The sea, and home

The next day was our last of touring and we had to drive to a seaside hotel in Acireale. Just outside Siracusa we stopped at the ancient Greek fort of Castello Euryalo. It was the protection of Syracuse on the landward side. Syracuse is very roughly in the shape of a triangle with two very long sides and a short one along the sea. The Tyrant Dionysos built huge walls along ridges and this fort was the euryalos  - the head of the nail. It was terrifically impressive, with huge blocks and a deep moat carved from the rock, and yards and yards and yards of underground tunnels, again carved out of the rock, leading to sally ports, so men could rush out in large numbers from a number of concealed exits, as at Selinunte. 

Euryalos

Entrance to one of the tunnels.

The moat and supports for the drawbridge.

These tunnels were so extensive and so atmospheric we were both glad not to be alone - we couldn't help thinking of the Minotaur. We managed to find our way out without too much difficulty though. The fortifications are said to have been designed by Archimedes. Certainly there was an impressive ingenuity and engineering skill. But it fell to the Romans without even putting up a fight. Perhaps the Greeks felt there was no hope of fighting the Romans. But the Romans overwhelmed Greek culture. They used the Greek theatres for gladiatorial spectacles. There were two rebellions against Roman rule, which ended in massacres.

Our last hotel is dead posh (it's not a hotel, it's a Palace) with a lovely big seawater infinity swimming pool. 

The seaside here is the point at which one of Etna's lava flows met the sea, so it's all black rocks, and you can see how each wave of lava curled over the previous one. There is a little stony beach just a little down the road and this I have been down to it for a sea swim, because sea swimming is glorious. The hotel had an arrangement to swim off the rocks but it seems to have collapsed, and the sea is quite choppy for the Mediterranean, so getting in and out of the sea off the rocks could be dangerous. There are shoals of small silver fish (sardines, maybe). But the pool is also very nice, and nicer to sit around than on the beach. The hotel is not too busy although there is a convention of hairdressers in for tonight and tomorrow. The women favour the most hideous shoes -high platforms with turned up soles, and very high chunky heels, which make their feet the most obvious thing about them.

 

The view from our room

Late in the day there was a thunderstorm with dramatic flashes of lightning over the sea. It's really hot so we rather welcomed the rain than otherwise.

Although the couple of days in Acireale were for a rest, we did venture to Taormina for a day. It's busier than where we are. We liked the little island, Isola Bella, and the beach there. 

On Isola Bella

We met old friends for lunch - a little while ago, we discovered that we were all going to Sicily and would overlap for a day or two. It was very enjoyable, if slightly odd, meeting somewhere so relatively exotic. Phil took pleasure in pointing out that I have known Yvonne for more than fifty years, which made me feel ancient!

The journey home was fairly uneventful. The ground handlers at Catania loaded us onto buses three quarters of an hour early - before the plane even landed. We have complained, because anyone who left a dog locked in a car in that heat would be prosecuted. But when we got back to England, much as I like to look down  and see all the green fields, I have to admit it was freezing.