Sunset searchlights

Another backblip from Sicily. This was taken shortly after our arrival, having just missed the sun drop below the horizon. It's the view from the back garden where we were staying.

The reason we were there? Not just any holiday, but a celebration of another decade on this planet for my sister. This was a gathering of the family in a lovely house south of Siracusa. One of the most interesting things about it was the excavation work of a former owner. He dynamited his way from the surface into a sea cave below. He built a spiral staircase of 55 steps down to a high platform above the sea. From there, a Heath Robinson winch arrangement drops a ladder 15 feet into the Mediterranean. The beaches nearby are just about non-existent, so one can see why he made the effort. The swimming from here was wonderful.

Anyway, the only other photos I took all day were of the birthday cake, carefully carried out as hand luggage by my niece. This is a better photograph.