We arrived in Catania, Sicily, and took a bus south to Siracusa.

This is Piazza del Duomo at night, very close to our guesthouse.

The next morning, we walked through Ortigia, the original settlement of Siracusa. This is the bridge linking the main town of Siracusa to Ortigia.

Siracusa is famous for its Neapolis Archaeological Park. It contains a Greek amphitheater from 400 BC that once held 16,000 spectators.

In November, there was just one spectator.

The Neapolis features the Orecchio di Dionisio, or Dionysius's Ear. It's a 70-foot-high, 200-foot-deep cave that was used as a prison quarry in 400 BC.

It is called "Dionysius's Ear" because not only is it ear-shaped, but its acoustics allow you to hear a whisper at full volume all the way from the back of the cave.

In the off season, we were the only visitors. We were LOUD.

Because of Sicily's location, both Greek and Roman ruins exist there. Right next to the Greek amphitheater, in the Neapolis, is a Roman circus.

The Greeks used their amphitheater for civilized plays; the Romans used their circus for bloody gladiator fights.