Cefalu-Enna-Syracusa

We arrived in Cefalu on the north coast after dark and spent the following morning visiting the town which is very quaint, wedged between a giant rock called simply 'La Rocca' and sandy beaches. There are noticeably more tourists here as the autostrada network allows easy access from Palermo and Catania. Apologies if you are tiring of cathedrals but the Duomo at Cefalu dominates the town and it's the best photo we have!

It is a short drive through the brown hills of central Sicily and we stopped in Enna to climb the watchtower at the Castello di Lombardia and experience what is probably the premier panorama of the island. Mt. Etna in the distance was smoking a little ( we should get closer tomorrow) and we were above the Saracen town (951AD) of Calascibetta, perched on a cliff.

Our final stop of the day was in Ortygia a small island connected to the city of Syracusa by 2 bridges. The showpiece of the island is the rectangular square tiled in white marble. It is a masterpiece of Baroque planning flanked by flamboyant palaces like Arcivescovile and a pleasant area for an aperitivo and people watching.

Syracusa was at one time one of the largest cities of the ancient world and the archeological site contains the remains of an oval shaped Roman amphitheatre, used for gladiatorial combat, chariot racing and sacrifices and a semi circular Greek amphitheatre used for drama and music! After wandering around the site we drove 'around the houses' for a while eventually heading for the autostrada. Once we found the right road we thought we were in business until we got to within 200 metres of the entrance and a barrier which appeared to have been there for some time. No signs, or diversions just a dead end and we had to u-turn and drive about 5 kilometers as did the stream of cars behind us. You would think a sign would be appropriately placed to save thousands of people the trouble every day, very Sicilian! We eventually made it to Noto, a town with the highest concentration of Baroque palaces and cathedrals of anywhere in Sicily, having been rebuilt in the 18th century. What is unique here is the colour of the stone which glows golden almost pink in the afternoon sun, beautiful.

There a re no ferries from Bari to Dubrovnik so we will leave on Tuesday for Bar in Montenegro. On to Taormina tomorrow before leaving Sicily from Messina for the sprint across southern Italy. Pray for the wagon.