Chapter 23: Syracuse in times of carnival

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Chapter 23

Syracuse in times of Carnival

They arose round 11 o’clock, having missed breakfast again and headed for the bus station to catch the inter-bus direct to Siracusa (3 ¼ hours) which lies on the south east coast on the completely opposite side of Palermo. The coach took them right across the island, at a speed which made Maya a little apprehensive as the oncoming traffic was at times coming a little too close for comfort. The journey cut through rolling hills, mountain sides, a rather barren landscape for the most part, and only one personal needs break (cigarette break) on the way. Just over three hours later they arrived at Siracusa, bang in the middle of a carnival procession.

The outskirts didn’t look too promising but just ten minutes down the road they found a 1* hotel “Milano”. (H: Hotel Milano Di Martello, Corso Umberto I, 10, 96100 Siracusa. 1 star, very simple rooms, t.v and en suite shower) A cheerful old man checked them in and led them to their rather simple yet adequate room. (it even had a fridge).

They soon headed back outside to watch the procession as it was their first carnival procession they had seen since arriving in Italy. It wasn’t exactly Rio, more like Milton Keynes carnival (if there is such a thing), but it was colourful and fun. The best float was a kind of “Sister Act”, where the lead nun (a man in suspenders and a habit) took the music by the horns and choreographed thirty or so other nuns following behind. They walked over to Ortygia, the ancient island over the bridge.

The city of Syracuse stretches out over the sea to the island of Ortygia, where the major testimonies of its former glorious past are to be found. The ancient city was founded in 734 BC by a group of Corinthian settlers led by the oecist Archias. It took its name from a nearby marsh called Syraka. Very soon Syracuse became one of the most powerful cities in Sicily. Throughout its history it has been ruled by the Greeks, the Romans, the Vandals, the Goths and the Byzantines, until in 878 it fell in the hands of the Muslims. After the earthquake in 1693 Syracuse was partially reconstructed, the work proceeding throughout the 18th century. After the unification of Italy, the old Spanish walls were demolished and the city began to expand in land.

They had arrived in the evening and Ortygia’s beauty was amplified at night. Just over the bridge, some Roman ruins were very effectively lit up and were a much more worthy exhibit at night than they were in daylight. The Duomo; a 17th century church built on top of Athena’s temple, and its surrounding piazza crammed with baroque palaces were also fabulously lit up. The walk down led them to the “Fonte Aretusa”; a duck filled fish pond in essence. Greek legend has it that the nymph Arethusa was turned into a fountain by Diana and the pursuer river-God Alpheus turned himself into the river that feeds the spring, though nowadays it is just a pond!

They walked right along the ramparts (the castle itself was closed), around the whole island and ended back up in the centre of town. By sheer luck they stumbled across “il gattopardi” restaurant, a very busy place full of students, run by a most scary yet adorable grandmother. (The Che Guevarra pictures on the wall gave them a clue as to the clientelle). A fabulous atmosphere greeted our two and both of them had a starter the size of a pizza, a litre of wine (red of course) followed by chops and salad for Maya and mixed fried fish and salad for Martin. Two lemon liqueurs , a bottle of water and a lemonade. When they asked for the bill, the burly grandmother with a pen in hand and wrote a single number on the paper table cloth; 20. £14 for all that was a fantastic price, the food was delicious, the atmosphere vibrant and the service second to none. They vowed to return there the following day. A gentle stroll back brought them back to the hotel. Highlight: Ortygia and the meal

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