Siracusa’s Island of Ortigia
We drove to our next town today - Siracusa.
Protected from the weather inside our car, I went through my mental checklist of travel weather I prefer: 1) sunny and warm/hot 2) cool, if sunny 3) wind 4) rain. We are now at a severe category somewhere between 3 and 4.
We arrived to Siracusa with the first storm of the season. Roads were flooded and closed. Nobody left their homes before 10am. School is closed. This is the wet October weather I was warned about when I booked our trip.
On the island of Ortigia (old Siracusa), the wind was so strong, people were hovering in the air like kites. You don't get to pick which direction you're going; you just got the direction the wind took you. We tried to go for a look over the seawall and I got drenched by the spray of a wave - way worse than Splash Mountain (and a lot saltier).
All that not eating for 1 1/2 hours, and driving, worked up an appetite. For lunch we found Caseificio Borderi, a family-run shop in the marketplace.
I read "do not miss". Having now eaten there I can say that translates to DO NOT MISS. But don't make a special trip here just for this deli/dairy; come here because you shouldn't miss Ortigia at all. So while you're here, be sure to stop by. There is supposed to be a line 30-60 minutes long but the storm has blown and washed away those people. We snag a rare table inside. An in-house dairy, they make their own cheese. Their massive panini has an entire ball of the most amazing mozzarella followed with a slice of cheese and then cheese grated on top. Greg wasn't as impressed as I was so he must be sneaking off for lunch back at home to a place that makes fresh mozzarella every day, with brilliant red sun-dried tomatoes, and meat made in Sicily.
Instead, take it from another guest, who translated to his girlfriend (English is their common language), "After this glass of wine we cannot feel the wind outside." Followed with "This sandwich, so f**cking good. Yum yum."
After eating, we wandered around the island taking a self-tour. There's a lot packed into this little place!
It would be disappointing to come here and miss the colorful outdoor market - but the weather didn't let it open today.
Once a key city in the Greek empire, Siracusa's economic prosperity and political power rivaled Athens as the most important city in the world. Ancient Greek ruins are spread all over town.
We walked from the Tempio di Apollo, the oldest Greek temple all over Sicily (built in 6th century B.C.), to the Church San Filippo Apostolo alla Giudecca (we took the free guided tour to the 3 floors below ground), past the Piazza Archimede Fontana di Diana to the majestic Duomo, and ended at the enchanting Fountain of Arethusa.
The Duomo was originally an Ancient Greek temple built in 480 BC and was converted into a church by filling between the columns - which are still visible.
The freshwater spring that feeds Fountain of Arethusa is why the Greeks settled here in the 8th century BC. Its rare papyrus only grows naturally in Egypt.
After our self-tour we took a guided tour with Sicilife (we ended up being the only ones on the tour). I liked my self-guided tour better but it was nice to have extended contact with a local.
Finally escaping the weather, we had a quiet night with dinner in our apartment on Ortigia. If you are looking for a place to stay here, I highly recommend it: Le Stanze di Carlo
Protected from the weather inside our car, I went through my mental checklist of travel weather I prefer: 1) sunny and warm/hot 2) cool, if sunny 3) wind 4) rain. We are now at a severe category somewhere between 3 and 4.
We arrived to Siracusa with the first storm of the season. Roads were flooded and closed. Nobody left their homes before 10am. School is closed. This is the wet October weather I was warned about when I booked our trip.
On the island of Ortigia (old Siracusa), the wind was so strong, people were hovering in the air like kites. You don't get to pick which direction you're going; you just got the direction the wind took you. We tried to go for a look over the seawall and I got drenched by the spray of a wave - way worse than Splash Mountain (and a lot saltier).
Ortigia is bound by the Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea. We could approach the seawall on this side of the island without being drenched.
I read "do not miss". Having now eaten there I can say that translates to DO NOT MISS. But don't make a special trip here just for this deli/dairy; come here because you shouldn't miss Ortigia at all. So while you're here, be sure to stop by. There is supposed to be a line 30-60 minutes long but the storm has blown and washed away those people. We snag a rare table inside. An in-house dairy, they make their own cheese. Their massive panini has an entire ball of the most amazing mozzarella followed with a slice of cheese and then cheese grated on top. Greg wasn't as impressed as I was so he must be sneaking off for lunch back at home to a place that makes fresh mozzarella every day, with brilliant red sun-dried tomatoes, and meat made in Sicily.
Instead, take it from another guest, who translated to his girlfriend (English is their common language), "After this glass of wine we cannot feel the wind outside." Followed with "This sandwich, so f**cking good. Yum yum."
Don't miss Caseificio Borderi. "This sandwich, so f**king good."
After eating, we wandered around the island taking a self-tour. There's a lot packed into this little place!
It would be disappointing to come here and miss the colorful outdoor market - but the weather didn't let it open today.
Ortigia's colorful market - closed due to the weather
Once a key city in the Greek empire, Siracusa's economic prosperity and political power rivaled Athens as the most important city in the world. Ancient Greek ruins are spread all over town.
We walked from the Tempio di Apollo, the oldest Greek temple all over Sicily (built in 6th century B.C.), to the Church San Filippo Apostolo alla Giudecca (we took the free guided tour to the 3 floors below ground), past the Piazza Archimede Fontana di Diana to the majestic Duomo, and ended at the enchanting Fountain of Arethusa.
The Temple of Apollo from 580 BC is so old it actually predates Athen's Parthenon. Its columns are a rare single piece of stone.
The Duomo was originally an Ancient Greek temple built in 480 BC and was converted into a church by filling between the columns - which are still visible.
The Duomo was built around the ancient Temple of Athena
The freshwater spring that feeds Fountain of Arethusa is why the Greeks settled here in the 8th century BC. Its rare papyrus only grows naturally in Egypt.
You don't expect to see the Fonte Aretusa, a freshwater spring, separated from the salty sea by a simple wall
After our self-tour we took a guided tour with Sicilife (we ended up being the only ones on the tour). I liked my self-guided tour better but it was nice to have extended contact with a local.
Finally escaping the weather, we had a quiet night with dinner in our apartment on Ortigia. If you are looking for a place to stay here, I highly recommend it: Le Stanze di Carlo
Comments
Post a Comment