Il Palazzo Conte Federico

 Buon giorno

I got another good nights sleep, and dreamt that after all I'd found the archeological park. It was underground and I went down several staircases until I found one incomplete. No one could figure out what to do. So even in my dream I was thwarted.

But today was better. I booked a spot for a guided tour (more or less in English) of the Palazzo Conte Federico. The palazzo, one of the oldest buildings in Palermo, is still inhabited by the original family who claim descent from the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick "Stupor Mundi" II and also Normans. In fact the tour was conducted by one of the family who calls the Palazzo home--a handsome, young aristocrat named Niccolo. Maintaining a palazzo takes a lot of effort and--well--money, so if they can charge admission, so the public can also enjoy their home, I call that a win/win.

My tour was scheduled for noon, so I took the opportunity to go to the grocery store.  It is very sultry today, but the weather is about to turn, and I don't fancy carrying a load of groceries in the rain.  After dumping off the takings, I set out again, giving myself plenty of getting lost time due to self knowledge and experience, but in fact I did not get lost. I arrived early and was glad to sit down on a bench in the shade and play with my phone

I enjoyed the visit. The palazzo doesn't look like much from the outside and is on a narrow winding street. The public parts are organized around a lovely cortile or courtyard. We were herded upstairs to the historic parts of the palazzo.  You can tell that this is a "lived in" home rather than a museum, which added to its charm. For example family photos and portraits were on display, and Count Niccolo talked about his dad the race car driver and his mom the swimming champion and operatic soprano. Also the visit was punctuated by the presence of some black and white cats--as Niccolo explained, the real owners of the Palazzo.

The floors were custom made majolica tiles. Some of the rooms had painted cross beams. The more "modern" rooms had Baroque ceiling frescos. There were no great treasures, but a lot of family heirlooms.

The building was built by the Muslims on a Phoenician foundation and originally was part of the harbor defenses. When the Normans took over a lot of the harbor was filled in. The Palazzo is irregular because the room follow the route of the walls and incorporates the Muslim/Norman tower from the Twelfth  Century.

Because of the heat and humidity, by the time the tour was over, I was done for the day. I decided to take a short cut home, but the way led me through the market. Normally I'd be delighted and fascinated, but I did not like the crowds, the smoke, the smell, but my short cut did work out. I fetched up at the train station, which is very close to my place.

Ciao for now.

At Least I Got a Good Walk In

 Buon giorno

Whee! I got a good nights sleep. I hope I can wave good bye to the jet lag. Since I'm older it takes longer to get over it.

My target for today was the archeological park down by the port partly housed in a an old castle. I love these things! I got my directions and set out full of confidence, but sometimes google maps lets me down. I was sent to look for a non existent roundabout and streets that probably do exist, but not where google said they did.

I remembered from the map that I could get to the port another way by walking past Villa Guilia and turning left. I retraced my steps and tried that. I walked along the water front with a very busy road inhaling exhaust. It was nice to see the marina. Some people were fishing, but there was no sign of my destination. I walked and walked some more. Nope. There were even tourist maps, but they did not show what I wanted. Eventually I had to give up.

On my way I was approached by a woman who asked me if I was a Palermo native. I understood enough Italian to get what she was saying and could use a bit of Italian to tell her I was a tourist who did not speak Italian.

I don't know how to make my random wanderings around Palermo interesting, but I am a sucker for narrow streets and intimate piazzas, and I did pass through some charming neighborhoods. In Southern Italy, people like to live outdoors. They bring chairs out in front of their homes or businesses and just sit watching the passing scene.  I am seeing quite a bit of the central city.

Eventually I fetched up at the main drag of Via Roma and made my way home tired and disappointed.  I took a picture of the local garlic man to have something to show for the day.

Ciao for now

Palazzo dei Normanni

 

Buon giorno,

It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the thing that Everyone who comes to Palermo wants to see, and what I wished to see the most.

Sicilian History is . . . complicated, and I'm not going to try and sort it out for you right here, but I taught ninth graders, and one thing I am really good at is barebones over simplification. So we have a lot of ambitious and energetic young men in Normandy, who knew they would get no land, so they became mercenaries and were quite good at it. Since Southern Italy was unstable due to rivalries between recently arrived Germans, Byzantines determined to reconquer the peninsula, and Muslims who ruled Sicily, Norman Warriors found a ready market for their skills.  Members of the de Hautville Family quickly realized that conquering for other people was pointless when they could conquer for themselves. Marriage alliances and frequent battles soon followed.

What with one thing and another over many years, the Normans managed to take over Southern Italy and Sicily itself. Being rough hewn northerners they were mightily impressed with the sophistication and luxury they found in Muslim Sicily and soon adjusted to their new surroundings. The Normans remained Christian, but the early members of the dynasty employed Muslims in their government and some adopted Muslim dress--very practical in Sicily's climate.  The Palazzo dei Normanni is a prime example of the syncretism of the two cultures.

I enjoyed my visit, but the place was packed, and I spent far more time waiting in line than I did seeing the actual sights. Also the royal apartments were closed, so I missed those.

The highlight of the visit is the one everyone looks forward to--the Capella Palatina or palace chapel. It is gorgeous and in the Byzantine style. It reminded me strongly of Ravenna because of the incredible mosaics. Gold glass gives the images a glitter quality that makes them come alive. But the place was packed and I began to feel a touch claustrophobic, so after enjoying the view I squirmed my way out.

One of the things I like to do in Italy is indulge in my favorite cold cuts for my apero. I never eat such things at home because I'm elderly and need to protect my health, but European products are made in traditional ways, and if one if mindful about buying the animals have been humanly raised. Mmm. Such salty, fatty, meaty goodness! Neither of these items comes from Sicily. Breseola is from Lombardy. Mortadella comes from Emilia-Romagna.

Ciao for Now

A Walk in the Park--La Villa Guilia

 Buon giorno!

Today is the 958th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings which allowed the Norman Conquest of England. What many people do not know is that even before William the Conqueror set his sights on England, some Normans were already doing some conquering in Southern Italy and Sicily.  As I am of Anglo-Norman heritage, I always celebrate the day. There happens to be a fine gelato shop just around the corner from my digs, so I am having some chocolate ripple and hazelnut gelato. It. Is. Divine.

It's Monday, and the museums are closed, so I have to wait until tomorrow for yet more celebration of my Norman Heritage, but I did do a tourist activity and got my quota of steps in.

I began with a trip to the grocery store where I was bemused by the sight of Italian shoppers loading their carts with enormous bags of sad looking potato chips. They like them for apero, but I thought they preferred the flavored kind to go with their Aperol Spritzes.

Having dropped off my groceries, I set out once more in the opposite direction of the way I usually take.  Fortunately the route was straightforward, and I was able to cross the major boulevard all right.

Villa Guilia is an estate that was donated to the city and turned into a botanical garden.  Wandering among the trees and flower made a highly refreshing change from the intensity of the streets of Palermo.

There was an event being held on the grounds by Wines Sicily that looked pretty posh. I headed away down the cool green walkways and the traffic noise faded to be replaced by bird song.

I strolled at my leisure down shady avenues lined with citrus trees heavily laden with fruit. Very tempting, but I did not pick any, and some I didn't even recognize.  Palermo is full of palm trees, and the garden was no exception. There were also many stands of various sorts of bamboo. 

This was a lovely way to spend some time. The only problem is that eventually I had to venture back into the real world of broken sidewalks and crazy traffic, and occasional whiffs of raw sewage.

I had my limoncello and green tea apero and for dinner I contrived a dish of pasta with some tuna and a little jarred sauce (It's pink and has ricotta and nuts plus a bit of tomato) that I thinned with some pasta water. It needed salt, but dang! It's good. Clearly I am a culinary genius.

Ciao for now

Layer Upon Layer of History

 

Buon Giorno,

I didn't get a lot of sleep, but I'm used to jet lag and I know I can cope. I'm getting to know my area of the city, and I did not get lost today at all. I'm close to the historic center, but not within it, so I have to walk about twenty minutes to reach the sites. This is fine with me as I do come to Europe to walk.

Palermo reminds me a lot of Naples. Both cities have a ramshackle charm. I have to walk warily as the side walks are torn up. Some buildings are grand. Others are attractive, but many are shabby, and some are complete wrecks. Welcome to Southern Italy!

I decided that a good activity for the day would be a visit to the Antonino Salinas Regional Archeological Museum, which boasts of its status as the oldest museum in Sicily. Not everyone shares my taste for antiquities, but I do find such things fascinating, and the exhibits are well displayed and explained. Moreover, the museum is housed in a former convent, so wandering around the cloisters is enjoyable on its own.

Sicily, being a highly fertile island (Thanks, Mount Etna!) has attracted human habitation from early days. The island got its name from the Sicel tribe, but the place entered into history when the Phoenicians arrived, bringing their newly devised alphabet with them. The museum features quite a bit of their pottery and votive objects as well as some inscriptions. One thing I had never seen exhibited before were the projectiles used by slingers in battle. They are lethal looking nuggets of metal, and the slingers were highly trained and could be deadly.

The Greeks were not far behind, and most of the museum is given over to their remains from various periods. In particular the Greek colonies on the island gave a special devotion to the Goddess Demeter and her daughter Kore or Persephone. There are some splendid red figure vases as well as a host of everyday objects. Here's a lion head from a tomb. 

Then we have Etruscans, who didn't settle in Sicily, but certainly traded and the Romans who eventually conquered the place and used it as their bread basket. Some of the Roman remains are truly impressive--massive (and heavily restored) statues of various gods and emperors.

On my way back I proceeded down Via Roma, one of the main drags, and ran into some kind of auto rally. Vintage cars from the mid Twentieth Century roared by apparently competing to see which engine could make the biggest racket.

Ciao for now

Palermo Cathedral

 

Buon giorno,

As promised--some tourist action, and it was worth all the detours I took to get there, but first some whining.  I was not in great shape yesterday and went to bed early. I was sweetly asleep when the phone in my room rang. It is not of a volume that can be ignored. I answered it, and some guy spoke to me in Italian. I replied I did not speak Italian, but he continued to talk. I hung up. A few minutes later another call. Same deal. Then nothing, and I thought I was done with it and went back to bed. After a while the phone rang again. Same deal. Then he called back right away. I firmly said, "Non parlo italiano. Why are you calling me?" That was the end of it. I was getting ready to doze off when some neighbors decided they needed to have a loud, ugly argument. He was furious.  She was tearful.  The above occurrences jangled my nerves, but I did eventually--after a long while--get back to sleep.

I now am a proud possessor of a Map of the City, so I need not rely so much on google maps, which did steer me wrong today. I picked Palermo Cathedral as my destination because it is a major site and within reasonable walking distance of me. It was a brilliantly sunny day, but not too hot. I set out carefully following the directions I had written down, but then I could not find one of the streets. I walked along through pleasant neighborhoods and piazzas, I consulted my phone, but it became clear that nothing I was seeing corresponded to what I should encounter.  I was lost, but since I do get lost frequently, I remain calm and confident. I'll get to where I'm going eventually, and I have learned that persistence pays.

I retraced my steps--not exactly, but I got back to Via Roma, one of the main drags and then when I got to my turn I turned left instead of right. Bingo!  I still had a bit of a walk, but clearly I was in the Tourist Zone, and I found a Tourist Information Office where I obtained my map.

It's Saturday, and the tourists and beggars are out in force, but I had a very pleasant time licking the windows of some truly fascinating shops, and I clearly need to return to this area.

The Cathedral is Magnificent. Whew it makes an impact!  Actually the interior is kind of a let down because it's your standard Baroque and I was hoping for something a bit more exotic, but I had a good look around and found it very lovely.

With the help of my map I designed a much more straightforward route home.  I feel I have earned my apero. I'd made some green tea and put it in the fridge. Green tea and limoncello make a great combination--very refreshing.

I changed my mind about dinner. I was going to mix tuna and pasta but then decided to make them separate courses.  Grocery store Italian tuna is pretty dang good, but you can find and pay more for some really fancy fish. I have linguine brought from home dressed with salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil. I like this a lot but can seldom indulge when I'm at home. Both tuna and pasta go very well with my Sicilian white wine.

Ciao for now

Learning to Make My Way Around My Neighborhood

 

Buon Giorno,

Crossing the streets is the most exciting part. The cars aren't really trying to kill you; it just seems that way. Most will respect a crosswalk even though they can come frighteningly close, and if they feel they can miss the pedestrian they will just proceed.  A few just blow through red lights. Palermo is certainly car-ridden. It kinda reminds me of home.

Yesterday's long trip was hard on me, so I promised myself an easy and short day. For one thing I was not adequately fed. For dinner, I had a bleah sandwich with some nice wine, and for breakfast I had tea and a granola bar--hardly touristing fuel.

I also discovered that after having brought a bottle of industrial strength sun screen expressly for the trip, I had forgotten to pack it. My first mission was to get sun screen. I do not go out without it and have not done for over thirty years. I went off in search of a pharmacy.  Signore Google told me that around the Central Station was a good place to try, and it's not far from me.

The station itself is a handsome building and the area is not at all sleazy. I did find a pharmacy. The shop assistant did not speak English, but she understood "sun screen." It was locked up in a cabinet. After one look at my pale Northern European skin, she picked out spf 50--the strongest they had. It is a small tube and grossly overpriced in my opinion, but the need is the need. I went home and smeared it on my exposed parts and was ready to venture out again.

After having spent so much on sun screen and having plans for a Big Trip to the grocery store, I decided to find an ATM. They are everywhere in Europe, and some are stand alone machines placed randomly. I do not like those. Google Map sometimes indicates directions like Northeast, and my phone has a compass, so I used it to point myself in the right direction. I found a small bank with a security guard--that was comforting--and went in and got my cash.

Then I turned around and walked back up the street because I was on my way to the grocery store.  Palermo is so interesting. On my stroll I passed not one, but two open air fish stands. I am not equipped in any way, shape, or form to deal with a whole, raw fish, but the offerings looked fresh, and nothing smelled bad.

Some streets are labeled. Most are not, so I had to guess. This is not efficient, but it does usually work out for me, and also the good folk of Lidl (They cosponsor a cycling team!) sign posted their store.  And it was a nice, big one--chaotically arranged, but welcome to Southern Italy, and I eventually did find everything I needed.

Like what, Pil?

Hummus! Good luck finding that in Northern or Central Italy. I also got bread, eggs, tuna. tea, sweetener, olive oil (I tasted the olive oil. I just pulled it off the shelf, but it's the good stuff--it made me cough.).tortellone, wine--and, of course, limoncello.  But then I had to carry my heavy bag back.

 Limocello? 

It's a lemon liquer made with lemons mascerated in hard alcohol, and then sweetened with sugar syrup. Italians usually take it as a digestive as I will this evening, so stay tuned for a taste test. You can find it in the United States, but not all brands are created equal.

I also had a nice apero of the Sicilian wine I got yesterday with some truffle flavored marcona almonds I got from Trader Joe's.

Dinner is some lovely tortalone with cheese and spinach, dressed with salt, pepper, garlic, and a lot of that good olive oil I got today.  The IGP (Indication Geografia Protectivo) goes perfectly with the pasta. It's not the top tier wine, and it was really cheap, but it's good!

Here goes--a limoncello tasting. I don't like drinking it straight actually, but I will for this test.  And this is very nice--a good, tart lemon flavor, and it's not too sweet. I don't care for the spirit burn, but next time I'll have it with ice green tea, and it will be perfect.

I think I'll be ready for some actual tourist action tomorrow.

Ciao for now