The old (8th Century BC), the less old and the new coexist on Ortygia Island in Syracuse.

I’m amazed that I don’t get arrested more often during my MedTrek around Sicily in search of Odysseus and other legends of Greek mythology. I had to break/sneak into two places yesterday just to get some shots for Follow the Idiot.

I didn’t get into any trouble when my walking adventure took me past the stark and austere lighthouse at Capo Murro di Porco to this sweet and alluring bay on the Sicilian Canal.

Nobody was concerned when I sat meditatively near this inviting water.

And, though it’s usually not this easy, I was able to get from rock to rock in Syracuse’s gigantic Porto Grande bay.

This type of rock-to-rock bridge isn’t seen too often on the MedTrek.

The problems began when I wanted to get a distant photograph of Ortygia, the Syracuse/Siracusa island that seduced the Greeks from Corinth 2,800 years ago. I had to sneak into the grounds of the gated and guarded Minareto Grand Hotel, an imposing “seaside luxury resort” that prevented me from staying on the sea. I was nailed after ten minutes, probably because I looked out of place in my gradually disintegrating hiking shoes, smelly backpack, scruffy shorts and sweaty baseball cap.

I talked myself out of a trespassing charge but had to agree to return to stay in one of the 250-euro rooms when I transition from MedTrek mode to business traveler mode in a few weeks. Anything for a photo!

A view, beyond the sunbathers, of Fort Maniace at the tip of Ortygia Island.

Would you detain this guy?

At least I didn’t wind up in chains like this trespasser.

As I worked my way around the seemingly never-ending Porto Grande bay towards Siracusa, I decided to pay my respects to the Greek gods at the 6^th century BC Temple of Olympian Zeus just outside town. I walked a kilometer inland and, to my shock, was met by a locked gate and absolutely no explanation. I broke in, to the applause of the gods, to get some some shots of what little is left of the temple.

The remnants of this historic temple are visible only to trespassers.

Once I finally reached the tip of Ortygia (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=37.05561,15.2955&ll=37.05561,15.2955&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1) I spent hours casually exploring the narrow streets, numerous churches and old, less old and not-so-old remains before stepping off the island into bustling contemporary Siracusa completely unarrested.

Ortygia is an easy island to MedTrek around on the Mediterranean Sea.

Last night I went to a performance in the Greek Theater in the city’s Neapolis and thanked a policeman for stopping traffic when I crossed the street.

“Grazie molto!” I said with a smile. “You make me feel very secure amidst all of the ancient history in bella Siracusa.”

“We’re a very lucky people,” she replied.

Today I’m moving even further back in time.

On the MedTrek to Augusta I plan to drop in on Thapsos, which thrived during the Middle Bronze Age in the 15^th-13^th centuries BC. That settlement and culture on the Magnisi peninsula make Homer, Odysseus, the Minareto Hotel and the UniCredit Bank next to the San Paolo Church and Temple of Apollo on Ortygia all look very, very young.

And, with luck, there will be someone at the gate and I’ll get to pay the usual six euro entrance fee.

Photos and Text: Joel Stratte-McClure

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About Joel

Joel Stratte-McClure has been a global trekker since the 1970s. He lived in France for over 30 years, working as a journalist, before he turned his attention to a unique life-time-project of walking the shores of the Mediterranean. The first 4,401 kilometers are explored in his inspirational and entertaining first book "The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean." The next 4,401 kilometers are covered in the gods-filled sequel, "The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness and Magic on the Mediterranean,” published on Valentine's Day 2013. The last 4,401 kilometers will be discussed in the last book of the trilogy currently entitled "The Idiot and the Odyssey III: Alexander the Great Walks the Mediterranean."