July 12th, 2012

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Thursday July 12, Syracuse

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

I got up early and wanted to try and see the sights in the earlier cool hours. When I arrived on my folding bike at the Neapolis site I found that it did not open till 9 a.m. Then I found out that the amphitheater is still covered with wooden bleachers that were used for the annual festival in late June. But you will get an idea of the dimensions of the “stadium”. Plato is supposed to have entertained here as well. The setting in this river valley is worth the visit. Lemon groves, lots of flowering shrubs. My next stop would have been the catacombs at theĀ 6th century church of Saint John. There were about 20,000 Christians buried here. What the picture shows are the ruins of the church that was once built by the Normans.

I am off this afternoon for an overnight sail to Malta. I am once again below the 38th Latitude, south of Athens. Malta is slightly further South and Tunis is about the same latitude. It is still over a hundred Fahrenheit, but thereĀ is an overcast that reduces the heat.