Syracruisin'

A fishing boat bobs in the late afternoon sun in the calm waters of Syracuse.

Late last week, we took the hour drive south of Catania to the historical town of Siracusa... home to not just "Orangemen" but over 27 centuries of history.  The city has been of great economic and cultural importance to countless societies, ranging from prehistoric populations, Corinthians who founded the city, and later Muslims, Normans, and finally modern day Italians.  I mean... this is the city where "PLOT" was invented for storytelling... and what's a story without plot?

Our afternoon in Syracuse was a perfect blend of modern relaxation (waterfront dining) and historical sightseeing.  The most famous landmark in Syracuse is its ancient Greek Theatre - one of the largest and best preserved examples of ancient theatre architecture anywhere.  For centuries, this theatre was the hub of Syracuse culture - housing countless dramas in its magnificent setting.  It's stone bleachers could hold thousands, and at its peak was even more impressive than it is today (as much of its stone was used in the 16th century to build a wall around the local island of Ortygia.  The design of the theatre was done in the 5th century BC by the Greek architect Damacopos, and was later enlarged in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC.

  

The ancient Syracuse Theatre... not exactly the Dome but home to equal drama.

It is just amazing for me to think, at a time when movies and television play such a large role in American society, that over 2500 years ago it held an EQUAL OR EVEN GREATER level of importance in this society!  One can only wish that the tabloids of that day had survived as well... Lucky for us, on every "even-numbered" year, the Greek theatre hosts a summer program of modern theatre.  You can see the stage being constructed now, and in a few months we will be attending a play here!

Christie posing in the stands... section BB, Row 8, seats 2-3.

Next to the Greek Theatre lies the Latomie area which holds a series of ancient stone  quarries.  They are amazing - with the most impressive being the "Orecchio di Dioniso" (Ear of Dionysius).  Standing over 200 feet tall, you can walk deep into the caves where millions of cubic feet of stone for building were once extracted.  They were later used as prisons - and get their name due to a legend, where the great acoustics of the cave would allow the local tyrant Dionysius to hear the whispers of his most dangerous prisoners and thus avoid their plots.

Standing in front of the "Ear."

This gives you a better sense of scale...

For those of you not as much into the historical aspects of Syracuse, there is still enough beautiful scenery to let you just happily walk through the sun.  We strolled down the boardwalks on the island of Ortygia, checked out the Piazza Duomo (one of the best on the island, with a beautiful Cathedral built in the 18th century) and had a great pasta & swordfish lunch while watching the boats go by.

The waterfront... with walls courtesy of the Greek Theatre.

Our 7th consecutive day eating a meal outdoors...

On the steps of the mandatory Cathedral and Piazza Duomo. 

The Canadians maintain a strong presence in the Bay of Siracusa... this boat actually departed from New Brunswick in early May, and will be back in time for the Hockey Playoffs.

Lynn posing in front of another non-descript beautiful European street.

~ J. Twice