Syracuse

Another moving day, we packed up and had to have our luggage ready for the porters by 7 a.m. We left our hotel in Ragusa and drove to the city of Syracuse. It is not pronounced like the city in New York, but has an extra syllable here: sir-ah-QUE-sah.

Mary and I have visited here before, in 2016, during our semester in Malta. We had more time here then, on our own, but this trip was a nice review. Memories came back as we crossed the bridge to the island that used to contain the ancient city.

Our local guide, "Moses," did not part the sea for us, but he did remind us that Syracuse was founded in the 8th century B.C.E. as a Greek colony. By the 5th century B.C.E. it had become the second largest trading port in the Greek world, second only to Athens itself. It spun off the satellite colony of Akragas (modern day Agrigento) where we visited the Valley of the Temples just a few days ago.

The Temple of Apollo here in Syracuse is a remarkable ruin. Like the Temple of Concordia in Agrigento, it was converted into a church in Byzantine times, then to a mosque, and later back to a church. But its only function today is as a tourist attraction.

Our tour took us past the Fountain of Diana, which only dates from 1906, making it one of the newest monuments in town. We then walked through the Judaica or "Jewish Quarter." 

The name is ironic in that the Jews were driven out of Sicily by the Spanish Inquisition in the 1490s, and no Jews live here today.

We entered the main square by noting that the Cathedral here was also originally a Greek temple, dedicated to Athena, later renamed Artemis, then turned into church, mosque, and back to church once again.

Finally, we walked down to the sea on the far side of the island, noting the reason the Greeks settled here, with fresh water available here, even so close to the sea.

Set free from our guide, we now had a couple hours of free time. With our friends Craig and Suzy, we walked along the seaside promenade to the old castle that guards the entrance to the harbor. We had visited the castle last time, so opted instead for a gelato and a walk back through the city to the market.

Stingrays for sale in the market

After walking through the market for awhile, we sat down at a sidewalk cafe for beer and pizza, Then met our group to walk back to the bus.

As we drove from Syracuse, Mt. Etna was visible on the horizon, spewing its constant volcanic smoke, despite being 50 miles away. The bus stopped briefly at an Allied cemetery just outside Catania. This was a Commonwealth cemetery, with primarily British and Canadian military burials.

Finally, we arrived in Catania. Our hotel is well located, near the main square of the old city. We enjoyed a nice dinner at a local restaurant, and noted the typical, busy Italian night life in the city as we walked back after 8 p.m., with nearly every bar or restaurant full.