We knew it would be a bit of a trek and had planned to leave early for our day trip to Syracusa. Everyone was under instructions the previous evening as to what time we would leave and therefore the time they would all need to wake up. Of course, you know what they say about best laid plans and all that.
Teenage girls can have strange reactions to various environmental situations due to the changes their bodies are going through. I remember going to school with a girl who often suffered from nosebleeds and was told that this was related to her pending adolescence kicking in. One of our twins has been having some funny spells the past few days which I put down to a combination of the heat, the physical exertion in the heat, dehydration, mild sun-stroke, adolescence and who knows; perhaps eating differently could be contributing as well. She felt hot and faint and was extremely pale at dinner the other night and this morning is complaining of similar symptoms. So we decide to give her a cold compress and some paracetamol and wait out an hour to see how she goes. She feels better and we get under way but she is never fully right for the remainder of the day.
The drive from Niscemi to Syracusa takes two hours and involves driving almost all the way back to Catania before heading out again along the coast road south. Of course, we wouldn't be maximising our Sicilian experience if we didn't get lost in Catania again. As it happens we did slightly better this time and before too long are back on the right highway and heading in the right direction! Of course we stuff up by taking the wrong off ramp for Syracusa but who's counting? Just as we are about to get out of the car Lauren complains of feeling unwell again. We set her up with a wet towel to carry with her and alternately wet her face or wear around the back of her neck. She is also under instruction to drink lots of water.
I'm no historian and although I find the history of a place fascinating I very soon forget details. It is enough for me to know that Syracusa has been in existence for more than 2000 years and has been an important trading port since ancient times. I also find it mildly interesting that Disney's interpretation of Sinbad is set in Syracuse. Having a passenger on board who is under the weather makes it difficult to really immerse ourselves and we end up simply wandering the tiny lanes until we reach the Fonte Aretusa, a freshwater spring which emerges from under ground just metres from the sea. We stop at the nearby Caffe Ortigia for gelato.
Go to next article: Leaving Sicily
Teenage girls can have strange reactions to various environmental situations due to the changes their bodies are going through. I remember going to school with a girl who often suffered from nosebleeds and was told that this was related to her pending adolescence kicking in. One of our twins has been having some funny spells the past few days which I put down to a combination of the heat, the physical exertion in the heat, dehydration, mild sun-stroke, adolescence and who knows; perhaps eating differently could be contributing as well. She felt hot and faint and was extremely pale at dinner the other night and this morning is complaining of similar symptoms. So we decide to give her a cold compress and some paracetamol and wait out an hour to see how she goes. She feels better and we get under way but she is never fully right for the remainder of the day.
The drive from Niscemi to Syracusa takes two hours and involves driving almost all the way back to Catania before heading out again along the coast road south. Of course, we wouldn't be maximising our Sicilian experience if we didn't get lost in Catania again. As it happens we did slightly better this time and before too long are back on the right highway and heading in the right direction! Of course we stuff up by taking the wrong off ramp for Syracusa but who's counting? Just as we are about to get out of the car Lauren complains of feeling unwell again. We set her up with a wet towel to carry with her and alternately wet her face or wear around the back of her neck. She is also under instruction to drink lots of water.
I'm no historian and although I find the history of a place fascinating I very soon forget details. It is enough for me to know that Syracusa has been in existence for more than 2000 years and has been an important trading port since ancient times. I also find it mildly interesting that Disney's interpretation of Sinbad is set in Syracuse. Having a passenger on board who is under the weather makes it difficult to really immerse ourselves and we end up simply wandering the tiny lanes until we reach the Fonte Aretusa, a freshwater spring which emerges from under ground just metres from the sea. We stop at the nearby Caffe Ortigia for gelato.
Go to next article: Leaving Sicily
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