Our lovely time in Ortygia – the island near Siracusa has come to an end. It was a lovely place for a few days and Hotel Roma was right in the centre of things.
Had breakfast outside the hotel and watched the small city of Ortygia come to life. Saw a little girl about 7 with a little pink dress and swinging ponytail running with her cheeky puppy. She ran up and down the piazza giggling and having fun. Dad stood nearby smoking and watching and offering encouraging words…. “Piano piano” slow slow!
Steve went off to collect the Avis car and I checked the luggage had been brought down and then we headed off.

Quite easy to navigate out of Siracusa and our first stop – for fruit and water was at a lovely holiday beach called Fontana Bianchi. It was fairly slow for a Monday with only a few swimmers. It looked really lovely and we nearly stopped for a swim. But we moved on- passing Noto where we had stayed the first night in Sicily. We arrived in Modica alto and even found parking but sadly the Cathedral was closed . We’d just missed it. It was standing high on a hill over looking the town which is divided into Modica Alto and Modica Basso. It’s Baroque in style and would have been lovely to see inside but – you miss one occasionally!

In the love seat in Ragusa

We continued on through rather nice countryside on a more minor road and came to Ragusa. It’s a really lovely place and we wandered the streets and even bought a book on Inspector Montalbano , one of my favourite TV shows and characters. It was all filmed around here and I almost choose to stay in his house which is really a B&B but decided on the slightly larger Marine dei Ragusa. I regretted this a little as it was quite a charming small village.

Fruit van outside the hotel

We arrived at a 4 star hotel! Well in their own mind it may have been,  but according to me ……. But it was opposite the water so we went straight down for a swim. Steve  did quite a marathon across the bay. I was a little more timid because there were WAVES . I thought the Mediterean was always still. Better be next week . Yes the swim begins next week .

I sat on our little terrace and watched the world go by and this little fruit van arrived and did a lot of calling out which attracted customers. He did a brisk trade.

Fun in the piazza at Marine dei Ragusa

We spent aperitif hour in the rather nice, though more modern piazza where the locals and the holiday makers all mixed together and everyone seemed to be having fun. We choose a restaurant with a view of the sea and finished as usual with a limoncello. Ahhhh and so to sleep.