SICILY

After an uneventful journey we reached Villa San Giovanni near Reggio right on the “toe” of Italy and took the ferry for the short crossing to Messina on the island of Sicily.  We started along the north coast but then crossed, close to Etna, to the east coast where we were able to go to the Anglican Church in the lovely little town of Taormina, built on a steep hillside, rather like those on the Amalfi Coast. 

We had hoped to get some dramatic pictures of Mt Etna erupting but by the time we got there she was behaving like a lady and not spitting on the streets.  There was, however, a coating of black grit everywhere.  One enterprising restaurant owner had swept the grit into a conical pile and lit a fire in the top of it!

We went clockwise round the coast.  Sicily is a lovely island with very varied landscapes and much cleaner than the mainland.  There are also some amazing things to see.  Sicily has been ruled by the Greeks, Romans and even Normans all of whom have left their mark.  In Syracuse (Siracusa) there is both a Roman amphitheatre and this large Greek theatre where concerts are still held and Greek Tragedies performed.

Next to it are catacombs carved out of the limestone hillside and used as tombs.

St Paul spent three days here on his way to Rome and it felt extraordinary that he probably walked along the same path as us.

A little further on, near the hill-top town of Piazza Amerina is a Roman hunting lodge – Villa Casale - built on the grand scale and believed to have been owned by  Marcus Aurelius – co-emperor with Diocletian.  It was buried under mud after a flood in the 12^th century and remained undiscovered until the 1950s.  The mosaic floors are almost intact and depict hunting scenes as well as legends.

But there is one room where the floor, laid over an earlier one visible in one corner, depicts ten young, bikini-clad women apparently doing their keep-fit routines with various pieces of equipment!

They would not look out of place on any beach today.

Further along the south coast are more Greek remains – two major cities at Agrigento and Selinunte where the walls of small houses and the massive columns of temples, mostly now collapsed – probably in one of the many earthquakes – give a hint of the opulence of the area.  One temple at Selinunte has been partially rebuilt from the ruins.

From Selinunte we travelled north to an isolated cape where the little town of San Vito Lo Capo is now a holiday destination but once important for the defence of the island.  The coast is dotted with lookout towers and the church in San Vito is built like a fortress.

Inside, among a wide variety of decorative styles, is this extraordinary picture of the crucifixion.

We had had a couple of cold showery days and very cold nights.  At  San Vito Lo Capo the wind changed to a strong southerly and must have come straight from the Sahara.  During the night the temperature outside rose to 19˚C and then continued up to 29˚C the following day!!  It has cooled off a little since but the hot wind – the Sirocco – is a regular feature here!!

Just outside of Palermo – Sicily’s capital – is Monreale where the Norman King William II had a Cathedral built in an attempt to outdo his grandfather Roger II’s Cathedral in Cefalu.  Completed in 1184 the inside is covered in elaborate mosaics, many finished in gold leaf, depicting 42 Old Testament stories as well as countless other religious images. 

It is breathtaking and bears no comparison with Norman churches in UK.  Amazing to think it was all done nearly 1000 years ago!

Palermo itself is, of course, a large, sprawling city and port with a Norman Cathedral which looked lovely in the evening sun but was nothing special inside.

Returning to a good site near Taormina where we stayed earlier we saw, for the first time, the summit of Etna, at last almost clear of clouds.

Zooming in, you can see the smoke coming from the crater at the top and being blown away by the strong wind.

Passing through one village, many streets were closed so that workmen could shovel up tons of the black grit that had erupted from Etna.  Householders were also sweeping it up in front of their houses and especially from their roofs and filling dozens of black bags.

We have enjoyed our tour of Sicily and return to the mainland tomorrow.  There are very few sites open around the “foot” of Italy at this time of year so we will head back north and hope to be in Assisi for Easter.  Everywhere Bermuda Buttercups have painted the countryside bright yellow …

… and it is great to see all the spring flowers coming into bloom.