Sicily's Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions Day 8

Day 8 - September 27, 2015 - Sunday - Drive to the Valley of Temples; Visit Agrigento; Agriturismo in Piazza Armerina

We woke to another beautiful morning. This travel day was the longest of the tour so we got an early start leaving at 8:30 am for Piazza Armerina.

Maurizio gave us the customary daily briefing and because it was the halfway point in the base trip, we had a review of what we had experienced during the first seven days of this adventure.

To help us understand the various cultures of the Mediterranean Sea, Maurizio had a collection of timeline maps. Seeing the once, expansive territory of the Greek Empire and comparing that to the problems Greece has today, it begs the question of the current collapse of the region.

The agriculture of the area near Agrigento is noted for more citrus trees, (especially the red blood oranges), almonds, and crops that need more water. Unfortunately, the Mafia controlled the water distribution and dictated which farmers would prosper.

Our morning stop was at Porto Empedocle; the temperature was 73 degrees and the humidity was 64%. There was time to use the rest rooms and buy a pastry and try an iced coffee. More like a coffee milkshake, it was incredible. Gennie, who does not like coffee, loved it!

We drove a few more kilometers and met our local guide, Carmelina for our visit of the Valley of Temples. We hiked to the top to see the Temple of Juno, the Greek goddess of love and marriage. Providing us with ancient stories and illustrations, Carmelina helped the Doric ruins come alive.

Wedding ceremonies were performed in front of the Temple of Juno. The groom wrapped his belt or sash around himself and his bride. The sash would be tied around both of them as a symbol of unity. From this, we get our phrase "Tying the Knot".

The Greek city of Akragas, near the booming city of Agrigento was once one of the largest cities of the empire with over 150,000 people. Carmelina reminded us of the contributions of the Greeks and their culturally advanced society.

Walking around the site, we saw the ancient city walls used as protection for the city. We spent until 12:30 viewing the Temples of Concordia, Hercules, and Zeus.

Imagining what this world looked like in 510 BCE, we left Akragas and Agrigento with a new appreciation for the Greeks. We thanked Carmelina and met Pepé and the bus for our next adventure.

Up at the top of a rolling hill, we stopped at a family restaurant outside of Valle Lupo for lunch. Josie, and her son Daniel and daughter Maria Clara welcomed us with Sicilian delicacies for another filling lunch. In addition to our delicious lunch, we had a cooking lesson and learned to make their specialty, fried bread with sun-dried tomatoes.

At 2:30 we thanked our host family and continued south and east. Maurizio gave us an opportunity to relax as we drove about two more hours and then drove north further into the Sicilian interior to Piazza Armerina.

It was almost 5:00 when we arrived at our Agriturismo Gigliotto, a former monastery that was restored and enhanced as a lodging and winery. Because it was Sunday, when we arrived the parking lot was full and several families were having celebrations.

Our rooms were not quite ready so the owner invited us to the patio for a welcome drink of his house champagne. There was Internet in the bar and reception area enabling us to check our mail and reply to a few notes.

The rooms were simple but clean. We settled in for our one-night stay and worked on photos and finished the journal.

The establishment is very self-sufficient and grows many fruits and vegetables. There were vineyards surrounding the grounds and the lodging and the hillsides were gorgeous in the setting sun.

Dinner was at 7:30 in the main area of the old stone monastery. Another beautiful day in the paradise that is Sicily!

Accommodations: Agriturismo Gigliotto - - - Meal: B, L, D