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Published: September 18th 2022
SYRACUSE
Not a lot of beach, right in Syracuse, they take the sun where they canDid get our ferry at 5.00a.m. Tuesday 13th and it all went very smoothly being off the boat by 7.00a.m. It was a very big ferry with heaps of cars and semi trailers. We hailed a taxi to take us to the Pozzallo Railway Station and then waited for our 9a.m. train and wasn't it a shock when it arrived, reminded me of the Flintstones, an old two carriage affair with an engine in the front of one of the carriages, and it was high off the platform with very steep steps, poor John nearly busted a foofer valve trying to lug the cases up the steps and onto the train! Got into Syracuse about 10.30a.m. and were able to easily walk to our accommodation whilst not on Ortigia Island its only about 400 metres to walk onto it! Syracuse is a very pretty city and has a rich history of both Greek and Romans with amphitheatres of both still present! On our first day we met up with Bruce and Fiona AGAIN, for drinks and dinner at a local fish restaurant, Tuesday was their last day in Syracuse and our first so we were able to pick their brains a
POZZALLO TRAIN STATION
A lonely sight at 7.30am bit as to what was worth seeing etc. Had a lovely night with them and bid them farwell as they are off to Miami to visit their daughter who has not long moved there. Wednesday we took the local bus down to Marzememi for the day, its a gorgeous little sleepy fishing village down near the most southern point of Sicily, its not easy to get to if you don't have a car but is serviced by about 3-4 buses a day, it was lovely to walk around the meandering streets and also along the oceanside with the clear, shining waters. The food is great here, well you all know how we love food, the kgs are slowly sneaking on and it will be boot camp when we get home to get it all off, but while here we just HAVE TO enjoy all the gorgeous food, like cannolis for breaky, gorgeous gelatos and the pasta is to die for! Thursday we were up and at em early off to the Neapolis Archaeological Park which houses the most important ancient ruins from the old Greek Roman city of Syracuse, got there when it opened at 8.30a.m. as it is so
POZZALLO
The Flintstones Train damn hot here you want to do it before midday or early arvo, then we took a bus over to Noto which is probably nearly an hours trip but we did not want to miss having a look around there as it is so well known for its Baroque Architecture, it lived up to his reputation and there's no need to visit a museum as the whole of the city is one. On our way back to the bus stop with John walking ahead I said to him heh John I just want to pop into this jewellery shop, OK he said and when I came out he was sitting at a table talking to a lovely young man, who had cottoned on to his name when I yelled out to John, he said to John, how are you John, anyway it turns out he is from Robinvale and knows the Falvo's.... you just cannot believe the people you meet when overseas, just by chance meetings, had a lovely chat with Royce and headed back to Syracuse. So you know I always research where we are going, where we are going to eat, drink etc tonight we went to a
POZZALLO TO SYRACUSE
The countryside full of all sorts of fruit trees, veges and vineyards working butcher shop Ammucca in Syracuse, it has four tables within the butcher shop and you can pick whatever you like in the display case and they will cook and serve it to you, John thought he had died and gone to heaven, MEAT he said, loves his meat! So we had a huge meal, 1 litre of wine, bread and antipasta and it was 32 Euro....could not believe it! They were very tight for tables, we had finished and another couple came in for a table, Sicilian couple, and John did google translate to the owner Fabio and said we can stand and finish our wines, he was so appreciative and so were the couple, then we started talking to the German couple next to us, two guys and ended up best friends by the end of the night....and the Sicilian couple shouted us all Limincellos for being so nice to give up our table.....such a great place.... thats SICILY! We moved onto Catania on Saturday morning about an hour and a half by train, most people you talk to say mehh! about Catania but we booked two nights to break the journey to Enna in the centre of
POZZALLO TO SYRACUSE
A big mountain range is following us Sicily, we have been pleasantly surprised....its is grungy and lots of rubbish around the streets, it has as many beautiful baroque buildings as does Noto! We are staying virtually in the centre in a little apartment below the owners Guiseppe and Concetta, its a lovely roomy place but man the stairs are a killer to the 2nd Floor, steep and narrow! Our breakfast is provided down in the main street at an amazing cafe/bakery and Guiseppe gave us an itinerary to follow on a walking tour around the city, not too touristic he says but very beautiful and shows you the real town, we did it and it was amazing! As I said we are really liking Catania and glad we came, its largely an ancient port city and major airport sitting at the foot of Mt Etna, we have no aspirations for climbing or hiking any part of Etna, seeing it from afar (we are about 30klms away) we have been satisfied! On the walk we were shocked to find an amazing Greek-Roman theatre just near the town centre, its fantastic and of course we had to go and have a look around, there's a beautifully restored castle, Teatro
SYRACUSE
CASEIFICIO BORDERI - the best panini here by far Massimo Bellini (a gorgeous old opera house) and just loads of other buildings. Population around 300,000, called the black city because of all the volcanic rock around the city, 1669 saw an Etna eruption that lasted for 112 days and wiped out most of the city, forming one of the largest lava fields. Great restaurants are everywhere here too and very reasonably priced.
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Rhonda
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Loving your pictures of Sicily
Hu guys.......I haven't been to Sicily ....... it does look incredible!!!! The food looks like it is definitely to die for!!! What a great find the Butcher restaurant was especially for no vegi John. Ha Ha. Just enjoy enjoy enjoy, don't give a stuff about any weight gain.....it is never permanent!!!! Besides the amazing food photos, I really liked the Archaeological Park. Love to you both xoxoxoxo