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Wednesday 11th. Michael leaves for the second time, and really leaves this time. It was great to see him but the 10 days he was here went so fast, and were too short. As usual we seemed to have achieved rather a lot in the short time he was here.
I still have Fordie here until the 16th so we plan a few adventures together. We head to the temple of Apollo taxi stand and I mange to get across to Giuseppe the taxi driver, that we would like to go to Noto for the day and for him to wait and bring us back. We negotiate to pay 100 Euro for the day. I think business is slow so he is happy. We chat all the way there, with my broken Italian and Giuseppe is happy to show us sites along the way. He points out a place called 'Cava Grande' a waterfall with rock pools where we can swim. Ford and I vow to come back another day to see that.
He also shows us the site where the Australian and British troops landed in the 2nd World War, not far from Siracusa.
We arrive in Noto and Ford and I walk along the Main Street stopping at all the Baroque churches and the Opera house and the Princes Palace which we enter. There is an art show on inside but it is the beautiful views from the balconies of the Noto valley that we most enjoy.
We take some lunch at a small restaurant in a piazza near one of the churches. We have pizza and salad and a whole bottle of water each as it is quiet hot although we are under the shade of one of the many umbrellas here.
We saunter back along the shops and buy some almonds and pistachios from a market stall and wander back to meet Giuseppe who is waiting for us with the air conditioning cranked up in anticipation of our arrival.
We head home and after a rest go for our walk around the old town and meet up with Jack Therese and the girls for pizza in the jewish sector. Fantastico!
We spend the following day at the archaeological museum and the Greek theatre. Although I have seen it before it is great fun to show Ford around. He is really interested in some of the Roman and Greek statues and coins. The Greek theatre is amazing and I vow next year to make sure we visit some plays and shows here.
I call Lucia the next day and ask her the best way to get to Cava Grande. She organizes Elizabetta's partner to take us and pick us up. We also invite Jack and Isabella as Dominique has a bad leg and Therese is trying to get her some treatment.
We head off around 9.30 am and arrive before the sun is too hot. It is about 45 minuets drive from Ortiga. There is a steep descent down and we have to check in with the park ranger with names and id which we don't have so our driver has to vouch for us.
The walk down is steep but easy and only takes about 20 minuets. There are beautiful views along the way of the gorge, surrounding mountains,the river and waterfall and some very old catacombs buried into the mountain rock, long since plundered.
We arrive at the base where there are some small groups of people already enjoying the sun lying on rocks and swimming in the rock pools. It is very peaceful here. It is quiet with the sounds of running water and the odd laugh of the swimming groups. We instantly relax and take out our towels for a sun bake followed by several swims in the three pools.
We have brought a picnic lunch and luckily enough water as there is no way to get supplies here and the water is very high in calcium and not drinkable.
After several hours we decide to pack up and head back up the hill as we have a meeting time of 4pm. We haven't really factored in how hot it still is at this time and going up the steep grade takes us 1.5 hours opposed to the 20 minuets down.
Finally we arrive exhausted. We have a quick cold drink from the shop at the top and our driver arrives.
We arrive back and decide to stay home as we are really tired. we have a light deli style dinner and watch DVD's.
Another full day.
The following day Ford and I get up and walk to the platform followed by a cafe stop with Cornetto and coffee and Spremute. We have a pleasant day strolling in the centre and visiting the shops. Ford is looking for some special sports wear so we catch a cab and go up to the shopping district in San Giovanni. We don't fined what he wants but we have a look around at this different part of town.
We head home and we buy some wine to take to Jack and Therese as he is cooking for Davide some of the last bits of Tuna from their fishing expedition.
We have a wonderful night there as Jack and I are able to speak half English half Italian with Davide and much fun is had. We learn many new words and expressions from him such as 'Immigranti Clandestini'.
the food is delicious and we really enjoy ourselves.
The following day we swim and walk and get ready for Ford's last day here. We have a quiet dinner for just the two of us at Osteria Sebe. We laugh and chat about the fun things we have done and seen. He is great company and I will will miss him dearly.
We have the morning around home after a walk and the early afternoon I go with Elizabetta to the airport in Catania with Ford. I see him through the check in and security and then head back with Elisabetta to the apartment. It feels empty without anyone here now, but I get ready for the next visitors as Anne and Libby arrive from Rome tomorrow.
The next afternoon the girls arrive and we go to the platform for a swim and sun bake. When we are there I receive a call from Peter inviting me to dinner. I explain that the girls are with me and he promptly invites them too.
We also explain that Libby is looking for possible places for her son Raphael to have his wedding. Peter says he will pick us up at six to visit the Case del Fuedo country property prior to our dinner.
We head home to get ready for our appointment. Peter arrives on time and we have a great time chatting along the way there. He is a great host as always. We arrive at the country property, not very far out of Siracusa. It is a beautiful and charming old farm/country house which has been tastefully restored by the family. It is surrounded by a vineyard, and boasts a delightful swimming pool surrounded by old established trees. Just gorgeous.
By the time we have scoured each room and the grounds we realize we are running late for dinner so quickly hop in the car and head for Ortiga. Peter realizes he must pick up Gin and Tonic on the way home and it takes 3 stops before we find some. It is now nearly 9 and they have some other German guests there and we are horribly late.
When we arrive they have been clearly waiting for some time as they arrived early at 7.30. We go straight in for dinner where everyone starts to relax and talk. It is a lovely evening and everyone has fun.
Libby asks Peter if it possible to view the Principessa Borgheses famous garden near Lentini. Peter will let us know.
He calls the next day to say he has organized a visit but he must go to a wedding in Palemo. We head out with Elisabetta and Peters instructions and get totally lost. We finally find the beautiful home and grounds and we are greeted by Donna Maria herself. What a regal and elegant woman. She gives us a tour of her garden which she explains was once a lake that was filled in due to the mosquitos and malaria. She has transformed it into a most beautiful garden.
We are invited into her home for fresh squeezed orange juice which is most welcome on this hot day. We bid her farewell and she states 'but i will see you on friday'. We are unsure what this means so we head off back to Ortiga.
We call Peter on arrival home and can hear he is still at the wedding reception from the noises in the background. We say farewell, but he insists we keep talking so he can explain what is happening on Friday. He plans to pick us up at 6 and Pick up Donna Maria Borghese and drive to Catania for drinks at the Biscari Palace with Donna Giovanna, then dinner altogether at Peters club all in the grounds of the palace. Wow. We are very excited by this prospect.
The girls are going off for 2 days to visit a few other potential wedding sites. I have two really quiet days by myself and also catch up with my dear friend Lucia.
Michael has also left me with a task to put in an offer on a building in Via Guidecca for a renovation project.
So, Gemma, Lucia and I head out to the real estate agent to put in the offer. Once business is done we go for a coffee next door to celebrate a potential project.
The following evening Lucia has told me we are going out with Fabio my hairdresser and his family for dinner before I go. We head off to Avola, to a beach front seafood restaurant. We have a great night and I feel so blessed to have met so many beautiful Sicilians like the Baio's and my gorgeous friend
Lucia. Guiliano, Fabios son is 19 and so sweet. He is practicing his english and wants to come to Australia and visit us and Ford who he met this trip.
The following night Lucia and her sister Carmella want to come and cook dinner for me at home. I feel very spoiled once again with great food and wine and gorgeous company.
When the girls return on Friday we get ourselves ready and are very excited about going out. Peter arrives at the allocated time saying we are late and should have left half an hour ago, which was not what we had planned. However, he makes good time by absolutely flying all the way to Lentini, to pick up Principessa Borghese. We then head to Catania and the Biscari palace where Rosanna is already waiting with Principessa Giovanna.
We enter through huge wooden palace doors off what appears a normal city street. When you get inside it is gorgeous. Slightly faded grandeur but non the less beautiful. We ascend some stairs to the private apartments of Donna Giovana. Inside the rooms are as they were first built in the 1700's after the earthquake. Beautiful wooded panels all painted with birds. Huge windows overlooking Arabic courtyard like gardens. It is very ornate and very elegant. The company is gracious and we have interesting talks about history and local families. We drink some Sicilian wine and about 9.30 when the girls and I are about to nod off, Peter says lets go for dinner.
We walk to the other side of the palace grounds and enter another wing of what is another building of the same period. We go up some stairs into a velvet curtain draped room, one a library the next a parlour, to a larger room with a small group of people are gathered. Here we are offered more drinks and people come to speak to us all and show us around. There is a ballroom and a private chapel and we discover that these rooms are the private rooms of one of the Prince's but he never comes here and the private aristocratic club has taken it over.
We are lead out onto a huge balcony by white gloved waiters dressed in white,with shinny epaulets. We are seated at a large round tale with white table cloths. There are large standing candelabra's with real candles dripping onto the stands below. These and the soft lighting cast a surreal light over the scene and I am reminded of a Felini film set and feel like I am cast as an extra.
We have a delightful silver service meal and I am seated next to Principessa Borghese which I take to be a great honour as several people keep coming over to her to kiss her hand and say charming things to her. I get the sense she is very much still a person of importance in the Italian aristocracy.
Giovana explains the palace was once on the water and this balcony was facing the sea, before it got filled in to make the Port of Catania.
We have a wonderful night with great and interesting conversation.
Peter takes Donna Maria, Myself and Anne home in his car, while Libby goes with Rosanna in her car.
We drop off Donna Maria in Lentini and head for Ortiga. Peter wants to play us an Irish CD and have a sing along. He has just had it in his hand and then cannot find it. He looking all over the car and driving looking for the CD. We have a near miss with a speeding truck as we wave all over the road. We get onto the wrong autostrada and we are still waving all over the place looking for the CD. We continue to look and talk about the mysterious disappearance all the way back, travelling at high speed with 2 nervous passengers trying to find the disappeared Irish singalong.
We arrive back and very sadly must say goodbye to our dear friend Peter. It is a sad moment as we all leave tomorrow and we have had the most fabulous and surreal night.
We all leave early the next day to head for Rome. I arrive at my hotel the sister of Babuino 181 in via marguta, 'Marguta 54'. This is a gorgeous area in a private courtyard with private homes and these very secluded and comfortable studio apartments. Trish meets me at the apartment and we go for lunch, Spaghetti con Tartufo then go to the Frida Khalo exhibition in the Quirinale.
This is a great exhibition and we really enjoy ourselves. We return to the apartment before Trish must leave to go back to Perugia. As she is leaving we meet Jack at the front gate who is alone in Rome after Therese and the girls have left. We go for a walk around the area as he is not familiar with this part of Rome and he loves all the antique shops and art galleries.
We the find a small restaurant down a side street and have a light but tasty Roman dinner. He is good company and we have a good evening. After he heads down towards the Tiber to his hotel and I head back towards Piazza Popolo to mine.
The following morning I have arranged to meet Jack as he wants to buy a gift for Therese. I get up and go for a walk around the Borghese Gardens, then meet him at Longchamp near the Spanish steps. We find a lovely present for Therese and then I take him around the Borghese gardens as he has never visited them. He really loves it as there are not many tourists but plenty of Romans enjoying the tranquility of the gardens.
He heads off after lunch for a rest as we will meet up tonight for a drink at the rooftop bar of the hotel then walk to Anne's apartment across the Tiber where we will meet up for our final dinner in Rome. We have arranged to meet with Marco and Federica who arrive at Anne's, Libby and a friend Anne's is also there. Marco and Federica arrive on a motorbike with Federica wearing a long black dress with a long split up the side. She is a very tall, good looking woman with a big smile and Jack is quiet taken with her.
We have a drink at Anne's then head to a local family style restaurant for a lovely meal with our friends. A great way to end my fantastic trip.
Tomorrow I leave on the Emirates 11pm flight so Anne has offered for me to have a shower and change at her apartment before I get my flight tomorrow afternoon.
The next morning I get up, pack and leave my bag and go wandering around Rome. I get a cab and go to the outskirts in search of Fords sportswear he was looking for. Anne has been able to locate a shop but it is 20 minuets outside of the centre in a lovely upmarket area I am unfamiliar with. The taxi driver is very helpful and we pick up the shopping and return after a lovely chat along the way.
I meet Jack for lunch in Centro Storico and around 4 pm head to Anne's for a shower and change. We have a chat and a cool drink as today is very hot. I return to the hotel for my bag and my car takes me to the airport.
So much has happened in these 6 weeks. I have had a fabulous time and met some dear old friends and made some lovely new ones. I am ready to go home as it is Paris's 25 th birthday the day I return, however I am also always a little sad to leave Italy.
Until next year.
JB
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