Day 11

Sicilian drivers fall into three categories: pazzo (“crazy”), molto pazzo, and pazzissimo (which is probably not a word.)  As DH observes, “You know you’re in a Catholic country because everyone drives with the assurance of an after-life.”

Undaunted, though, we head out for further exploration.

First up: the archeology museum at the Valle dei Templi, which involves several u-turns,  Betty’s impatient “Recalculating!”s, and pissed off locals who are honking madly as we attempt to find the parking area. Apparently, signs are for sissies.

The museum is wonderfully deserted and full of fascinating objects dating from the pre-Agrigento days of the 6th century B.C.  Many, many vases, coins, sculptural fragments and lots of images of satyrs, horses and mules with erections. (This seems to be a big theme in ancient art.)

(No, I didn’t take pics of erections. Get your mind out of the gutter.)

There are also schematics showing how the temples were constructed, and a gigantic caryatid that is very cool.

Next, we drive to Licata, which is a town that sounded promising in the guidebooks but isn’t all that interesting. The archeology museum has some good pieces but is much smaller and doesn’t have either the quality or quantity of the work in Agrigento.

We have lunch at the oddly-named but surprisingly good Old Fashion (not a typo) and also stop at a very pretty church whose blue and white “frosted” interior reminds me of Wedgewood.

We return via Canicatti, a charming hilltop village reached after a death-defying series of hairpin turns.  Things are still closed at 3 pm so we head back to our condo, via a stop at the local bakery where I buy lots of options under the theory that 1) something may look good but be disappointing and 2) it’s a royal pain to park there.

Cream puff, donuts, cannolo, cream-filled brioche, chocolate tarts, oh my!

Day 12

Today is devoted to the amazing Villa Romana del Casale, the lavish multi-wing home of some rich nobleman built around the 2nd-4th century A.D.

Notable for its remarkably well-preserved elaborate mosaic decoration throughout — depicting intricate scenes from history and mythology — it also boasts bathing areas believed to have featured both warm and cool water.

Some of our favorites are the elephant getting on a boat, the hunter getting gored by a pig, and the famous Bikini Girls.

Lunch nearby is excellent too.  And, heading home, we see sheep being herded by the side of the road.