Toby and Allan Explore Sicily 2016: Arrivederci Modica and Buongiorno Siracusa

Thursday March 3 was our last full day in Modica. Vicky and David left early to explore, while Alonso and I took it easy (my ankle is healing well, but I still have a virus with a bad cough). We went to Caffe Blandini again for a coffee and cornetto in the late morning. It was cloudy at the beginning of the day and cool. The sun did come out later. High only around 12C.

Alonso starting the day with his macchiato and cornetto

We started to head down from Modica Alta to Modica Bassa. We passed an interesting door ornament.

Intriguing ornament

We approached the back of Chiesa di San Giorgio. Definitely a different take on the church.

View of Modica Bassa from in front of church

Front of Chiesa San Giorgio

We stopped at a cafe on Corso Umberto I that we had visited the other day, and the barista who was working there gave me a coffee and Alonso a coffee/chocolate liquor sample. We then went back to La dolceria Bonajuto which has some of the Modica's best chocolate. We noticed a book about the chocolate shop in a nearby window.

Book about La dolceria Bonajuta

Selfie at the chocolate shop

We continued our walk on the main street of Modica Bassa and then noticed a sign for a typical Trattoria that we had read about in David Lebovitz's blog when he visited Modica (he lives in Paris and wrote My Sweet Life in Paris and The Paris Kitchen). It was in a small street a few blocks from the Corso Umberto I.

Great detail on old streets

We spotted this lemon/orange tree in a narrow space

Lots of picturesque views

Trattoria A putia ro vine specialized in traditional Modica food.

Outside of Trattoria A putia ro vinu

We shared an antipasto plate with lots of goodies. An unpeeled hard-boiled egg came in a separate bowl. I had a large bowl of vegetable and bean soup and Alonso had a pasta and bean soup. Very filling. The place was busy with many locals having a multicourse house menu.

Looking back in the restaurant

Antipasto plate- hard boiled egg was separate

My vegetable and bean soup

Alonso's soup

About to dig in

It was a very satisfying lunch. We then passed by a statue of Don Bosco. John Bosco, known as Don Bosco, was a Catholic priest and educator (1815-1888). The name rang a bell, and then I remembered that former Mayor ROFO taught football at the Toronto school named after Don Bosco.

Don Bosco

We decided to walk to the birthplace of Salvatore Quasimodo (1901-1968), who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1959 for his poetry. We had a great view of the large stone clock that sits on high (one of the few in Modica with the correct time).

All along the clocktower...

Another lovely street

Plaque about Salvatore Quasimodo's house where he was born

View of house on very narrow street

We then wandered back to Corso Umberto I and then walked back to the apartment. Vicky and David were back from their adventures. We all rested, did our packing and Vicky made a lovely pasta dinner which we had with some very good Sicilian wine.

More artisan chocolate at CioMod

On Friday March 4, we said goodbye to Modica at around 8:30 a.m. David and Vicky drove us to Siracusa (Syracuse), where we are staying for a week. We are renting an apartment in the historic part of Siracusa on the island of Ortigia. We arrived at about 10:00 a.m. David and Vicky headed off to Palermo where they are catching a flight to London on Saturday. It has been a great 11 days. We are now continuing on our own.

Massimo, one of the owners, met us outside the apartment which is wonderfully located in a narrow street. It has a private terrace on the floor above the main apartment which is on the first floor. He showed us the lay of the land and we unpacked. I'm going to post some pictures of the apartment (below) and then carry on with our Friday adventures in tomorrow's blog.