David's Diary: Thursday, October 2, 2002

Exploring Siracusa, Sicily, Italy

Duomo
Duomo Square in Ortigia (the Old Town)

The last few days we have stayed a couple of days in a marina. The marina was convenient for the archaeological park and shopping, but it is expensive and not close to Ortigia, the Old Town of Siracusa. Today we moved the boat around to the long quay which runs along the waterfront under Ortigia.

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Allen and Duomo
Allen at the Duomo Doors

School is back in session and I am working with Allen this week. As a school project we needed to do a number of rubbings of physical objects. Allen and I set off with a pencil and lots of paper. We set off up the hill to explore the interior of Ortigia. We stopped in front of the 7C Duomo and did a rubbing of the brass letters set into the sidewalk on the church porch.

Duomo Interior
Duomo Interior

We took a look around the interior of the Duomo. The building was raised on top of a Greek temple of Athena. Later Arab invaders, who used the building as a Mosque, added more to some of the exterior walls. I especially liked the two side chapels which are lovely churches in their own right. Both are brightly lit with marble decoration.

Outdoor Market
Outdoor Market

Keeping five people fed is a constant challenge. In Ortigia there is a large public market with fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish with delicatessens and butchers nearby. Allen and I went by the market to take a look at what was on offer. The fishmongers were busy calling out to customers, people were bustling by, and we just stood by and took everything in.

Seafood Pizza
Real Seafood Pizza

For dinner we decided to order in pizza from a local restaurant. The seafood pizza we ordered was incredible. It was covered with fresh seafood, including mussels, clams, shrimps, and calamari. It was wonderful and makes us appreciate just how good the food is here in Siracusa.

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