Syracuse (Siracusa), Sicily, Italy ~ April 27, 2004
Island of Ortygia
Sicily's colorful carts and plumed horses are famous. I wish I'd found a better background for this shot.
Today the horse was pulling a rubber-tired wagon filled with tourists. Earlier on this blog I showed a photo of a more traditional horse and cart, albeit a mural.
When my grandmother visited Sicily in 1911 with her parents and siblings, one of them wrote in a journal:
"We made it through customs without any trouble, and found the horses all dressed up with peacock feathers and pulling painted carts. The carts here were like boxes set up on high wheels, the boxes and wheels alike painted with figures of men, women, etc. in very bright colors. The horses wore tall red headdresses like dusters, and another 'duster' was fixed in the middle of their backs."
See the link above for a taste of what they might have seen.
My Web Page: tapirback.com
