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!!