The oldest Mikva in the world

It's here in Siracusa- about a 5 minute walk from our hotel (if you don't end up walking in a circle and eventually need to turn on your data roaming to use your iPhone's GPS to find it- or for Sarah to find it I should say). It was discovered only 18 years ago as someone was doing construction for a small hotel in what is the Jewish quarter of Ortigia). It's now an archeological site under an upscale bed and breakfast with hourly tours. We walk down a lot of stairs and there they are 5 small pools of clear, fresh water. Stone steps leading into each. These fresh water wells were first known to the Greeks in 1200 BC when the city was first founded and then made into Mikvas in the first century AD. It's cool down there and the water is so clean. We finish the brief tour and walk around the city a bit more. It's such a small island that you can walk one side to another in about 15 minutes. Especially if you have no destination in mind and can't get lost in the labyrinth of cobblestone streets. Its hot and it's Sunday so we decide to go to the beach. It's a cab ride out of town but worth it for the scene: Italian Jersey Shore. The hotel sends us with umbrellas and towels but we can rent chairs and umbrella set ups on the private beach (Lido). It's crowded and hot but he Sea is clear and warm and salty. We stay for a few hours, wishing they had Santa Monica's 'no smoking on the beach' laws. Lunch is pasta and rice salads followed by gelato and the tiniest espresso you have ever seen in a plastic cup. Head back to the hotel for naps (for some). The girls noted earlier that several stores open up at 5:30- so three of us head back out after a bit to explore. Sarah buys a pair of platform shoes she has been eyeing and Em buys a dress. Later, dinner is a casual pizzeria which, because we ended up walking around in circles before settling on a place (that's another story), we end up around the corner from our hotel without even realizing it. Gelato (Em-kiwi and cantaloupe Marc-coco and fig) and head back home. Tomorrow is laundry and a train to Taormina for our final Sicilian city. Sarah is hoping for a couple of relaxation days at the beach/pool.