Travel Blog – 25th May 2023

We left Syracuse and started our drive toward Agrigento on the South-West coast of Sicily. We decided to make a stop on the way at a town called Caltagirone. This is where all of the ceramics artisans are located and apparently the ceramics shops there are amazing. We fully intended to buy something there. We were also keen on seeing the most famous attraction of Caltagirone, the Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, a 142-step staircase built in 1608 entirely of hand-painted, ceramic tiles, each step a different pattern.

As we drove closer to Caltagirone, the fog began to set in. Before too long, it was impossible to see more than a few feet in front of the car. I slowed right down, but couldn’t stop because I was worried about drivers running into me from behind. I could barely see past the front of the car and was fixated on the lines in the centre of the road, so as to ensure I wasn’t running off the road. This didn’t stop the drivers from overtaking me, even though there was absolutely no way to see if they were on a bend or if a vehicle was coming the other way. These drivers, each named Luigi, seemed to be on a death-wish.

We finally made it to Caltagirone, which is perched on a mountain. We parked at the top of the hill in a carpark, but were reluctant to go any further, because the town consisted of tiny little laneways and I didn’t want to get stuck. It was pouring rain and Lidia and Carmel weren’t keen in venturing out in the rain, so Ian and I got out of the car to explore and report back. We started walking down the narrow streets and finally found our way to the famous staircase. Unfortunately, the fog was so thick we could only see the first few steps before the staircase disappeared into the mist. It wasn’t a total loss, though. The rain eased a little, so we went to get the girls from the car and found