After surviving the various sketchy towns around Agrigento, as well as a fairly underwhelming breakfast, we set out on the open road once again. Cultural sidenote: While Italy appears to share an affinity for breakfast pastries with its northern neighbor, France, the quality is . . .not so great. There is a high degree of deception involved. Things that look like plain croissants are filled with mystery cream or cheese. That appetizing looking pain-au-chocolat lookalike is filled with eggplant (I’m not making that one up). The juices are never labeled and despite being similar colors from day to day, the flavors are somehow different. I’ve had juices that tasted like fruit punch, mango, peach, pear, and pineapple — all the same general color. None of the hotels label them. Why? Is it just to laugh at people when they make faces of surprise after their first sip? I don’t understand. Nicole is very sick of mystery pastries, and it seems to be a very Italian thing. Bonus Italian cultural tip: if you want to blend in as a driver on Italian roads, just act like each time is your first time driving a car ...ever.
Anyway, it was a two and a half hour drive to Syracuse (or Siracusa), so we got plenty of exposure to bad driving. At one point, an impatient driver actually drove between me and the oncoming traffic straight down the median. We made good time to Siracusa arriving around 1:00pm. We walked to the hotel we had booked, which was kind of hidden within a sketchy apartment complex. There was nobody to check us in. Nicole called a number and the guy told us to get lunch and that he’d be there at 2:00pm. We had all of our bags, and we weren’t entirely hungry either. In fact, we were quite cross with the situation. So much so that when the guy finally showed up, we told him we were canceling. I quickly booked a hotel down the street and we checked in a few minutes later. Once we finally were settled, we walked across a bridge into an area called Ortygia, which is the old historical part of the city.
It was nice to see the old buildings and things, but it was mixed with tour groups, school trips, and loud crowds. I think Nicole and I have simply reached that point of the trip where our patience for the cultural divide in regards to things like respect and customer service, has simply collapsed. We did a bit of tchotchke shopping and took a quick break for gelato and a beer before regrouping back at the hotel for a spell. I feel that perhaps we did not give Siracusa a fair shake at things, but the simple fact of the matter is that we have seen better. When we went out later in the evening for dinner, the crowds had dissipated a bit and the school groups and tour groups had disappeared. We were having an early dinner (at what I imagine was 8pm), and most places were deserted. We had pasta had a small restaurant and spent the rest of the evening walking around the various open squares and eating cannoli.
Tomorrow we leave Italy and I hate to say it, but we’re ready for it.
Anyway, it was a two and a half hour drive to Syracuse (or Siracusa), so we got plenty of exposure to bad driving. At one point, an impatient driver actually drove between me and the oncoming traffic straight down the median. We made good time to Siracusa arriving around 1:00pm. We walked to the hotel we had booked, which was kind of hidden within a sketchy apartment complex. There was nobody to check us in. Nicole called a number and the guy told us to get lunch and that he’d be there at 2:00pm. We had all of our bags, and we weren’t entirely hungry either. In fact, we were quite cross with the situation. So much so that when the guy finally showed up, we told him we were canceling. I quickly booked a hotel down the street and we checked in a few minutes later. Once we finally were settled, we walked across a bridge into an area called Ortygia, which is the old historical part of the city.
It was nice to see the old buildings and things, but it was mixed with tour groups, school trips, and loud crowds. I think Nicole and I have simply reached that point of the trip where our patience for the cultural divide in regards to things like respect and customer service, has simply collapsed. We did a bit of tchotchke shopping and took a quick break for gelato and a beer before regrouping back at the hotel for a spell. I feel that perhaps we did not give Siracusa a fair shake at things, but the simple fact of the matter is that we have seen better. When we went out later in the evening for dinner, the crowds had dissipated a bit and the school groups and tour groups had disappeared. We were having an early dinner (at what I imagine was 8pm), and most places were deserted. We had pasta had a small restaurant and spent the rest of the evening walking around the various open squares and eating cannoli.
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