Goodbye Ragusa! What a fantastic place. We would definitely come back and perhaps spend more time in Modica. We settled the bill and handed over keys. Off to Siracusa.
The drive was almost 2 hours. I had read about driving in Siracusa and how you just, well, can't in the old part of the city. So we were armed with valuable parking information I found online for a stress-free experience. We parked in municipal lot Talete outside Ortgyia, the old city. It was overcast, windy, and cold here by the sea. With our bags banging across the cobblestone streets, we got a bit lost finding the hotel, Aretusa Vacanze.
aretusa vacanze is on the right
Our room was a studio duplex with wood beams and a spiral staircase up to the bedroom. There was even a small kitchenette. The staff was very friendly and spoke English. Breakfast, chosen from a menu the night before, was served in the room. After dropping off our bags we ate lunch next door at Ristorante Mariano. We thought the meal was a overpriced (but delicious) and we think it was because Siracusa gets a lot of tourists. We had pasta with squid ink and farfalle with swordfish and finished with coffees and sesame seed candies. Then the waiter brought us almond wine and moscato.
Something that bothered me (but should have not surprised me) in Palermo and now in Siracusa souvenir shops were Godfather junk. The stereotype perpetuated by our own people no less really bugs me. My great grandmother would get irate over the American fascination with organized crime and the glamour associated with it in films.
more godfather junk
piazza duomo, siracusa
aretusa vacanze is on the right
Our room was a studio duplex with wood beams and a spiral staircase up to the bedroom. There was even a small kitchenette. The staff was very friendly and spoke English. Breakfast, chosen from a menu the night before, was served in the room. After dropping off our bags we ate lunch next door at Ristorante Mariano. We thought the meal was a overpriced (but delicious) and we think it was because Siracusa gets a lot of tourists. We had pasta with squid ink and farfalle with swordfish and finished with coffees and sesame seed candies. Then the waiter brought us almond wine and moscato.
Something that bothered me (but should have not surprised me) in Palermo and now in Siracusa souvenir shops were Godfather junk. The stereotype perpetuated by our own people no less really bugs me. My great grandmother would get irate over the American fascination with organized crime and the glamour associated with it in films.
more godfather junk
The city is really beautiful and the afternoon walk was full of eye candy. There were lots of tourists and we finally heard some Americans. Our hotel recommended a boat excursion along the coast. The weather was perfect so we did it. We were in a small boat with about 15 other people and there was one other American with his Italian wife and in-laws. The boat ride was short and sweet, taking us into a few grottoes along the rocky coast.
inside the grotto
inside the grotto
We walked by a restaurant with ceramics decorating the window ledge and there was one in particular that caught our eye - an octopus. Under it was a business card of the artist so we found it on our map and headed over. I asked about the octopus in the window and he said he'd sell it for 35 Euros. We bought it! He walked with us to the restaurant and grabbed it from the window, and wrapped it right there on a table. We also bought an orange candle stick holder from his shop.
ken feeling the siracusan vibe
We picked up a bottle of Nero D'Avola from Pachino at a nice wine shop on the way back to the room to drop off the ceramics. The woman at the front desk made us a dinner reservation at a restaurant known for fish. We opened the wine and had a glass on the terrace of the hotel. It had nice view of the sea and the setting sun. We went for a walk before our 9pm reservation. The city was bustling. We saw newlyweds getting their photos taken at the Fontana di Diana in Piazza Archimede.
ken feeling the siracusan vibe
We picked up a bottle of Nero D'Avola from Pachino at a nice wine shop on the way back to the room to drop off the ceramics. The woman at the front desk made us a dinner reservation at a restaurant known for fish. We opened the wine and had a glass on the terrace of the hotel. It had nice view of the sea and the setting sun. We went for a walk before our 9pm reservation. The city was bustling. We saw newlyweds getting their photos taken at the Fontana di Diana in Piazza Archimede.
hope she doesn't mind being on my blog
detail of the fontana di diana
all quiet from here
The restaurant was great and the waiter spoke English. We liked the pasta better then the fish even though it was recommended for fish! For primi we had gnocci with clams and arugula and fresh pasta with tomatoes, bread crumbs, and anchovies. For secondi swordfish coated in bread crumbs with anchovy, tiny shrimp and cherry tomatoes (it was very oily and the breadcrumbs were soggy, not crunchy) and fish filet in a potato crust (wet, soft, oily potatoes). It was a fun experience and the pastas were excellent but a bit disappointing with the fish...
sunset on siracusa
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