FUN-travel: Ragusa, Sicily – Full Day
November 12, 2013 by Susan Clarke
Day 41 – Saturday, October 26 – Ragusa, Sicily – Full Day – full sun – high 75 – low 59
What I LIKE
- +7:30 – real cappuccino – no machine
- 11:00 – walk to old city
- *lots of steps down
- then winding street up to duomo
- walk & window shop plaza area
- 12:15 – gelati divini break – mmmm yummy!
- walk back to new city
- find birthday card for Cinzia
- **12:50 – lunch caffe italia – 2 salads – caprese w/ tuna & mozzarella, parmesan, bresaola & arugula – 2 capps – $15 Euro
- ***room R & R
- internet & email works!
- ++7:30 – walk to dinner @ Duomo restaurant – Mauro from Rimini made reservations for us (both he & Pierpaolo said it was the “best” in Sicily
- getting dark & glad I brought my “torch” I won from Seabourn golf putting contest
- stop @ hotel and ask directions (only place on the street we see)
- 8:05 – arrive & got more exercise on the way!
1st order – wine from Sicily (take recommendation)
2 appetizers arrive complimentary from chef
1st app – shrimp w/coconut & ginger
2nd app– sardines (thank goodness Chris likes those)
1st course we ordered – Ragusa cheese – baked with onion – VG!!
then more comps – bread, bread sticks & pizza foccacia
2nd course we ordered – gnocchi w/pork, clams & mussels
another comp – ice cream sandwich – tiny fried waffles w/ice cream between
3rd course we ordered – 2 different cuts of pork w/wonderful sauces decorating plate
+++then more comps – plate w/4 chocolates – $222.00 US
View of Ragusa Ibla
- 10:20 – Guiseppe arrives (taxi driver hotel recommends) takes us home – $10 Euro
- 12:00 – night night
What I DON’T LIKE
Cathedral of San Giorgio
- +breakfast spread pretty mediocre for ****
- *dog poop on steps
- stores close @ 1:00 until 4:30
- should have followed GPS into Modica so I could have seen it – don’t even want to get in the car today!
- **only place open
- ***clouds rolling in
- ++didn’t bring map & take wrong turn – never occurred to me I could get lost in this little town – or that you could just go in circles!
- +++we’re stuffed! don’t even taste it
FUN-fact – The city has two distinct areas, the lower and older town of Ragusa Ibla, and the higher Ragusa Superiore (Upper Town).
More FF – The ancient city is located on a 300 meter high hill with the Cathedral of San Giorgio as the main focal point featuring a flight of 250 steps and massive ornate columns.
More FF – In 2002, Ragusa and 7 other cities in the Val di Noto area became UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of their Baroque Architecture.