East Coast Sicily Days 16 & 17 Ortigia, Siracusa

The next morning offers pale sun and an alarming weather forecast so we get out early and go to the food market which is just a short walk along the promenade. There is a splendid selection of fish at cheap prices and we spend quite a while mulling over the various options. We also stock up on fruit and vegetables and take our full bags back to the apartment well pleased. It seems wise to take advantage of  the sun while it's shining so we wander through the historical centre to the splendid splendid oval shaped Piazza Duomo. More about that later, when I start talking about the sunsets. The cathedral stone is clean and a beautiful soft very light apricot colour which seems to transmit sun and warmth even on this partially cloudy day.

After looking around the piazza and some other streets in the centre we come out onto the promenade on the other side of Ortigia at Fonte Aretusa and the gardens. 

It's the beginning of October but there are few tourists about, mostly concentrated between Piazza del Duomo and Fontana di Diana and the few little streets between them with touristy shops. We walk along the marina, which over the following days hosts some impressive looking yachts, but at the time there's just the coastguard's boat. 

It's very pleasant wandering around but lunchtime is approaching so we go back to base and admire the view, even if cloudy, from our dining table.

After lunch it rains and we retreat upstairs to bed with a book and wait for it to stop. When we venture out again we head to the south of Ortigia and explore the narrow streets and have a look at the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista. We also have a look at some of the shops, but once again it starts to rain so we retreat back to base, soaked once again.

The next morning the sun makes an appearance which marks the end of our 'lie-ins' because to watch the sunrise from the bed/bedroom is just too beautiful to miss every morning. 

We take advantage of the fact that it isn't raining, first, to go and get some more fish, and then to walk all around Ortigia on the promenade, an exceedingly pleasant walk which we end up doing most days during our stay.

We also linger to look at the Fontana di Diana and the Apollo Temple. Once again we are driven in by rain and we are running out of dry shoes and socks, perhaps the solution is to surrender in flipflops? The sea is rough and it's quite windy and from the dry warmth of our 'cabin' upstairs the view is just great, a relaxing afternoon ensues. Finally, towards sunset we cautiously venture out again but once again it rains.... we retreat back to dry land and have supper as it starts getting dark. Tantalizingly, the clouds disappear and we are able to watch the moonrise over the sea, a first.