Tim: Alright, so the sleeper train wasn't so comfortable and we ended up in a cabin with two other men. But we woke up in Sicily, and saw the orange dawn come up as we travelled to Siracusa. Life was a little slower here. We couldn't put our bags in the left-luggage office for 30 minutes because the man was off doing other things. All you can do is shrug your shoulders and wait.
We wandered into town as the wind and rain increased. We were looking for a museum or similar to hide until the weather improved, but none close by so we kept on walking until we came to the old town where it started to lift. There were a lot of expensive clothes shops that caused one of us to stop and look in every single window, and caused the other of us to wish it was raining again. However we were both taken with the cathederal which was a converted 5th century temple with massive doric colummns ranged down each side of the interior. It also held the relics - the bones - of Saint Benedict The Minor or somesuch.
Next, we picked up a hire car. I think I had sworn to never hire a car in Italy, but quiet Sicily, rustic Sicily seemed the place. We had a pretty good deal on the price, but we also had an 800 Euro eccess if anything went wrong! So we upped the in surance to comprehensive - and in a country where few cars don't have a ding or two (including the one we were picking up) it seemed like the right thing to do.
Polly offerred to drive first, brave girl, and we set off slowly. For some reason you can't seem to hire automatics here, so we had gears - on the wrong side - to contend with too. We agreed; she would do nothing but drive, and I would navigate and tell her the speed suggestion (er, limit). After driving in a circle, missing the turnoff, mounting a curb and invoking the names of a number of prophets and deities, we arrived at our place very relieved - and very impressed - but hungry. When the choice came between driving to get a late lunch and making do with misc snacks, we made do, and napped until dinner (where we ate at a local pizzaria called 'A Thousand Stars', none of them from Michelin).
2 comments:
Astonishing. I have seen the traffic in Naples, let alone Rome or anywhere else and that was enough to banish any thought of ever hiring anything in Italy. I'm sure if you could have a conversation with a traffic light, Italians would do so.
Well done, Pauline.
Left hand drive is just fine so long as there are other cars on the road to remind you which side is yours - but wait until the pressure is on and you try to change gears with the window winder!
Are you carrying your car stereo around with you like the locals do?
Jim & Linda
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