Sicily

In desperate need of a rest, slower pace of living and  shower we sailed the last leg to our winter home, Marina de Ragusa at the southern end of Sicily.  The final days sailing was wonderful – better than could be hoped for and better than experienced in many months.  Flat seas, 15 knot breeze and we were flying down the Straits of Messina, helped along by the ever present current.  Just before we rounded the corner and sailed the final few nautical miles to our winter home a black storm appeared on the horizon – Don took one look at it and ordered the genoa furled, mainsail dropped and every item stowed – the seas built, the wind strengthened as the storm headed our way.  In the distance we could see a water spout and were very thankful it was many miles away from us.  Much to our horror we saw the birthing of a much closer water spout and it was heading our way, almost opposite to the wind.   We could not outrun the demon as it was approaching fast – Don,  my calm mild mannered Captain shouted “for f..#!%’s sake hold on” – the spout went over the top of us, immediate winds over 50 knots which pushed us over, scary stuff.  After it continued on its destructive path we still had the storm to contend with.  During a lull Don made the decision to try and get into the marina – the entrance being a mile or so away but close to the beach, silted on the starboard side which meant keeping very close to rocks in order to have enough water to get it – a difficult manoeuvre in strong winds and waves but he was aware that the longer we put it off the larger and more confused the waves would become.  With Don’s expert steering we arrived amongst greetings and smiles from the 100’s of other boats safely tucked into the protected marina. 

 

Thanksgiving

Marina life in Ragusa was wonderful, we all had our stories to tell, 10 other Australian boats to chat with and a great variety of other nationalities meant lots of celebrations – Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, English High Tea afternoon, Halloween just to name a few.  We participated in Shibashi on the beach every morning as the sun rose, aerobics or power walking was also available, shopping trips, bus trips to the local markets – a busy and entertaining time and many new friends made.  The small town of Marina Ragusa held a lot of charm, the elderly men sat around each day playing games, everyone was very friendly and you were soon known by the baker, butcher and café staff.  My goal was to taste all the different gelato flavours and grade them, cannoli was next.

Shibashi

One particularly fun excursion was to go olive picking -  a young family had taken over their parents farm house with an olive grove, they were struggling and offered a day in the country with lunch and dinner to any cruiser who gave them a day of picking – along with Aussie friends we spent the day chatting, picking and learning about olives. 

We hired a car and went exploring – you know what they say about Italian drivers… – Sicilians are worse.  Life in Sicily is generally pretty relaxed and nothing happens in a hurry (it tookme ¾ of an hour to get a stamp in the post office and there were only 3 customers !); that is until Sicilians get on the road in their car – then everyone is in a desperate hurry ! Double lines mean “let’s pass”, blind corners on narrow roads are just a red flag to pass and see if 3 cars can squeeze past the corner side by side, speed limits have no meaning – the faster the sooner you arrive so the safer for everyone else on the road.  Any form of indication as to intentions is not possible because the vehicle is going so fast that it is over before they realize and anyway no one pays any attention to turning signals as they could be in error. 

Modica

I insisted we visit Modica – the place where the famous chocolate is made.  Most of the cities and towns are spectacular, Modica was one of our favourites.  The chocolate was not.  The history and architecture is amazing, there was never enough time to explore thoroughly.

Mt Etna was another favourite.   Located on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania, Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe, visible also from the moon. Etna stands at 3,323m (10,902ft) above sea level.  After Etna we visited Alcantara Gorge. The woods around the gorge are quite small but very scenic.  The river offers a wonderful swimming spot. 

Taormina  A popular tourist area with an historic settlement on the ridge top.  Behind the town looms Mt Etna.  Goethe, in Italian Journey, described Taormina as “the greatest work of art and nature”, writers and artists still settle here bewitched by its light.

Noto

The theatrically Baroque town of Noto stands on a ridge of the Iblei Mountains, furrowed by a long and straight road which widens out into wonderful inclined squares. Here Spanish Baroque architecture triumphs in churches, palaces and monasteries, all cast in golden-coloured stone.

Siracusa

Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian language) is one of the main historic cities of Sicily. Located in the southeast corner of the island, it was founded in 734 or 733 BC by Greeks.  Rich in Greek history, culture, amphitheatres and architecture, also it was the birthplace of the mathematician and engineer Archimedes. The ancient Siracusa is also listed by Unesco. It includes Ortigia, the ruins of the Temple of Athena, a Greek theatre and a Roman amphitheatre.

Piazza Armerina e Villa Romana del Casale

Piazza Armerina is a Sicilian commune, one of the so-called "Lombardic" towns, due to its dialect which notably differs from the main Sicilian dialect. Strolling around Piazza Armenia offers the chance to admire some of its houses, which show Norman or Gothic architecture. The World Heritage Site of Villa Romana del Casale is a Roman estate has impressive mosaics.