Day 5

Piazza Pretoria

On my last day I had to go out of the flat from 11.00 on wards (but could leave my bags until I needed them) so the cleaner could start. So I set off late, had a big breakfast at Don Gelato and then went to Piazza Pretoria to see the Fountain and what was left of Teatro Bellini (not a lot as it happens because it was being renovated). I also found the Tourist information office (D'oh!). I then went to buy some gifts (I hope you all enjoyed the biscuits?) from A ma che bonta (I promised to tell others about them - great staff would recommend). I then ran back to the apartment, repacked my bags and headed off on the long walk to Central station to catch the bus to the airport. This time on the bus we got a good view of the sea and all the lovely villages along the coast.

At the airport I was greeted by giant queues. So I join the relevant one and was very British by patiently waiting my turn even though it seem to be going slowly and the time to my flight was getting closer. I got to the check in desk and was told that the flight was delayed. I thought I was ok as I had an over two hour gap at Milan but when I got to my gate having rushed though Security I discovered that our plane was delayed by 2 hours!! I got comfy and when we landed at Milan we were met by a staff member with a sign with City airport on it, so I head over thinking they are going to walk us through security only for her to give us directions. I had already done this so I just set off, thinking the sooner I get to security the better. I join the relevant queue only to find that other people on my flight seem to be in the priority queue. So I jump out of the line and head over there hoping that they are rushing us but the lady at the desk says no! However she lets me through anyway (phew! and proof that you should always ask) and run through Milan Linate to my gate only to find the flight is delayed!! Luckily only half an hour and arriving in Britain we save an hour. I am back home by 11.00 that evening.

Unlike Venice or Budapest, I didn't instantly feel at home but Palermo was still a great experience and I wish I had had a chance to explore more of the island but Palermo had plenty to keep me going.

Day 4

A very English garden in Sicily

So I had decided to LOADS today and was a little worried about getting over warm but luckily (?) it was a bit cloudy and cool so I walked all the way to Villa Malfitano (after stopping at Don Gelato again) It is about 20 minutes from the Teatro Politeama but worth it as the minute I stepped through the gate I was in an English country garden but with tropical trees. There was a pond, drive and formal garden (see above). The house looked like Brodsworth Hall which makes sense as it is Italianate but after Conte Federico it seemed a odd thing to call this type of architecture! Anyway the house seemed to be closed but my guide book had said it was open so I asked the nice man on the gate who didn't speak English to realised what I was saying and 'Palazzo? Ping Pong' and made a door bell pushing motion! I was suppose to ring the bell?  I thanked him and headed off to the house, feeling very grand ringing the doorbell. The curator let me in (I got the impression he was a little annoyed about it!) and after paying (no discount with ICOM) he ran around turning the lights on and said I could walk around the ground floor. It was a little odd to be let loose on a stately home with no barriers but it is a lovely place to check out. Carpeted which was very english (sorry I should say that Villa Malfitano was built and owned by Joseph Whitaker who was English and made is money in the Masala trade) and the rest was like a typical stately home in the UK but with the Whitaker monogram EVERYWHERE (New money sigh! :-)). 

It was still pretty cool when I set off back to central Palermo so after stopping for some Pane e Panelle and Crocche (chickpea fritter, potatoes in bread - lovely) and then headed to the harbour district called La Kalsa. This turned out to a very fruitful as LOADs of stuff is there. So I thought I would kill some time in Galleria Regionale della Sicilia which was open over lunch. It was full of religious pictures but I think my favourite was this one:

It is called the Triumph of Death and is a critic of Sicilian society but kind of looks like a really great party!!

After this I headed to the Museo Internazionale delle Marionette to check out the puppets from around the world. Interesting collection. I then wandered over to Piazzo Marina where I found loads of things go on. First of all I found the Museo dell'Inquisizione which I had wanted to go around and brought a ticket (no discount with ICOM but they seemed keen to find me a discount) for the guided tour which would start in an hours time so I went off to find a place called Palazzo Miro which I had seen advertised at the Galleria della Sicilia and found  it across the Square. It is free with ICOM card and definitely worth  a look. Beautiful and a joy to walk around. I had to leave half way round to go on the Inquisition tour but they let me back in and I was glad to  checked out the beautiful fountain and and the really The Leopard  sitting room. A must see.

I was a little disappointed with the Inquisition museum, mostly because I had expected something like the London Dungeons but it was very serious as it was run by the university who owed the building. It was interesting to see the cells but a little more context about what the Inquisition is as I am an English Protestant and we don't really cover it in school. 

I walked back via Antica Focacceria San Francesco which is famous for it Panino con la milza but I was reluctant try it when I was flying the next day (it is veal spleen and I didn't want to feel sick because I don't normally eat that kind of thing). I headed back home stopping for sfincione and then back to finish wine and chocolate!!

Day 3

The Tornado pattern in Monreale

So today I went to Monreale, the famous cathedral built by Normans and inspired by their Arab neighbours. First of all I had to manoeuvre the Palermo bus system. I did my research and had to buy a ticket from the tobacconist (which I had  previously had a lot of issues with as this was also where you were suppose to get stamps and turned out this was no longer the case! I got them from tourist shops and they are GPS tracked now!) Anyway the Tobacconist by The Coffee bar did sell bus tickets so I got one and headed to the far side of Piazza Indipendenza for the Monreale bus which I am glad I did because when it went around the corner to the near side the bus was over run!!! Don't forget to validate your ticket or you have to pay a fine. Like a london bus on tube strike day. I had a seat so phew! The bus journey isn't long and terminates at Monreale. I headed up the hill to the Cathedral which is free and passed the inspection for appropriate clothing (no bear shoulders). I have seen alot of gilded Cathedrals but this is the one I believe inspired  them and it is beautifully preserved. I paid to see the beautiful Baroque side chapel, museum and roof access. The roof was less easy to access then at the Cathedral in Palermo as the route was narrow but free flow so you had to wait in a little groove for other people to pass. Which was annoying. The side chapel was beautiful worth a look, baroque personified. The museum ticket gives you access to the toilet for 'free'. 

I then went to the Cloister (Free with a ICOM card) and admired the interesting pillars and the nice fountain. When I left I headed to the bus stop as I hoped to go to the Cappuccini catacombs but when I got the bus stop it was empty and when I went to read the sign I thought the - meant that is how long the journey took!! I was a little worried I was now 'stuck' in Monreale until 13.15 (it was now 10.45) but I walked around a bit looking for some more information (and brought two more bus tickets) but when I went back to Cathedral to see if they could help I checked the information on my phone and confirmed that the next bus was soon and when I headed back to the bus stop there were people there. The bus came soon after and we headed back to Palermo. I missed the stop for Cappuccini so decided to have much and head back out at 3pm. I stopped for Pane e crocche (don't worry about too many carbohydrates in one meal, in Sicily this is normal) at a place on Vittorio Emanuele. Very yummy, like a chip butty. When 3pm rolled around I headed off to the Cappuccini catacombs, famous for the way they display the bodies of their disciples on the walls of the tombs. It also has a prefectly preserved mummy called Rosalia Lombardo, a 2 year old girl who,until recently looked like she was asleep (but recently she had to be preserved as her skin was starting to go pink). I love things like this because the way people honour death is fascinating and unique. I went for the bodies but stayed for the amazing insight in the fashions of 1850's. People were buried in their Sunday best so to see people of different classes in outfits that range from bustles to peasants outfits that haven't changed for hundreds of years. I think the coffin that sticks the most in my mind is the soldier (possibly French Bourbon) who is all tucked up in a blanket. It felt just like what a mother would do for her son. Beautiful. 

I was really tired at this point and aware that I was missing out on the famous Sicilian street food so decided to have a night in. I stopped at a mini mart and brought wine and chocolate before heading to Panificio for Sfincione (sicilian style pizza - like focaccia with tomato sauce) and a pistachio brioche. Yummy!

Day 2

Palermo has over 140 churches, did you know? Well I did as my new alarm clock went off at 7am!! Well I was starting to wake any way and it seemed that getting up early was a good idea so you beat the height of the sun. I went to a lovely coffee bar (called Coffee bar) right on the corner of Vittorio Emanuele) and had a cornetto with piastachio cream (basically a croissant) and a cappuccino then headed off to the Palazzo dei Normanni. Ok Seriously Sicily, why are all the entrances ‘around the back’ but with no signage?? I am starting to think we over sign post in the UK because hey, I would always find the entrance eventually.  Any way this is the first and only attraction I saw with a security set up like ours. They had body and bag scanners so very serious. Anyway it is free with ICOM card but not the exhibition. I was disappointed to discover that the Royal apartments were closed and there was only a notice as you stood in the ticketing queue. It meant that only the Palatine chapel was available to see. Lovely and glided but the royal apartments had more of the Arab/ Norman stuff I had wanted to see.  I am glad I didn’t pay full price. At 12.00E I would have been a little annoyed! So then I went to the Cathedral. Beautiful inside and out with only an extra charge for roof access (guided tour only) and the royal tombs. The roof is great for photos and easy to navigate. The museum was great, it had the Aragon crown and the royal tombs are just, you know tombs but the crypt was cool (both to look at and feel). Worth 8E. I returned to the apartment with granite (almond - nice) from a small stall on Vittorio Emanuele and planned my afternoon. I had expected Palazzo dei Normanni and the cathedral to take longer so wasn’t sure what to do. Since things start to reopen at about 3pm I headed off down Via Maqueda were I brought a hat which managed to not be too weird looking on my head (I have a sticky out ears so hats look strange) and then went to the Teatro Massimo (opera house) where I went on a guided tour (discount when you use ICOM card BUT be specific if you want to do more than one tours, backstage, terrace etc as they refused me but I think because they thought I wanted a discount on all the tours so say you will pay full price, negotiation seem to be a thing here). Like Budapest, the opera house is beautiful and vast with four tiers of boxes alone!! A royal box with its own private room. The beautiful fresco ceiling opens like a door to allow in fresh air. We also got to see the stage all set up for their new show (starts Friday 16), Madame Butterfly which was very The man in the high castle/ post WW2 which will work brilliantly. I am sad I won’t get to see it!. I then headed off to find the Museo Archeologico which again had a hidden entrance.  It was free again with a ICOM card but there is only one floor at the moment as they are doing a refit of this former monastery. Shame am I want to see the lovely painted ceiling and you get a small glimpse but still worth a quick visit and open over the lunch period. On the way back a stopped for coffee and a Cassatina (think a mini Princesstara) from a great place called Don Gelato and then more Granite at a shop which had a wide variety of flavours on Via Vittorio Emmanuele (I had Watermelon) and then went to my neighbours house, the Palazzo Conte Federico for a guided tour conducted by the Contess herself! Lovely and spoke English, German and Italian and was infused with love from her home showing us around through the beautiful rooms, highlighting the sign Verdi picture and Richard Wagner piano (he played it when he visited). She also showed the Arab/Norman tower attached to the house. I was very impressed by the two original full sets of 1920's travel cases!! The Conte is a vintage race car fan so there was a lovely car in the courtyard. SO lovely!!
I then headed home and got ready for another night out. This time I went to the Trattoria Vittorio Emanuele and had sea urchin and spaghetti (I remember being told that the pasta is designed to work with the sauce but spaghetti I don’t get). Anyway it was nice, sea urchin tasted like mussels, a little salty and crunchy if you get a spike! The wine I had with this was a little sharper but fine.  This was a more expensive meal so I went to get ice cream form the little place again and headed home.  At this point I realised that eating out in Palermo was like eating out in London expensive. I didn’t feel I had found a supermarket to make my own meals but I thought if I stay out all day and ate earlier in the evening the street food places were still open. This was cheaper and would make my money go further.

Day 1

The view from my apartment

So I set off early for the airport prepared for the face there would be no DLR trains (Thank you TFL for only having weekend trains on your website) anyway as I suspected there were plenty of trains (it was a Monday after all) and I got to the airport in plenty of time to check in both myself and my hold luggage (WAY under – all that night sweats for nothing!) anyway I rush through City security (very efficient) and hop on the plane only to get really nausea! I have never felt sick on a plane before and was determined not to embarrass myself. We landed and, as I already had my ticket I dashed through security again and waited from my transfer with a trusty bottle of Frizzante water and got to Palermo no problem. The problem I encounter was there is no train station at the moment!! They are putting in the fancy trains my work colleagues and I were admiring so glad I had investigated the bus! I got a return and we arrived at Central Station, Palermo via a very scenic motorway trip by the sea. I had discovered that the alleged offline map of Palermo that I had downloaded was not working so I ran to the station and found a trusty newsagent who sold me a very good street map. I then set off to find my apartment. This is the first time I realised that everything in Palermo is always a bit further then you think it is going to be. I felt like I had been walking for ages before I found the side street I needed and seem to be wandering aimlessly until I found a street with a name to orientate myself ( I was not as far along as I hoped and when I stopped to ask for Biscottori; I obviously said it wrong because people were confused). Anyway I checked in to my lovely apartment that had an excellent breeze (which I was grateful for after dragging my bag across cobblestones) and was welcomed by the handyman who was fixing the internet (thank god!) and the tv. The TV was a no go but I quickly discovered that I could get on to Amazon prime and netfix without an issue (Thank you Charlotte Koppe for your advice – keep your app logged in. Amazon Prime just log in- some content is restricted but I watched The Man in the high castle without an issue). I unpacked and showered and prepared to go out for a meal in the evening a la Sicilian!! The guy who had greeted me had suggested some places but to be frank I was finding my lack of language and disorientation a little scary so I walked to the nearest square that seemed to be open and took myself to the Pizzeria Carlo V because they were selling Squid with pasta! They were great, excellent service, very helpful especially when they told me that squid is not in season (whelp!) but in the end I opted for a swordfish, salmon Spaghetti which was delicious and a lovely glass of white wine (at the time I thought it was a little light on favour but it worked well with meal). I did have a panic that I don’t know how to eat spaghetti in a formal setting (I know, I know Brooklyn but I don’t find it works!) anyway I sat inside so hopefully no one noticed! It was lovely I would recommend the swordfish especially if you are not sure about crustaceans or cephalopod. I then headed back to a little place right by the Cathedral which was selling ice cream. It was delicious and cheap (Pizzeria Katia). I went back to the apartment after such an early start I was glad of an ‘early’ night'.

The original features in Carlo X

The view from the street in front of my apartment

and again but to the right