Erice, at 750m above sea level, and the first time I've felt cold in Sicily. Cold enough to be thankful for my warm jacket and twice-wrapped … [Read more...]
Valley of the Temples
The Temple of Hercules Another day of clambering around in the past over eight temples on rocky crests south of the little town of Agrigento. … [Read more...]
Tiny Streets of Trapani
I still don't know why streets were so little in medieval times. There were no cars obviously, but surely roads would be designed to allow the free … [Read more...]
Palermo Opera House
The Opera House, Teatro Massimo, in Palermo is the largest in Italy. No, I didn't attend a performance although it certainly would have been … [Read more...]
A Day in Palermo
One of my great pleasures is people-watching in a strange city. Sicilians, particularly, have a wonderfully dramatic flair with their speech. Are they … [Read more...]
St John of the Hermits
San Giovanni degli Eremeti A strange name? It's a strange church. Would you believe this is a 12th-century Norman church? We're talking about … [Read more...]
Life from the Balcony in Palermo
My little perch on the balcony complete with potted palms Palermo greeted me with a beautiful full moon, yellow and ponderous over the Tyrrhenian … [Read more...]
A Bus in Central Sicily
How very different is the interior of Sicily to what I've experienced so far! When I was on the bus in South East Sicily I saw a strong resemblance … [Read more...]
Sunday, after Mass
Piazza Duomo, after Mass No, I didn't attend Mass, nor did I go into any church while Mass was being celebrated. I simply sat at a bar outside the … [Read more...]
Get me to the Church on time
The Duomo, Siracusa Siracusa is a city of churches. I suppose any ancient city is really, but the churches here are responsible for a permanent … [Read more...]
Archimedes, Son of Siracusa
I've walked on the same streets as Archimedes. I've stood at the harbour from the furthest point, where he stood, looking over at the Ionian Sea. … [Read more...]
Santa Lucia
Santa Lucia with the knife in her throat The head of the statue shows Lucia getting it in the neck but it's better than a representation of eye … [Read more...]
Afternoon in the Greek
It makes sense that Siracusa has one of the most impressive theatres in the Greek world. This city was one of the most important commercial and … [Read more...]
The Work of Puppets
L'Opera dei Pupi. Or, in Sicilian, Òpra dî Pupi - The Puppet Works We wouldn't say Puppet Opera, or even Puppet Theatre, we would say Puppet … [Read more...]
A Stroll in the Park
I took a stroll in the park today. When I say stroll, I mean a long, long walk. And when I say park, I mean Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, the … [Read more...]
