Friday 31st [31 January 1902] Very stormy night. I woke to the tune of
wind and rain battering against my windows and the wine dark sea
was rushing in in white lines of foam all down the coast. But after
breakfast it cleared. We walked up to the Greek theatre, wandered
about and traced the inscriptions, Basileas Philistidas amongst them,
and went above to look for traces of the Temple of Apollo - but there
were none. So we walked home. It was very warm and delicious, but
windy. The Blackwoods left after lunch - we engaged in conversation
with a husband and wife hailing from Buenos Ayres [Buenos Aires].
After lunch we drove out to the Anapous [Anapo] and the Olympeion.
As we reached the 2 columns the horrible sun went in. Lovely view of
the Great Harbour and Syracuse [Siracusa]. The Marsh is so low that
I think the inner side of the road must be below sea level - a dreary
place, full of standing water. The temple stands up on a limestone
plateau - I expect the Athenian camp must have lain just below it - it
would be dry in summer. We walked over the plateau next and down
to Cyane running in a low valley where some fever stricken people
were working in most flourishing fields. The stream is set thick with
papyrus. The storm came up on us and lightning began so we turned
back. Past a grove of lemons and through a farm yard where a
woman showed us her miserable baby eaten up with Malaria. As we
passed the temple drenching rain and hail fell and we got in very wet.
Packed read Father's article and Middlemarch. The houses have
awning[?] balconies with carved brackets and some[?] nice ones in
the Via Diana - 2 especially, one with a griffon over the door and one
with 4 brackets, 2 open mouthed lions and 2 closed mouthed with a
very funny discontented expression.