Sicily

When you land on Sicility by ferry you can turn to your right and drive towards Palermo or go to your left towards Siracusa.

If you head left, then make your way to a great hotel at Giardini-Naxos, just past Taormina.

Our stay at the Arathena Rocks Hotel was heaven! See our comments on Great Places to Stay. We used Giardini-Naxos as our base to travel to Taormina, Siracusa and Galtagirone. The town of Giardini-Naxos itself really did not do that much for us. The setting is great. The town is along a long curving bay. Hotels are cheaper here than in Taormina. It is just a few minutes up the hill to Taormina.

Taormina is one of the most pleasant town in Sicily. It thrives on international tourists. The cruise ships anchor in the bay below and the buses bring travelers to the town for the day. But don't let that stop you. The town is not full of the merchandise that haunts many tourist locations. You will fine a town with plenty of charm.

Dominated by Arabians from the 9th to the 11th centuries the architecutre that remains is interesting. It was during the 1lth century the Arabs reinforced the city's defences by building, among other things, a tower which is the main part ofthe Palazzo Corvaja. The Spanish, while they ruled, chose Palazzo Corvaja as the seat of the Sicilian Parliament.

Corso Umberto I, the main street, runs from Porta Messina to Porta Catania. Along it is a line of 15th and 19th century palazzi. There are plenty of good shops. Gelato. Restaurants. You can see Mt Etna from the town piazza.

One of the attractions is the Greek Theatre. It now is the place of plays, fashion shows, concerts, and cinema festivals. The Teatro Greco dates from the 3rd Century BC. It was small when originally built, and the Romans enlarged it to accommodate their own theatrical events. Great views from the theatre Mount Etna and the Bay of Naxos.

The Odeon is located in the middle of the old Roman town, below Palazzo Corvaja. A small theatre, built by the Romans about 21 BC.

Corso Umberto I is the main street through the town. The Palazzo Corvaja has architecture that reflects Arab, Norman and Gothic influences. The original tower was built by the Arabs. Later, in the 13th Century, the Normans built onto the tower adding a wing. Then in the 15th Century the Spanish added another wing to house the Sicilian Parliament.

For a time, just before World War II, Palazzo Corvaja was a house for poor families. But after the War it was restored and in 1960 another section was added to house the local tourism offices.

At the other end of Corso Umberto I is Piazza del Duomo. The 13th C cathedral and baroque fountain are sights to see. The Duomo has a fortress-like quality

Thre is a cable car to take you to and from the seaside resorts.

We drove, and parking is is designated lots outside the centre of the city.

Siracusa has the impressive parco archeologico della neaplis. This contains the remains of the Greek theatres and some extensive quarries. On our 2000 trip we mainly spend time in the architectural ruins. But don't miss the city. We concentrated on that on our 2003 visit and it is well worth a good day of your itinerary.

The archaeological site is northwest of the centre of town. Of note is the Greek amphitheatre dating to the 5th Century BC. Its cavea is amongst the largest ever built. There are 59 rows and with this, the theatre could accommodate up to 15,000 spectators. An annual Greek theatre festival takes place from the middle of May to the end of June.

The old stone quarries (latomie) are over the ridge from the theatre. The “Ear of Dionysius”, is a 20m-high, slender pointed arch cut into the rock face that develops inwards for about 65m. The name dates back to the 1608 visit by Caravaggio. The legend is that it was used by Tryant Dionysius to be a prison for his enemies. The excellent Cathedral-like acoustics meant that he could hear their conversations from outside.

The Roman amphitheatre, 3rd Century AD, is one of the largest.

The Archaeological Museum, located on via Teocrito, is outside the archaeological park and holds exhibits from the Syracuse area.

From Syracuse you can travel to the Island of Ortygia. It is small, 1km by 500 metres and has Greek and Roman remains, Mediaeval Norman and Baroque architecture. There are trattorias and bars.

Cross the bridge from the mainland. On the western side is the fountain of Arethusa. There is also the remains of the Temple of Apollo built in the 7th Century BC. This ws the first great Doric temple of its kind in Sicily. The Corso Matteotti leads to the Piazza Archimede.

The centre of Ortygia is the Piazzo del Duomo. The Cathedral is built on the site of an ancient Temple of Athena and the original Doric columns are built into the building.

On the Piazzo del Duomo is the baroque-styled Palazzo Beneventano and the church of Santa Lucia.

The market is to the left when you cross the bridge and in the morninging there is an array of fruit, vegetables, fish and meat. The shop at the end of the market, “I Sapori dei Gusti Smarriti” which mens flavours of lost tastes has cheeses, cured meats, wines, and other Sicilian delicacies produced by the shop owner.

There is a maze of streets to walk and eventually you will reach the Castello Maniace, a bastion built by Frederick II in 1239.

Caltagirone is a beautiful town known for its Baroque architecture. We had a great lunch. Climbed the scala di Santa Maria del Monte and shopped for ceramics.

I was on the search for some great pen stores. I found a number of great stores. The city was wonderful. The architecture and endless sight. In fact, we're going back.

Make sure you walk the market areas -- during the day!. The city has a never-ending array of churches that range from Baroque, Normal and mosaic-style buildings. Be sure to visit La Martorana - there will most likely be a wedding going on.

Monreal

Just outside of Palermo is the town of Monreal. The view from "Royal Mountain" is reason enough to travel to the town. But there is more. The Normal Cathedral, although plain in appearance on the outside, offers the most extensive medieval mosaic work in the world, on the inside.

The Chiostro dei Benedettini, or cloisters, entered from the side of the church, are impressive. There are some 216 twin columns reflecting the Arab influence in Sicilian art. No two columns are the same.

When in San Vito Lo Capo take a boat tour along the cost of the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro. This is a natural reserve with a stunning coastline and aqua blue water. We joined six others on a small boat and had one of the most enjoyable days of the trip. We traveled along the coast, pulled into small coves, dove from the boat and swam. Wonderful. Vito at the Riva del Sole looked after our arrangements. The Riserva is the first natural reserve Sicily established. There are seven kilometres of unspoiled coastline protected by steep mountains.