Agrigento

Matt took a Monday in mid December off work and we drove a couple hours to Agrigento.  The drive is a completely different story, and not the most pleasant one to remember.  Especially the way back in the dark.  Let's just say road construction, bad detours, random towns with confusing winding roads and completely dark back roads with more pot holes than asphalt.  Okay, now I'll show you the good stuff.

The city of Agrigento was cleaner than any we have experienced in Sicily thus far.  We were joined by other tourists strolling around the ancient grounds and heard quite a bit of German.  That always made the kids and/or parents catch someone's eye and smile.  Even to the kids it is the more familiar and comfortable language.  It was a pretty walk to our first stop.

The ruins of the temple dedicated to Hercules.  

I'm listening to the audio guide during the 10 minutes of battery life it held.  I soon went back down the hill to trade it in for a guide book instead and get my driver's license back that sometime in the next 2 hours was lost.  sigh.  

We are about to walk up the hill to the best preserved site.  The Temple of Concordia.  It is in great shape today thanks to the interests of the Catholic church.  The Apostle Paul visited here and cast out a devil.  It was consecrated and later used as a catacomb.  

We thought this olive tree looked really cool and twisted.  We wondered how old it is.  

None of these statues are original or old.   They are reproductions of what once stood in the ancient city. 

Along this walkway were ancient burial grounds--the late-Roman and Byzantine necropolises.  

On this hill sits the more ruined twin of the Concordia.  This temple was dedicated to Juno (Jupiter's wife).  

Could we get a more perfect sky?

On the other side of the road there are piles of rocks and ruins to explore.  You can see ancient baths.  They were kept running with underground aqueducts.   I unfortunately already packed and mailed our guide book, so I may come back once we are settled in Dubai and add more historical info.  These next shots are just us exploring. 

Jess saw a really big lizard. 

The re-assembled remains of the temple of Castor and Pollux.

Peek a BOO!

After we got to the car and drove to the beach where we were going to walk to the Turkish Stairs, I realized, no license.  I had left my purse with Matt and the kids while I ran back to get rid of the dead audio guide.  I should have kept the card in my hand until I got back to put it in its proper place instead of slipping it into a pocket to be lost.  Matt kindly drove back to look for it.  It was fruitless and we missed him at the steps.  They turned out to be as amazing as promised.  

After we were dropped off by Matt.  The kids were just happy to be at a beach again and this one had SAND! instead of sharp rocks.  Jess asked if she could take off her shoes and get wet.  But mean mom said no.  We had a limited amount of time to find the Turkish Steps before sunset. 

A natural wonder made by conspiring wind and water and time.  The rest of the coastline is dark rock.  But this one little section juts out, brilliantly white.  The Scala dei Turchi.  I learned online that the locals named it thus after the raiding Arab pirates (called Turks) would anchor their boats out of the wind here while pillaging the nearby towns.  It also resembles a famous spot in Turkey?

The kids had loads of fun climbing up and down the steps and running on this giant natural ramp, covered in centuries of carved graffiti.  

Isaac and Jess at the top, the camera is zoomed in as much as possible. 

Makenna loved watching the tide come in.  

The all got splashed good by one bigger than expected wave.  

Isaac wanted a turn with the camera, so , um, proof that they are not orphans.

Peaceful and beautiful.

The sun is sinking, they are still playing.

And climbing.

It's hard to see without better shadows in the carved letters, but here is a sample of the graffiti. 

These last few are from our walk back. The sunset was so pretty over the water.  Not pictured: the last couple minutes when we were chased by two dogs.  That's one way to get kids off the beach who didn't want to leave.