Nothing to do (and all day to do it)

When you wake up to a view out the window that looks like the first photo, what do you do? Heather took her students off to Catania for the day, leaving me with "nothing to do and all day to do it" as they say. First off a run down to the vino sfuso store to replenish our stocks, then a stop at the market for a chunk of fresh swordfish for dinner, followed by a stop at the bread bakery for our usual ciabatta. Chores done, it was time to ride! I headed off the island and out of town via a backway through a nature preserve before hitting the main road where the traffic thins out. I decided to take a route the "2PM World Champion Ride" showed me last year when I dropped off the back of the racing peloton and asked if anyone wanted to RIDE rather than race? These guys showed me a nice route that climbs up past a motocross track, offering some nice switchbacks and views as you climb towards the town of Canicattini, stretched out on the hillside. You pass cacti, olive groves and plenty of citrus along this route with nary a car until the descent from Canicattini on the main road..but here you usually have a tailwind to go along with the descent so it's far from an unpleasant return to Siracusa/Ortigia. I did my usual lap of the island, complete with a pass through the Piazza Duomo (click here for a some videos about Siracusa and Ortigia) before returning "home" to heat up some leftover pollo cacciatore. A glass of Nero d'Avola, a fresh pear with pecorino cheese, an Illy espresso...and it's only 3 PM!