On arrival at Agrigento I thought I had dropped a bad clanger. I had not booked thinking February should not present too much by way of problems. However the very first thing I noticed in Agrigento were signs of an international carnival. It was indeed the end of a two-week international festival, ‘Mandolo in fiore’ [almond blossom] but I obtained a ground floor en-suite room at the very first place I tried – at a very reasonable price! This was Concordia in the Piazza San Francesco. Another plus mark for the Concordia is that its guests get a reduction at the good restaurant next door, La Forchetta.

I headed straight for the Valley of the Temples. This is about two and a half kilometres below the town and about half way is the purpose built archaeological museum. I headed for the eastern temples. I don’t know why the Greek settlers found it necessary or desirable to build so many Doric temples so close together – perhaps to avoid spite from jealous Gods? – but I am heartily glad they did.. On the eastern side there are three wonderful buildings, the Tempio de Ércole, the Tempio de Concordia and, furthest away, the Tempio de Giunone. The one in by far the best state of repair – or reconstruction in parts – is the middle one which apparently enjoyed a spell as a Christian church from about the sixth century. However I found the slightly wooded site of the nearest to the road, the Tempio di Ércole contributed to making this a pretty alluring place. All the way along the main path, there are empty tombs and other minor remains on the left side [opposite the temples] and there is much to make it apparent that the festival of almond blossom is perfectly timed.

The following morning the final procession of the festival took place. I took the chance of a quick wander around the town itself. A set of steps led from almost opposite my hotel up to the Via Atenea but the roads up on the other side were mainly unstepped, though very steep. Although Agrigento is statistically one of the poorest cities in Italy, Via Atenea itself gives no sign of this and some of the shops are quite elegant. Eventually the procession set out and very spectacular it was. Some of the costumes were glorious and many of the little children watching were most attractively arrayed. I followed behind to get a bus back down to the temples; no such luck – that’s where the procession was heading and the buses had accordingly stopped. I walked down, stopping at the museum en route.

This is a really excellent place. The British Museum in London is the only place where I have seen a collection of Greek vase to equal the ones there. There is a sort of indoor courtyard and towering up above the height of the first floor is a ‘telemone’ reassembled from pieces, a sort of column with a sculpture of a man holding something up. It is HUGE! Anyway I headed on down for the temple area and there, where the bus had stopped, immediately under the Tempio di Ércole, they were setting up a structure for each national delegation to perform in an outdoor concert. I went to see the western temples first. These are not anywhere near the same as the others, more ruined like a vast ancient historic demolition site but it was interesting after seeing the models in the museum, to imagine just how vast the Tempio di Giove would have been, had it ever been completed. There is another telamone here, lying unattended and possibly seeming even more majestic for this reason.

Later, tired and hungry I started the walk back up the hill. I was far from beating any speed records but I made it and settled down for a rest in my hotel before eating. I woke to the most fearsome bangs and realised that they were from the festival’s final firework display. I simply had to watch and there was a space just along from the hotel which gave the best view I have ever experienced of such a display which was lighting up the sky from far below near the temples. Wow.

I had noticed an interesting place to eat up a small alley on the other side of the Via Atenea. This was La Corte degli Sfizi in Cortile Contorni and I would recommend it to anybody; I must admit to a definite weakness for antipasti and the plate given here to help yourself to the buffet type spread meant that the first course was like a full meal. However the other courses were equally good. I was sorry to be leaving Agrigento but I knew I had seen its best and I never like to stay for an anti-climax. In the morning I took the bus west for Sciacca.

David was a keen walker, particularly on mountains before he developed serious heart problems in 1995. He has now adapted his holidays to what he is able to do and we are presenting his account of 12 days in Sicily over this and the coming months. Next episode – Sciacca, Caltabellotta and Selinunte