Day 36 – You never know what you might miss . . .

Life’s full of tiny little joyful, not to be missed, moments. Just as long as we keep our eyes open. They are all around us. Waiting. We just have to be aware. Blink and they’re missed. Like a shooting star, gone forever. Turn you back, or even fail to turn around at the right moment and you could never know what you’ve missed.

Our short bunny hop up to Syracusa, gives us ample time to go explore. An on the way stop off at Noto. Once described as ‘The Stone Garden’. In fact, that statement was made in relation to the fifty churches and religious institutes, fifteen noble palaces, plus a multitude of ancient residences of ancient aristocrats that were the flowers of this ‘garden’.

Like every tourist, we are drawn to the aesthetic. Our mind’s eye, is irresistibly delighted by the intrinsic beauty of these old buildings. The Italian legacy will pay dividends for centuries to come. The local’s probably take them for granted. Maybe even consider them as a means to and end (of week pay packet).

Fortunately, today I decide to break the mould. Usually keep Beastie well clear of these old towns and city streets. This time we sneak in around the back. Take the number 11 route. A bit of waste scrub, looking down on the city, perfect. A 1K saunter. Saunter is all we can muster in today’s heat of 34C. At one turn, our downhill slalom gets interrupted. A series of six banks of steps appear. We probably won’t look forward to a thighs work out on the return leg. After a couple of sections and for no reason, we turn and look back. Are taken aback. Every vertical surface of each step has been ‘prettied’. Creating an extraordinary composite mural. Invisible going down.