The pair, having turned int their bicycles in Noto, next took a train to Syracuse, namesake of Freddy’s (close-to) hometown. Freddy had wanted to find somewhere to spend a week, hole up and just enjoying a laid-back life, and Syracuse had seemed just the place.

The train arrived in Syracuse’s new town, with buildings made of concrete and roads of tarred pavement. The pair set out for the jewel, the old town, with roads of cobbles and buildings of spun gold. This involved carrying their luggage about two miles, Stan with his sleek, condensed backpack, and Freddy with his large suitcase full of wine, with a broken wheel. Freddy dragged the heavy burden through muck and mire while Stan jauntily whistled beside him.

Eventually, though, they arrived in beautiful old town full of fountains, statues and ornate buildings. Their Airbnb was in a plant-strewn alleyway, the prettiest little alley in town, Stan said.

The pair set out to walk to the sea, which surrounded the old town on four sides. Stan was quick to point out the small treasures along the way – a bird of paradise plant (which Freddy had imagined to be some sort of monstrous mouse-eating shrub) and some stocked food dishes to feed some of Syracuse’s shy stray-cat population.

Soon they arrived at the sea, and looked out at the same shore which Archimedes sought to defend from the rampaging Romans.

Of course, Freddy guided Stan to a church

and a feast covered in squid ink.

They found a vast labyrinth of underground corridors, which were used as a bomb shelter during the second Great War.

The pair explored into the night, when Syracuse lit up with a special charm.

For dinner, the pair even found Chinese food, a welcome respite from the every-delicious, but a bit repetitive, Sicilian food.

One night, Stan begged off, saying he was exhausted from days of sightseeing and feasting. Freddy went out alone, drinking and cruising from bar to bar, trying to see how much alcohol there was in the city. He had only gone through a small fraction of it when he fell in with two Scottish brothers in their twenties, one a corporal in the British army and the other (so he claimed) an amateur MMA fighter and aspiring songwriter. The three continued their quest to pass as much of Syracuse’s alcohol through their kidneys as they could.

Eventually, of course, the discussion turned to a well-reasoned discourse on who could beat whom in a fight. Freddy opted to grapple first the young songwriter, a bout which ended inclusively when Freddie refused to continue on account of the profuse bleeding of the Scot. His brother then took his turn, and managed to keep his blood on his body, but did end the vanquished when Freddy eventually established control on top and pressed his forearm into his trachea, prompting his brother (and another Italian who had joined the group) to separate them. Good times were had by all!

Most of the time, Freddy and Stan were together, having a grand old time, chasing food, views and love. After a bit, Stan decided to leave for a day or two in order to plumb the annals of the small Jewish quarter in town.

While away, Freddy found his own entertainment, foods and markets,

With Stan missing, he had no choice but to order two sandwiches and eat them both himself.

And, he even found in a church a Caravaggio. One had either to pay into a machine for it to be illuminated and thus visible; or wait for some other tourist to do the same. Freddy chose the latter.

When Stan eventually pulled out of his distraction and returned, it was nearly time to leave. Freddy chose carefully a great surprise for Stan that would involve all of his favorite things – walking around in the sun, large groups of shoving children, and of course, Freddy himself. They went to the Neapolis Archeological Park.

Sicily did indeed once again outdo itself in terms of the number of busloads of Italian schoolchildren they could put onto hallowed ground. Amongst the colorful shirts and caps of the schoolkids were caves, a Roman theater, and a museum with some of the oldest artificacts the apir had seen yet!

And then there was time for one more meal,

and to cheaply refill their water bottles

and with a poof – Stan was gone, leaving in his wake a hole in the shape of a slim man with fine, chiseled features.

Freddy remained, and still with much exploration of Syracuse to accomplish!

There was a puppet museum:

And art gallery, which reminded Freddy of how long it had been since he’d coupled:

A multimedia coin exhibition:

Food:

And a few other things: