Sicily at its Best - outside Noto

A week before the wedding, Debora and Vincenzo had to make some final preparations for the wedding party/lunch that would follow the actual ceremony. We didn't want to miss the chance to see the Prince's villa, where they'd be having their celebration, in advance. This little jewel of a place is found in a little town called Ispica. Apparently the Prince lives here during the summer and then rents it out for weddings and other big events during the rest of the year. 

Marc and I wandered around the outer courtyard while the bride and groom went about their official business inside. As you can see, it was a beautiful evening in a beautiful setting.

On another day, we took a day trip down to the very southern tip of Sicily, where apparently on a clear day you can see the northern tip of Africa, namely Tunisia. The following photos are from a little town called Portopalo. 

They told us that this little lookout is a popular place for teen lovers to come make-out... catching them in the act seemed fitting.

Proof that I got in the Mediterranean Sea. The water, for mid-October, was surprisingly warm. The sand was so soft and loose... my feet just naturally sunk right in. It wasn't hard and compacted like our sand in Northern California.

The following photos are taken on the same day we were in Portopalo, but these are from another little town along the southern coast called Marzamemi. We were totally mesmerized by the pure ancientness that still stands in this historic little fishing town.

On our last full day in Sicily, we made a day trip to Syracuse, which is famous for it's Greek architecture that dates back hundreds and hundreds of years. This particular Duomo was once a Greek Temple that was bought by the Catholic Church at some point and re-constructed to look more like a duomo. Along the side of the outer walls, you can see where the columns are and how they just filled in walls in between the columns. Really, quite amazing. I love that they didn't tear down the original structure and start over, but that they just added to what was already there. 

Stopping for a little chat, before heading to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. I was surprised at how much they loved Chinese food. I wasn't such a big fan, especially after daily meals for two weeks made by a real Italian Mama cook.