I think the biggest surprise was how much Sicily and particularly this area was part of ancient Greece.  Archimedes lived here, the temples are dedicated to Greek Gods, and the theaters and amphitheaters date back to 400 or 500 BC.

It rained and rained in Siracusa and then it poured. But undaunted, we went to see the ancient Greek and Roman amphitheaters. Dug out of quarries that are now vast gouges in the surface of the earth the sites were both eerie and beautiful. Thousands of slaves dug these quarries, were imprisoned in the deep caverns, and died there. A sculpture garden has been created on the grounds with modern pieces that hearken back to ancient motifs.

The Greek theater is being restored; it was possible to see where the animals entered in the Roman theater.  After seeing the theaters we took a quick tour of the old town.  Of particular interest – a church on the site of a Greek Temple with the original columns still standing, having survived several major earthquakes and  now incorporated into the church structure.

We are running into large groups of teens on school trips in all of the towns. I can not imagine the mobs in these areas during high season.