"To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything"
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, The Italian Journey (1786-1788)
I'm not quite sure what Goethe was up to here.
Sicily and Italy were not unified until 1861.
And each stands alone, completely magnificent.
But I love the quote.
Sicily is my obsession. Since the very first time I ever set foot on this magical island I have not gone one day without thinking about it. It is always on my mind.
Despite the incredibly long travel day to get here from Phoenix, it was the logical place to start the Glam Italia Tour. (as in start our beach time before our waistlines have a chance to register that we are eating pasta...)
Sunday morning in Ortygia
Ortygia is a little island connected to the city of Siracusa.
The history here is astounding.
The remains of Apollo's temple, built in 732 BC are surrounded by apartments built over the centuries. Some incredibly old, some rebuilt after WWII. Can you imagine looking out your bedroom window at this??
Waiting outside church on Ortygia, Sicily. I just loved her pants. I want a pair!
Walking through the streets of Ortygia
Locals catching some sunshine on the breakwater outside the walls of Ortygia
This little boy sat on the steps of the Duomo in the spectacular Piazza Del Duomo, in the searingly bright sunshine, playing the sounds of the soul of Sicily.
The Duomo is a must see. The original Siculi built a temple to the deities here, the in the 5th century BC The Greeks built a temple around it, and since then in has been added to over the centuries. The current facade is Baroque, but as you walk through you see thousands of years of history
These columns were built in the 5th century BC. Running your fingers over their crenellations you feel 2500 years of history beneath your skin.
