sides of the 14Km gorge.

We then went to a slightly more modern cave occupancy. A little further up the gorge was a mill, in a cave that had been using an arab water wheel till 1957. It too was dug into the cliff, and the actual water wheel room was tiny, I was bent over double to get in. The owner was a great grand son of an actual water miller, but these days has a nicer external house attached to the cave. The mill now works by re-pumping town water up into the original spring feed.

It was warm so we decided to go to the beach. Marjan drove and the language was inventive. We found a lovely stretch of sandy beach. Unfortunately the wind made it a bit unpleasant both in the water and out.

So we went for a walk along the headland and around a newer ruin. You see this all over Sicily, buildings, roads dilapidated and abandoned. Some are ancient, some seem no more than 10 years old. La Fornace Penna was built early 20th century as a brick works.  The bricks were exported everywhere and much of Tripoli is built with bricks from here. In 1924 the place was burnt down, either by the socialists or the fascists....or perhaps it was Signore Trumpione . Now it just stands there making movie sets for Inspector Montalbano.

Veer left towards Corzo The Ice Picker....

...not something I ever expected my phone to tell me, but when you are in Sicily with Jaime Lee anything can happen. We were heading to Modica for the morning when she suggested this particular move. After we stopped the car and had a good laugh we realised she meant Corso Di Ispica.

Modica is one of a  group of towns that were completely rebuilt after a 1693 earthquake hit this part of Sicily.  Over 90k dead and dozens of towns wiped out.

We parked near the uninspiring train station, near an awe inspiring viaduct, and walked in past a trash and treasure market being set up.

All the way up the main street, up the ever rising stairs to the cathedral that seems to be a wedding cake decoration, the Duomo di San Girgio, with the expected dragon, ever up to the Pizzo Belvedere with a view of the town snaking along the valley, and the locals having an animated discussion with the Police.

Then back down, down, down past Quasimodo's house- Salvatore, poet , Nobel laureate,  to Caffe Adamo where a much deserved break was organised. Pistachio all round, gelati for me, cremolatte for Marjan. Imagine fresh, sweet, nutty pistachios infused into a lovely icy/creamy confection. The pure flavour of pistachio in an ice cream. Apparently Noto ice creams are better. Impossible we say! Prove it!

There were some interesting shops.......

But the Sicilian man told me to photograph the balcony opposite...so I did...

People/car watching whilst having the ice-cream was fun. In particular the pedestrian crossing across from the Caffe which was a constant source of temptation as the only open  spot available for parking for those wanting to come and get some sweets for Sunday lunch.

Empowered by sugar we hit the trash and treasure, everything from Italian army helmets, very tempting for the boys, to full suites of furniture, to Sicilian hand made cricket bats. The whole of Modica seemed to be having a Sunday stroll. We kept seeing the same people all over town.

Eventually we felt lunch was in order. Of course we are at least 50Km from the sea here, so no seafood on the menu. None! Nada! Zilch! Pork it was, for me anyway, eggplant for Marjan, and a very tasty and varied ante pasta.

By the time we got back to the car the town was near empty, except the eateries. Everybody was eating or sleeping. Even the Lidl supermarket was near empty. Marjan says she will only drive in towns at lunch time.

......and if you think we are obsessed with food, all I have to say is "Have you met us?"