Journal

I saw the little white building from many miles away – amazing how news images can lodge in the brain. Hugely admire all those of who have fought the Mafia over the decades, including Judge Giovanni Falcone, whose assassination was triggered from that inconspicuous blob in the landscape. That same fated year of 1992 also saw the assassination of his colleague and friend Paolo Borsellino.

Palermo, where we stayed at the Hotel Excelsior, was incredibly noisy. But chapels, churches and cathedrals really were miraculous – particularly the Church of San Cataldo, with its three faded pink domes. Felt something particularly powerful there.

Closer

Spellbound by the Valley of the Temples yesterday, in Agrigento. Impressed by Jan Fabre’s statue ‘The Man Who Conducts The Stars’, though found him hard to find in any detail on the Internet.

Seeing wings everywhere, on fallen angel statues, in museum, and even in fossilised shells. Loved the statue of fallen Icaro/Icarus. But also way too much plastic and other debris, particularly around the harbour near the Hotel Dioscuri, where we are staying.

A wonderful German guide took us around the ruins of Selinunte today, in a landscape once known for its wild celery. Playful and knowledgeable, she pointed out a mandrake plant, which has a singularly complex history – and wondered whether it might have had something to do with the tale of Sleeping Beauty? A glorious place, but with an easy-to-overlook and bitter history of war and destruction.

Fascinating visit to the Roman Villa del Casale near Piazza Armerina, in the middle of the island. Staggering – and beautiful – display of historical wealth. Amazing what could be done with mosaics. Struggled to get good shots of the mosaics with available light, though some folk were happily flashing away – despite notices asking them not to.

Scenes like ‘The Great Hunt’ are pretty distressing, if you choose to view them from the animals’ eyes. For example, where would the rhinos and ostriches shown being hauled aboard galleys have originally come from before they were shipped across the Mediterranean to whatever fate awaited them in Sicily?

Flew in from Gatwick yesterday to Catania. Travelling with Jules Verne for the first time. Slightly stunned by the size of the group, perhaps because they have recently been taken over any a more commercial group, though we sort of got used to it.

Then across today to Syracuse, founded in 733 BC, where Elaine, I and another woman managed to become separated from the group inside the Ear of Dionysius. Missed key parts of the tour of the ruins, but I suspect it’s because I am a natural outliers.

Fascinated by an independent visit to the Archimedes Museum, small but with some intriguing exhibits. Had long wanted to see his haunts, but interest was spurred when reading about the Antikythera mechanism. Surprised by the amount of graffiti here, though some to it quite creative.