East Coast Sicily Day 11 - Ragusa

Modica could be a hard act to follow but also Ragusa is part of the UNESCO world heritage site of Sicilian Late Baroque so the next day finds us back at the bus stop but none the wiser. The first bus to Ragusa doesn't actually go to the centre of Ragusa so the driver advises us to get the next one. This leaves us quite near the centre and we check straight away with a friendly co-passenger where the bus back leaves from. It's a ten or fifteen minute walk to the bridges which connect the newer town to the older part with a big square and cathedral where we linger a little before heading downhill to the real historical centre of Ragusa which is Ibla. We stop on the way to marvel at the gargoyles of Palazzo Bertini, one of the 18 Unesco monuments in Ragusa. 

Ibla is on an isolated rock below the rest of Ragusa and there are a lot of steps to go down with beautiful views of Ibla below. We also stop to visit the church of Santa Maria delle Scale which is at the top of the steps.

Once in Ibla we wander around as we usually do, eventually ending up in the most beautiful square, Piazza Duomo where there is the cathedral San Giorgio. There are more tourists about than in Modica and Ragusa Ibla is quite small so we pretty much go up and down and round about it all and then continue on down to the Giardino Ibleo which is delightful with its palm-lined main walk, 

carved stone benches and beautiful views  from the belvedere with stone carved balustrade of the Irminio valley below. We also visit the San Giacomo church.

Lunchtime is approaching but Ibla seems to cater very much for tourists pricewise and we don't really want a meal at the restaurant so in the end we head back uphill, stopping for a last look at the views of Ibla below.

Even in the centre we find nothing to tempt us but just the other side of the old bridge, which is now pedestrian, back to the newer part of Ragusa we find a bakery/Rosticceria Panificio Giummarra which is mainly a takeaway with a long queue of mothers who have no intention of cooking when savoury pastries are so cheap and readily available when school finishes for the day at well past 1 o'clock. Fortunately there is a tiny shelf with just a few high chairs for those who want to eat in and so we squeeze in and eat several different types of tasty "Scaccia"with beer/water for less than 12 euros.

We've decided to take a mid-afternoon bus because we are quite tired after all the walking in Modica the day before and now in Ragusa, but first we need coffee and eventually stop in a bar not far from the hospital called Caffe Sicilia. It's busy because people are still having lunch but our cappuccino is served with a tiny portion of delicious yogurt, without costing any more than a normal cappuccino. Enough to make us a happy....... Ragusa is well worth a visit but Modica will remain our favourite.....