It was supposed to be a sunny diversion from a dreary Dutch January. We thought about skiing, but opted for a bit of hiking and culture...and most importantly, warmth, so we headed for Sicily with an aggressively laid-back agenda. The weather started out well enough, but deteriorated quickly when a trough of low pressure sunk into the Mediterranean, ushering in a Nordic chill that brought unprecedented snow and airport shutdowns to southern Europe. We managed to skirt the worst of it by staying on the island's southern shores, but picked up two days of rain and thunderstorms as we cut back north to Taormina. It was an incredible experience sitting in what must have been the only patch of sun for miles around and watching the snow line descend ominously down the slopes of Mount Etna.
Classic Sicily - three dogs and a cat on a laundry strewn balcony.
The view from the window of the first hotel in ancient Ortega, birthplace of Archimedes. Awesome hotel rooms were a theme for the trip.
A Greek temple converted to Catholic church. The mix of architecture was amazing.
For our Dutch friends - I'm not sure why the locals in Syracuse were so obsessed, but I think Vincent would approve.
Hanging out in a 3rd century Roman theater in a weedy pullover just outside town. This would be an A-grade attraction anywhere else in the world.
Then it was over to Agrigento where we picked up another great off-season deal on a hotel. The view from our terrace.
Agrigento was one of the most important Greek colonies on Sicily. The valley of the temples was amazing.
Some cool contemporary art scattered in with the ruins.
One of the best preserved Greek temples on the planet.
4-wheelin' in the Smart Car on the way up the mountain to Piazza Armerina.
The ruins of a Roman Villa just outside Piazza Armerina was the highlight of the trip for me. This site has the best preserved tile floors ever found. I love this kind of stuff because it shows so much of daily life and is exactly as it was when the empire fell.
The famous "Girls in bikini's" on the floor of the baths.
Touching history.
Sunset from Piazza Armerina.
While the off-season delivered excellent hotels at cheap prices for most of the trip, there was literally only one open hotel in Piazza Armerina and it was a toilet. The bed was so worn out and squeaky that we didn't sleep all night. Beth figured out how to make the squeaky springs sound like an ABBA sound by doing the twist. And, "yes", that's another Van Gogh on the wall...go figure.
Piazza Armerina
Then it was back over to the coastal town of Taormina where we made up for the previous hotel with this spectacular view from our deck. You can see the storm hammering the mainland in the distance.
We based ourselves in Taormina for the rest of the trip. This fantastic, hilltop Greek settlement was perfect for hiking, shopping, and eating. That's a Greek era theatre on the cliff behind the city.
Hiking a coastal trail.
Sitting out a rain shower under an old boat house on the coast.
A different vantage of the same little island.
Back on the mountain in the Greek theatre.
Old Taormina
Marble carving? This guy was brilliant! A true craftsman...we could have easily spent the inheritance in his shop.
Hiking in the opposite direction...up the mountain to the monastery. We decided to take a picture looking down to the town, but my sensitive wife vetoed this one as having "too much forehead"...
...so she made me put the hat on. Nice!
Cool in the Smart Car. This thing was a life-saver for navigating the tiny streets of Sicily...and more importantly fitting into the tiny parking spaces.
