We spent a relaxing night at the country hotel, Baglio della Luna, with garden-like grounds and views of the Valley of the Temples in nearby Agrigento.
We were on the bus early the next morning, headed for Syracuse, with stops along the way. At our first cappuccino, pastry, and pee break, Karen and I gave our bus driver a cap with a crown for “The King of the Road” and the station owner, who loved “All things American,” a Chrysler-Dodge cap. It is forbidden to tip the bus driver, but a small gift is allowed. The station owner was pleasantly surprised.
The Villa Romana del Casale has the world’s richest collection of Roman mosaics. It is illegal for our fearless leader, Jamie, to guide here because of local licensing regulations. Jamie was hauled off by the grounds’ guide marshal for pointing out the best way to see the exhibits on a sign posted near the entrance. We were somewhat concerned, but Jamie was free and met us back at the bus when we were finished ogling the impressive mural collection.
It seemed as if every inch of every floor in every room of the villa had intricate mosaics depicting scenes related to the room’s use. The game room featured hunting scenes. Metal catwalks kept damaging tourists’ feet above the fragile mosaics, with a sun-blocking roof overhead.
Inexplicably, the Cyclops Polyphemus has three eyes in this mosaic depicting Ulysses tricking him with wine. It was located in the master’s apartment.
The overall fans’ favorite mosaic is the 2,000-year-old depiction of bikini girls found in the gymnasium.
The bus survived some narrow country roads to deliver us to a working farm in the boondocks where we would eat farm-to-table local dishes in a rustic setting.
The countess, who owns the place, and her granddaughter met us at the bus, helped serve, and answered questions like we were all old friends come to visit.
A massive feast with farm-made wines was served up in a section of an ancient barn. The food was superb and the memory priceless.
After seeing the lifeless puppets in Palermo’s museum, I was excited about seeing a puppet show at the Teatro del Pupi (puppet theatre) in Syracuse. The three puppeteers who brought the puppets to life stayed to answer questions for us after the good knight saved the damsel in distress by slaying a dragon and the twisted villain. Bravo!
After our late-evening orientation walk in Syracuse, we wandered off in search of the perfect ristorante. A picture by the Fountain of Diana set the mood.
The best place to eat was where our friends were. Kathryn, Don, Andy, and Leslie invited us to join them. We did not hesitate. Together, we made quite the rabble-rousing group.
Syracuse is a phenomenal city for shopping. The smell of fresh leather drew us into this impressive shop. We got a quick tour of the workshop in the back, where bags, packs, purses, and such were painstakingly handcrafted. We were also treated to pictures of Mick Jagger and Whoopi Goldberg when they shopped here. Nan bought a cool backpack and Karen scored a sleek purse.
My search for the perfect fedora ended at Tanto Di Coppola in Syracuse. An Italian-made-by-hand Borsalino fedora is described as “A perfect encounter of curves and lines. A masterpiece of proportions.” I agree, and splurged.
We stayed at the Domas Mariae Hotel, which is on the island of Ortigia, the historic quarter of Syracuse. Watching the sunrise from the seawall in front of the hotel was a pleasure. Rick Steves said, “Ortigia is, for me, the most enjoyable urban environment anywhere in Sicily.” Amen.