February 11: Ortigia & Noto

And then there was sun!  After approximately 60 hours of rain, the sun returned to Sicily.  

After a quick grocery shopping stop, we were off to Ortigia, the historical center of Siracusa.  We quickly raced around this cultural city as we visited the Duomo and strolled along the lovely coastline.  Next, it was off to the Ortigia Street Market, where we spent much more time buying fruits, vegetables, fish and wine.  We even downed 9 oysters at a popular spot selling the freshest seafood.  

Our next destination was the town of Noto. According to Wikipedia, “Noto and its church (Noto Cathedral) were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site” in 2002.  Noto is famous for its Sicilian Baroque  architecture, with most buildings honey colored — giving it a rich elegant appearance.  The showstopper is undoubtedly the Noto Cathedral, which stands on top of a monumental staircase.

After a quick lunch (steak, shrimp and ramen) that we prepared at a highway rest stop, we made the 2.5 hour drive to Agrigento where we settled in for the evening.