Sicily, Italy

Ragusa Sicily

Santa Maria of the Stairs

Ragusa Ibla Garden fountain

It is probably better in Sicily to have the smallest car you can get, forget getting one that is extra big and fast. The narrow streets of the ancient towns were planned for foot and horse traffic, not modern cars.

We drove that morning from Agrigento through the vineyards and olive and fruit tree groves to Ragusa, arriving about noon. We found our B&B easily but had a problem parking. The streets of the old town are narrow and the weekly market was in progress next to our B&B, their stalls taking up nearly all the available parking space. We had to phone our B&B manager to come and let us in as we had arrived earlier than expected. Our host arrived by motorcycle, an appropriate vehicle for the narrow streets and showed us where we could park for free after the market was packed up for the day. After the market left I had to pull the side mirrors in and help direct Ray so that he could get around the sharp corners without damaging either our car or any other parked car. We made it without incident.

Ragusa was once one town, but was split apart by the earthquake of 1693. It was partially rebuilt after the earthquake but continued as two separate sections, Ragusa Ibla, the old town we had come to visit and the upper town, Ragusa Superior, where we stayed.

The recommendation is to walk down to Ragusa Ibla and take the bus back. That is because most of the route is down a series of stone steps, much easier going down than returning uphill. We followed our directions from one church to another, ending in a piazza at the beginning of the old town. Ragusa Ibla is lovely, thanks to extensive renovations in the last ten years. Set on a narrow plateau between deep ravines, its architecture is a combination of Sicilian Baroque facades and ages old narrow streets.

A restaurant at the far end of town had been recommended for our delayed lunch. We hurried there as fast as we could only to arrive at 2:45 PM. We were too late. Lunch hour was over for the day. Instead of a gourmet lunch, meant to be the main meal of our day, we found a restaurant still making paninis for late arrivals like us. The beer with our sandwiches helped.

After lunch we enjoyed the view from the public gardens, Giardino Ibleo, and returned to the center of town to visit the Duomo di San Giorgio, currently under extensive restoration. It was a good way to spend a nice afternoon. We took the bus back to Ragusa Superior. That would have been easier had we not missed our stop. We had an extra few km to walk but managed to find our way back without getting any more lost.

Dinner was back in our room eating ham, cheese, and fruit all washed down with a bottle of wine. The wine was forgettable, but the day was not.