7 May 2022 - Siracusa

The weather forecast for today was not great, so we set out to buy food promptly in the morning. Saturday is market day in Siracusa, and we wanted to see what was on offer. There seem to be a set of market stalls permanently in place, close to the site of the temple of Apollo, selling clothing to the tourists. On Saturdays, the market expands down side streets to include food stalls. We walked the length, assessing what there was that we wanted and then retraced our steps, buying as we went.

Quiz question: Which is more expensive per kilo, mussels or strawberries? (answer below)

There many stalls selling fruit and vegetables, clearly almost nobody buys these in supermarkets here. There were a slightly smaller number of fish stalls, plus assorted places selling spice, dried fruits, nuts etc and some selling cheese. The quality of all the products is superb. We were also able to buy home-made tomato puree, scooped out of an enormous vat and put into plastic containers.

The biggest surprise is the lack of meat for sale. There was only one butchers shop in the street where the market was, but that was all. Clearly the local diet is based on fish for its protein.

Later in the day, the stronger winds arrived. The guidebooks say that the marina we are in is exposed to winds from the south, and this is exactly what we got. We are right on the outside of the wave-breaker pontoon and spent the afternoon being rocked around by the wind and waves. It was not terribly comfortable, but we have endured far worse.

When it died down, we went ashore for a walk, visiting the castle guarding the entry to the port, and then wandering back through the maze of alleys, past the impressive Duomo and ending up back by the statue of Arethusa, where we indulged in a drink and cannoli (a local delicacy).