To Siracusa: Mothers Day!

May 8, 2016

We'll get to the tour below, but first, here are our Mothers Day selfies we took in Siracusa. happy Mother's Day, Mom! I feel so lucky and grateful to you and dad - thanks for the inspiration to travel and explore the world; for giving me a model of an active, engaged life; for good health and luck in the gene pool; and for putting up with me for all these decades. I still tell my friends with amazement about the fact that you let me set off alone on a bicycle From Seattle to eastern Washington when I was just 15. I'm a lucky guy, for sure.

OK, enough of that. Back to Sicily. Rachael woke up today with an unsettled digestive system - something about our dinner at the pizzaria last night must not have agreed with her. She's staying close to the room for an hour or so, while I take a last pass thru Ragusa. Like everywhere, it has a completely different feel in the morning - streets are empty, shops and sights are closed, and no one is in the plaza in front of the cathedral except for two other photographers, taking shots of the amazing cathedral from every imaginable angle.

It's easy to get disoriented (lost) in Ragusa. Here, I've taken a wrong turn and ended up in a maze along the cliffs. Fortunately these arrows pointed the way back toward the center, through this narrow slot through the rocks.

I left my GPS behind, and wandered around aimlessly in Ragusa Ibla's very confusing layout, but eventually found my way back to the hotel. Fortunately Rachael feels well enough to ride, but still a bit queasy and undernourished - no caffeine today, and she's doing her best at adhering to the BRAT diet.

We have a long ride ahead - it's roughly 60 miles to Syracuse - but fortunately it is primarily downhill. We coast off of Ragusa Superiore's plateau on a different road than we came up, and enjoy what must be the best panoramic views of the complete city. Once on the bottom, we have a fine gorge ride south to Modica, another of the famous rebuilt towns in the Baroque Triangle.

Here's Rachael's video clip of the descent from Ragusa.

Ragusa, showing its two halves - Superiore is on the left, and Ibla on the right.

I'd like to know what this giant staircase-like formation dropping to the Irminio River is. I zoomed in on it but still couldn't figure it out.

Biking toward Modica, through the Irminio gorge.

Sicily's primary highways have many impressive overpasses, like this one approaching Modica. Especially after reading about the island's history of devastating earthquakes, I wonder how resistant they are.

Modica is another UNESCO protected hill town, with much of it perched atop limestone cliffs in the way that Ragusa is. Happily for us though, the monumental center is in the ravine that snakes through the bottom of the town. It is immediately obvious that this would be a great base for a day or two also. If we are ever lucky enough to come back to Sicily, we would probably stay here for the variety. Today though, with Rachael feeling uncertain about our health and with forty some miles still to go to Syracusa, we content ourself with a brief stop to look at some of the highlights.

In Modica, Rachael waits (patiently? I can't be sure) for me to return so we can continue on.

The doorway of the church of Santa Maria di Betlem, Modica

Leaving Modica, we gradually climb up to the summit of a ridge, bringing us to an elevation about equal to our hotel in Ragusa. After that, it's a 15 mile lazy coast to the coastal plain, followed by a flat ride along the coast to Siracusa. As we drop we pass through a procession of vegetative/crop zones, at the end cycling through several miles of vast lemon and orange groves. The ride along the coast is on a fairly narrow, shoulderless road but traffic is very light. The last few miles into the city though are quite busy. Everyone gives us sufficient space, but we are happy to leave the main road and enter the largely pedestrianized historical center.

South of Modica, at the beginning of our long descent to the sea.

The next ten miles are generally like this. Gradually downhill, stone walls, roadside flowers, little traffic.

Another dazzling wildflower display. Looks like a modern art work.

The flat, low agricultural plain near the sea west of Noto is blanketed with miles of orange and lemon groves.

In Syracusa, we are staying at Il Salotto di Maria Pia, a lovely B&B at the rear of the cathedral. We are greeted by Paola, who looks anxious when she sees that we have bicycles with us. It's a very small place in a building with multiple inhabitants. After discussing it with her husband though, Paola asks her neighbor for permission to leave our bikes in the common area, so we are saved. We are sleeping tonight in Paola's room - the one she grew up in - and is window opens to a view directly up the wide avenue along the side of the cathedral.

After showering and calling up mom and dad, we hear the cathedral bells start chiming - loudly - a bit before 7. We step out to walk around a bit, and are swallowed up by a huge throng that fill to the brim all the streets around the cathedral. The bells continue for perhaps ten minutes - so loudly that their echoes in the street are nearly deafening. Once they died down I asked someone if this was normal, and learned that this was some sort of festival.

Off to dinner, which we quickly found up a side alley. Delicious - great appetizers, mains and dessert (big surprise). Rachael is still being careful about her diet, but is happy to find a chicken dish that she thinks will be easy on her stomach.

Another Mothers Day photo. Mom wanted to compare dinners to see whose was best. We didn't bother asking what she had, and presumptively declared ourselves the winners, because: Appetizers: orange/onion/olive salad, caponade, Mains: grilled chicken, spaghetti Syracusan style with cherry tomatoes and sardines, Dolce: semifreddo with sliced pistachios The usual house beverages

After dinner we return to our room, hop in bed, and Rachael is about to nod off when we hear a band playing in the distance. It gets closer, then when I realize it's coming beneath our window I rouse myself and look out. Amazing - a huge procession is coming our way - first the band, then sixty or more strapping young men bearing a huge, silver silver statue of Santa Lucia. This is the night of the festival for honoring her for saving Siracusa from the plague in 1642.

The procession rounds the corner and continues up along the side of the cathedral, followed by hundreds of worshippers in their train. They congregate at the front of the cathedral - from the writeup of this festival I read afterwards, the procession apparently circles the duomo plaza several times, bearing the statue. Then silence.

Then the fireworks begin, with the sounds of their explosions ricocheting off the walls ot the streets and deafening us again. Then again, silence - other than the murmur of hundreds if not thousands of spectators milling through the streets and dispersing into the night.

Here is a nice description of the Avesta of Santa Lucia, giving more background and a better description of what we were observing. What luck to be here on one of the two days of the year this event occurs!

Total elevation gain: today, 2,300'; for the tour, 50,900'.

It takes a team of sixty green berets to transport Santa Lucia through the town. The statue alone consists of 90 kg of silver, not counting its huge silver base.

The procession behind Santa Lucia rounds the corner beneath our bedroom window and turns toward the cathedral.

Today's ride: 59 miles (95 km)
Total: 722 miles (1,162 km)

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