Across Sicily

Nathan writing: So, a lot has happened in the last few days. So, we'll try to get caught up. Although we have neglected to blog, the photos on Flickr are up to date.

So here is what happened. After the day touring Marretimeo Island we had a day off of seeing the sites to recoup and pack for leaving Kim's Aunt and Uncles. We were headed from there to the Eastern part of Sicily to stay on a military base called Sigonela. On the way, we got to make two stops that were absolutely spectacular. The hilltop town of Enna with "Castello di Lombardia" and an archaeological dig site of a Roman Villa.

After driving for the morning, we drove up to Enna. We decided to head directly to the castle and skip the town. Castello di Lombardia was built on the hill due to it being extremely defensible against invading forces. During that time, it was a group of Africans that were trying to take the castle. It took 30 years to finally breach the walls. Turns out sewer lines are great for night time infiltration. The majority of the castle is still intact and we were able to hike to the top of the tower. From here we could look out across the Sicilian country side and were once again awed by the site we could see. Mt. Etna stood ominously off in the distance.

After Enna, we got a local tip to check out a local Roman Villa near Enna and eat lunch there. As we were approaching the site, I looked across the valley to see another Roman looking house that was kept up and had to have someone living in it (see pic "Someone's House"). We entered the site through a large archway, in the exact Roman style that was common during the time. Walking around we were able to see these incredible mosaics on the floors. They had them all protected and we walked above them on scaffolding. From there we could look down on scenes of chariot races and what is believed to be one of the earliest depictions of organized sports with women playing something looking like Volleyball. In the courtyard, stood about 15 foot tall pillars and what looked to be giant bathtubs.