We went to Caltegirone and didn't get arrested...

...this time.

After we left Caltegirone last time people asked if we had seen "the steps." No, we didn't even know there were any special steps. "Oh, you HAVE to see them. They're the focal point of the town!" One hundred forty two steps of lava stone with the riser of each step embedded with hand-painted ceremic tiles from the various artists of the area. The steps date back to the seventeenth century.

Every few steps on either side are little shops selling ceramic pieces hand-sculpted and painted by wonderful artists. Some of it is really good and some is amazing.

Yesterday we found the stairs..............three steps from the last shop we visited on our previous visit. If we had stopped to look at them (and we would have) our car would be in Italian never-never (tow-away) land.

Bob took a picture at the top of the stairs of a mural made with indivually painted tiles. It amazed me that someone could paint the left shoulder of a man or part of his foot and have it fit into the whole so perfectly.





Every time we go somewhere, we say, "Oh, we have to bring ________ here. He/she would love it." David and Mike will like Siracusa. Tracy will love the agritourisma I went to the other day and Motta. Jessica will love our house and the tiny shops of Misterbianco or Motta. Billie and Sarah will love Lipari. Bill will love our next door neighbors. Ken will also love Lipari, and Motta, and the Acis (Achees- a group of towns near the coast: Aci Tresa, Aci Reale). Chris and Lynnette will like Caltegirone. Such a diverse area. We like it all.