Author: Jennifer Smith
Siracusa and Ortygia
Awoke to rain. The patio and furniture were dripping, the sea obscured by mist. But wait … things suddenly looked brighter. A check of the forecast for Siracusa …. SUN — all afternoon. Yes! Threw stuff in a backpack and…
On to Catania
Squeezed into Helena’s car and deposited at the bus station … ticket said to be there 30 minutes beforehand, but that would have been a waste. People stood around in a desultory manner … on phones … eating … chatting.…
How to Move
Elevators in apartment buildings here are generally really compact — 4 people maximum and maybe a bag of groceries. Definitely not designed for moving furniture. We got a front row seat of the apartment building across the way … one…
Markets, Mercury & Modica
Another cool, cloudy day. Helena mentioned there was a big market in upper Ragusa every Wednesday and Thursday morning. We timed the number 31 community bus beautifully and the driver waved away payment. It wound its way through ridiculously narrow…
Chocolate, Cars and Buses
It was cloudy and cool today … dark skies threatened but after a sprinkle or two, didn’t do anything. There are countless ways of walking down to the lower section of town (Ibla) — all involve stone steps of varying…
Welcome to Sicily
Breakfast in a sun-filled room with blue and while table cloths and a wide selection of comestibles — such a civilized way to start the day. Ernesto swept in with a large pot of freshly brewed coffee and another of…
Off to Mdina
Rather than dragging our bags a significant distance along rough sidewalks we called up a Bolt car instead (similar to Uber) and ridiculously cheap. A local gift shop conveniently ran a business to store visitor’s luggage so we deposited ours…
Dghajsas and Rabbit Stew
Exploring the local neighbourhood was a must… starting with St. Paul’s Pro Cathedral (also referred to as a Co Cathedral) … indicating it has Cathedral status but is not the primary one. This is the iconic dome that dominates the…
Hop, Skip and a jump to Malta
Apartment locked … Check. Key in drop box …. Check. Down the wonky stairs for the last time and onto the street – hope the taxi is on time. A young father two doors down scooped up his sons and…
Rome – 2
Sun and blue skies this morning, however it’s not supposed to last … predictions claim thundershowers by 11:30! It was a lovely walk through our neighbourhood — the streets looked fresh and newly scrubbed … the sun was warm on…