Envoy is now in western Sicily’s Egadi Islands.
Next stop was Syracuse – first settled 3,000 years ago, a major city by the 4th century BC, and once one of the most powerful in the Med, “rivaling Athens in prestige” to quote Lonely Planet. Here Archimedes was born in 287 BC, and lived until he was accidentally killed during a Roman invasion. Grand Harbour, protected by Ortygia Island, is sheltered in most conditions, and we anchored off the town to sit out an approaching front with winds expected up to 30 knots. In fact we got a few days of winds only in the low 20s with occasional gusts to 30, but it was very rough in the open sea and we were pleased to be safely in shelter with our floppers stoppers down to reduce roll.
Waves breaking on the shores of Syracuse as front passes
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This fortress at the entrance to Syracuse is off-limits as still in use by the military
Sadly the sea is too polluted by sewage coming from the land for swimming or use of the water maker; in fact we’ve found sewage odours to be quite common in harbours so far - part of a wider problem of poor infrastructure quality in Sicily.
After the front passed it became fine and sunny with temps in the mid-high 20s; everybody says the Med summer is late this year – maybe it’s arrived at last!
One day we visited the dark and eerie Catacomb of San Giovanni, where passageways beneath the church have about 10,000 niches carved out of solid rock to hold the dead. These date from the 3rd century and were built into aqueducts dating from the classic Greek period several centuries earlier. No human remains are visible today, and these sites have been targeted by grave robbers throughout the centuries, who’ve long since taken items of value. You wouldn’t want to get lost in here!
Grave sites in the Catacomb of San Giovanni
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Plan showing layout of the underground Catacombs
The cobbled lanes of Ortygia’s Old Town are fascinating to wander through, and history seems to have blended well with present day functionality.
Stunning courtyard of a Venetian mansion
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Cathedral in Ortygia’s del Duomo Piazza
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Sicily has a three-legged symbol, similar to the Isle of Man’s - apparently it came from the Normans who brought the symbol to both places
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Syracuse has an interesting food market – far smaller and quieter than Catania’s but where it’s easier to wander around, smell the roses and chat with stallholders about their wares.
Fabulous delicatessen at Syracuse market
Hiring a car is expensive in Sicily at about 75 Euros (NZ$117) per day, but we explored the nearby countryside, finding it relatively quiet and traffic-free, with a huge amount and variety of agricultural activity including wheat, grapes (Sicily has stunning wine), olives and citrus fruits.
Church in village of Palazzo Acreide
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We also stumbled across a fascinating typical Sicilian cemetery with numerous family mausoleums, some of the older ones being about the size of small houses.
Typical family mausoleum
One of the larger mausoleums
.JPG)
I felt safe withdrawing cash at this ATM with mounted police nearby
TECHNICAL – nothing to report
LOG - As at 8/6/14, we’d spent 62 days aboard and cruised 602 miles for 97 engine hours.
Next stop was Syracuse – first settled 3,000 years ago, a major city by the 4th century BC, and once one of the most powerful in the Med, “rivaling Athens in prestige” to quote Lonely Planet. Here Archimedes was born in 287 BC, and lived until he was accidentally killed during a Roman invasion. Grand Harbour, protected by Ortygia Island, is sheltered in most conditions, and we anchored off the town to sit out an approaching front with winds expected up to 30 knots. In fact we got a few days of winds only in the low 20s with occasional gusts to 30, but it was very rough in the open sea and we were pleased to be safely in shelter with our floppers stoppers down to reduce roll.
Waves breaking on the shores of Syracuse as front passes
This fortress at the entrance to Syracuse is off-limits as still in use by the military
Sadly the sea is too polluted by sewage coming from the land for swimming or use of the water maker; in fact we’ve found sewage odours to be quite common in harbours so far - part of a wider problem of poor infrastructure quality in Sicily.
After the front passed it became fine and sunny with temps in the mid-high 20s; everybody says the Med summer is late this year – maybe it’s arrived at last!
One day we visited the dark and eerie Catacomb of San Giovanni, where passageways beneath the church have about 10,000 niches carved out of solid rock to hold the dead. These date from the 3rd century and were built into aqueducts dating from the classic Greek period several centuries earlier. No human remains are visible today, and these sites have been targeted by grave robbers throughout the centuries, who’ve long since taken items of value. You wouldn’t want to get lost in here!
Grave sites in the Catacomb of San Giovanni
Plan showing layout of the underground Catacombs
The cobbled lanes of Ortygia’s Old Town are fascinating to wander through, and history seems to have blended well with present day functionality.
Stunning courtyard of a Venetian mansion
Cathedral in Ortygia’s del Duomo Piazza
Sicily has a three-legged symbol, similar to the Isle of Man’s - apparently it came from the Normans who brought the symbol to both places
Syracuse has an interesting food market – far smaller and quieter than Catania’s but where it’s easier to wander around, smell the roses and chat with stallholders about their wares.
Fabulous delicatessen at Syracuse market
Hiring a car is expensive in Sicily at about 75 Euros (NZ$117) per day, but we explored the nearby countryside, finding it relatively quiet and traffic-free, with a huge amount and variety of agricultural activity including wheat, grapes (Sicily has stunning wine), olives and citrus fruits.
Church in village of Palazzo Acreide
We also stumbled across a fascinating typical Sicilian cemetery with numerous family mausoleums, some of the older ones being about the size of small houses.
Typical family mausoleum
One of the larger mausoleums
I felt safe withdrawing cash at this ATM with mounted police nearby
TECHNICAL – nothing to report
LOG - As at 8/6/14, we’d spent 62 days aboard and cruised 602 miles for 97 engine hours.
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