Syracuse

I flew from Casablanca to Catania Airport in Sicly, where our bus was waiting to take the group to our hotel in Syracuse, which at one time was considered the most beautiful city in the world, even rivalling Athens in power and prestige. Our first stop the next moring was the Duomo or Cathedral, a Greek temple which was converted into a church when St. Paul evangelised the city. The baroque façade of the Duomo, which was completed in 1776, is further enhanced with striking 5th century BC Doric columns both inside and out. From the Duomo we walked to the nearby fish market and enjoyed the lively atmosphere as the fishmongers enthusiastically encouraged people to buy from their stalls. We then headed to the Archaeological Park to see the 5th century BC Greek Theatre, where the classic plays by Greek luminaries such as Aeschylus, Plato and Archimedes were performed. Limestone from local quarries was used to build this theatre and the area is still riddled with catacombs from this period. After the Romans invaded and destroyed the ancient Greek civilisation here in the 2nd century AD, they also used this limestone to build a geometrically perfect amphitheatre. Sicily is well known for its seafood and that evening we dined on swordfish washed down with some superb local vino rosso. Arriverderci.