Syracusa

For those of you who are unaware, I have joined a group of students from across Canada and the US for a 10 day tour of the World War II Italian campaign.

It is nice because it complements well the guidebook I designed last year “Ortona and the Liri Valley” - Eric McGeer is the author. Together we will complete two more guides - we are currently working the Sicily and Southern Italy guide to come out in September of this year.

Though everyone was dead tired from the long journey to Catania, we still had time to visit the famous port of Syracusa this evening.















It’s best known during the Second World War for the heroics of a single platoon of British gliders who were able to hold off relentless counter attacks of the Italians for the better part of a day until finally, down to 15 men (from 84) and virtually out of ammunition were forced to surrender to the Italians. Their heroics tied up a good portion of the Italian Army and was crucial to the Allied success on D-Day (securing the beachhead).

For myself, however, I could help but be awestruck that this port, perhaps the most impressive natural harbour in the world, has been the naval battleground as far back as the written word. Case-in-point, it was from this very harbour that the Romans, in 146BC under Scipio Aemilianus (soon to be Africanus for his successful invasion) launched the famous assault on Carthage. For a former student of the classics, in fact for anyone with that tidbit of knowledge, you can’t help but feel slightly captivated by the history those waters have witnessed - Man and war have come and gone but this body of water sits idly as it did 2500 years ago.

To cap off a long day for everyone, we enjoyed some first-rate Sicilian cuisine on the edge of the famous port. I enjoyed some fresh muscles in garlic, butter, and wine sauce and then an Italian favourite of mine Pasta Carbonarra – a spaghetti dish made with eggs and bacon and a nice sauce. It’s delicious, like breakfast in spaghetti! Still fighting the Cankers, but I refuse to let them stand in the way of fine Italian dining...not to mention the Gelato!

Still waiting on the bags, wearing the same clothes...but I'm on a 52 Euro a day allowance for clothes and amenities...

I'm not the only one who lost their luggage enroute and pretty soon I'm sure the five of us without bags will be relegated to the stenchwagon while the others enjoy their clean shirts and fresh socks...

Buona Notte...