Some Thoughts on Palermo

 

Buon giorno

I have a Very Early flight tomorrow and an even earlier taxi ride to get to the airport. I'll finish most of my packing before I go to bed.  I have a short flight to Rome, time to find my gate, and then a loooong flight to Los Angeles.  I used to be able to sleep on planes. Those days are over. A light doze is all I can manage.

It's warm here. I brought sweaters and have not worn them. But I see Italians in fairly heavy jackets every day.  This is something I have noticed in other parts of Italy. I'm from Southern California, and if it gets below 70F I might feel chilly. I don't feel chilly at 75F, so why do they? Also although my accommodations provide blankets in the wardrobe.I just sleep under sheets.

Today I went shopping and also managed to make my step count. First I got some cash--not that I was going to spend it, but I always want to have euros on hand for my next trip as it makes my life easier. Then I walked to the pedestrianized (sort of) tourist street near the cathedral and exercised my credit card. I like to bring home gifts for my friends, some of whom cannot travel. None of us like souvenirs, but if you want refrigerator magnets or plaques labeled Sicily, you can find plenty.

When I shop for myself, which I did, I want something I can wear or eat. For example, I am wearing the hoop earrings I found in Genoa, and it's fun to think of a destination when I put on something I bought there. I found both sorts of things and am only sorry, my luggage capacity keeps me from bringing more goodies back.

Most of the shopkeepers I dealt with spoke no English. Since my Italian is limited to "Simona hai una vicina nuova di Swizzara," and such phrases we had to do a lot of pointing. It worked out. They were patient and gracious.

So--some thoughts on Palermo. First, I want to emphasize that all the interactions I had with the people here have been positive. Even the grocery clerks at Lidl were helpful, for example.  My accommodations were first rate, and I could walk everywhere except Monreale--even if I couldn't find my destination.

I loved the sights. The Norman sites in particular with their Muslim and Byzantine influences I found especially wonderful.  The palazzos I visited were fun and fascinating.

But over all I do not like Palermo and won't be returning.  I think it's mostly the traffic and the constant honking. After a few days I learned to cross streets--something I also had to learn in Rome. And like Rome, Palermo has a trash problem.  I've seen some charming neighborhoods, but I have also seen too many run down places. Southern Italy is poor, and Sicily is Mafia-ridden although tourists never experience the mob unless they are Really Stupid.

I may not be done with Sicily yet though. There are cities further east on the island that may be calling "Pil, Pil! Come and see us."

Arrivederci!

Monreale

 

Buon giorno,

I made it! And it was well worth the trip.

I spent lot of time using my research skills to find the answers I needed. One site insisted that Bus 389 had been discontinued. This was nonsense, but I came across a site where the author was very eager to help travelers get to Monreale. Apparently I'm not the only one who had difficulties with the bus stop, so she provided photos and a detailed description of how to find it. Bingo!

And I didn't have to wait long for the bus. Monreale is not far from Palermo, but the traffic makes it a longer journey (with a LOT of angry honking), and although I snagged a window seat, the passing scene was not picturesque. After a while we left flat Palermo and began to climb going around hairpin curves, and I do not know how the bus made it. But we reached the bus stop. Then we had to climb the hill into town. It seemed to go on forever and cars behind us honked and honked to get us pedestrians out of their way. At this point the sky decided to rain. No problem. I always carry an umbrella in Europe.

But then we reached the piazza where the Cathedral stands, and my heart was happy.  The main cathedral is free, but I sprang for a ticket to see the treasury, and I also got to walk in the beautiful cloisters.  

The interior is encrusted with wonderful mosaics in the Byzantine style. The walls seem to be a comprehensive retelling of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.  It was crowded but not nearly as sardine-like as the Capella Palatina down in town. It is magnificent, as I mentioned before the use of glittering glass brings every scene to vivid life.

                                         


                                      

After feasting my eyes, I made my way back to the bus stop.  I didn't have to wait too long, but once we got into town the progress and traffic were painful. I looked at car drivers. They all looked resigned but miserable.  After leaving Bus 389, I had to transfer to Bus 109, which would take me home. I had to wait quite a while and the bus made a big loop through the city before finally dumping us off at the Central Station, which is very close to my home. Of course, now that I'm back, it's cleared up.

Ciao for now

Disappointment--But with Treats to Make Up For It

 

Buon giorno,

Have another picture of Palermo Cathedral in lieu of Monreale Cathedral I planned to visit today.

I should have taken it for an omen. This morning one of my contact lenses went bluey.

You should bring a back up lens, Pil.

This WAS my back up lens. The other one failed a couple of days ago. But I know I can get around one eyed.  I have been faithfully doing my Duolingo exercises and can frankly state they have done me no good on a practical tourist level. I have found no occasion to mention that Luca wants a new watch for his birthday.

To get to Monreale one has to take the bus. In my case two busses. I do not like busses, but I went and got a ticket that would last for two days--just in case. I'd carefully researched the busses and their numbers, but my first try was a bust. No, the bus I wanted did not stop at that stop. So I walked until I found the stop, waited a bit, and then got on the bus. I got off the bus at what I thought was the correct stop to get the 389 to Monreale. I did not see the destination listed, but it was mentioned at the ticket office so I asked. "Next stop to the left," was the reply.

Ok. I looked. I looked some more. There was a bus stop down the street, but it did not list 389. I knew the next stop had to do with the Palazzo, and I was close by, so I found it and hunted around for quite a while. Nope. I found a lot of tourist busses and il piccolo treno, but no 389.

On my way home, I passed an accident where a motorcycle and car collided. No one seemed to be badly hurt, but it was on a main drag and traffic was snarled. I'm surprised, given the traffic and all, that this is the first accident I've seen.

Taking what I learned today, I intend to try again tomorrow. But in the meantime I recognized a street and walked down it. I passed the Cathedral into Tourist Land, where to console myself I spend some money. I renewed my supply of sun screen paying an even more outrageous price for an even smaller tube. It will be a lesson for me to make sure I pack my own.

Then I spotted a store selling pistachio liquor, so I got myself a small bottle of Crema di Pistacchio and petted the cat lounging on the counter. Let's have a sip. Mmm. This is nice. It's at room temperature, but it's rather like drinking gelato. But wait, there's more

Sicily is famous for its desserts. Even in Northern Italy you can find Sicilian bakeries displaying their wares. The Muslims brought sugar to the West, so, in my opinion, that's why Sicily has so many sugary treats.  Like cassata. I have always wanted to try it. Let's have a bite. Mmm. So sweet and creamy!

What are you talking about, Pil?

Cassata is a traditional Sicilian cake, normally pink or green on top. It's a sponge cake soaked in liquor and layered with ricotta and candied fruit. It is as beautiful to eat as to look at. 

Here's hoping tomorrow will be fruitful

Ciao for now

Palazzo de Chiaramonte Steri

 

Buon giorno,

I unwrapped my bread for breakfast and was rewarded with a wonderful bready scent. The taste was lovely, too. The bread is very chewy and goes great with hummus.

When I set out it was a brilliantly sunny but quiet Sunday morning. My first errand was grocery shopping. I am surprised that the grocery store is open Sundays. Maybe this is due to the number of immigrants? There was little traffic, which was great. Palermo traffic is my bete noire--or I should say bestia nera.  You would 1) be horrified to see the nonchalant way I wade into traffic, and 2) be equally horrified by how close the cars, buses, motorcycles come to hitting me. They'll stop, but they like cutting it fine.

I carefully copied down the directions to my target destination.  I made my way hitting all my goal points until suddenly they evaporated.  I back tracked and circled around. The promised street was not there. I guessed. Sometimes this works out for me. This time it didn't. But I had a Plan B. I knew my destination was not far from where I'd been yesterday, and if I could find it, Palazzo de Chiaramonte would be just a few minutes away.

As it happened I stumbled on the Palazzo by accident having fetched up and become distracted by a flea market.  I got my ticket. A discount for being old was on offer, but the nice young woman explained apologetically it was only for those over seventy. Heh! I qualify, and I proved it with my passport after she expressed some flattering skepticism. 

The Palazzo is visited by guided tour--mostly in Italian, but information in English is also offered, but I had to wait half an hour, and there was no place to sit. I became stiff.  The Palazzo was built by a Norman Family. Chiaramonte is the Italian translation of the original family name Clermont. Chiara means light in Italian. Alas the family fell victim to a plot and a charge of treason, so the Spanish took over the palazzo.

The tour was very interesting and informative. We began with the cells used by the Spanish Inquisition once Spain had acquired rule over Southern Italy and Sicily. Meh, I thought, but it turned out to be fascinating because of the paintings the prisoners left to express and protest their plight. The figures are crude but powerful and make use of Bible stories and saints lives to express their innocence and hope for justice.

We also visited the Great Hall, but we had to be quiet because it was being used for a meeting of Important People. This is the original ceiling though. So all in all, it was a good day out.

I got some prosciutto de San Daniele for my apero. It has a protected origin and is the rarest and fanciest prosciutto one can buy according to knowledgeable connoisseurs. It's very tasty indeed and goes well with my green tea and limoncello drink--very refreshing after a day of touristing in warm weather.

I'm trying a new pasta, a variety stuffed with pumpkin (how seasonal!) called girasole or sunflower due to its shape.  I dressed it with some salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil. Let's have a bite.  Good, and slightly sweet, but not very pumpkiny.

Ciao for now

Palazzo Abatellis

 Buon giorno,

The promised rain finally arrived, and I breakfasted to the sounds of a thunderstorm and gently falling rain.  But it cleared up. I see dark clouds though, so I'm hopeful for more precipitation. But the morning was cool and the air fresh when I set out and the sun shone nicely.

Because of the rain I planned another indoor activity, and it is another art museum housed in the Palazzo Abatellis.  Unlike yesterday, I had no problems finding it. The neighborhood it's in is close to the harbor, and seems more quiet and refined than a lot of Palermo.

The palazzo dates from the late Fifteenth Century, and after the family died out was given to the Dominican Order as a monastery.  The building had to be extensively restored after the Second World War and became a museum.

The museum houses a fine collection of Late Medieval, Early Renaissance, and Mannerist art. It is all religious, by the way, but I have a taste for such things. The ground floor is largely given over to some beautiful sculptures and altarpieces. Some are marble. Some are wood polychrome.

Upstairs is the collection of paintings. When I was there the museum was quiet, and I enjoyed the works more than I did the ones at the Modern Art Museum, but I know what I'm looking at. I recognize the depictions of Bible stories and can identify saints by their iconography.

I also had a walk around the cortile garden. My timing was good though because just as I was leaving a large, noisy school party arrived.

On my way home I stopped in at a bakery and bought some bread for breakfast as I had run out.  The small loaf cost me only seventy euro cents.

Galleria de Arte Moderna

 

Buon giorno,

The promised rain has not yet arrived. It's now expected later tonight, but I hope we get a drop or two earlier.

Figuring on rain, I arranged an indoor activity. First I had to get some cash. Then I had to check out the local bakery.  I figured my target would be easy to find. I'd been in the area before, so off I went very confidently.  Everything went swimmingly. I hit every marker until I was supposed to take a "path." THERE WAS NO PATH!  And I looked. Around and around I went.

I felt less like an idiot when I ran into a fellow museum seeker in the same boat. She'd been wandering for the better part of an hour and was about to give up. I went into the fancy palace hotel and asked for directions. The nice young man at the front desk told me where to go. "It's just around the corner." Yeah. Well, I'd been up and down that street, but I tried again, and then the realization came. "The Path" was the alley behind the locked gate.  That way was closed to me, but surely one could get to the museum from the other side, and so it proved.

The Galleria de Arte Moderna is housed in a former convent, so the building is fun to walk around. I got a reduction in admission for being old, and I enjoyed my visit.  It's quite an extensive collection of Sicilian artists, who were highly skilled and very much in tune with the trends of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. So I would describe the works as very derivative. You can see Sicilian versions of  Realism, Impressionism, Pointillism, Fauvism, and they are not at all bad works, but they aren't striking either.

I liked the portraits best. The artists were able vividly to capture the personality of the sitters. I also enjoyed a lot of the landscapes.

I'm branching out a bit this evening having a rose from Abruzzo, the instep of the boot, rather than wine from Sicily to go with my pasta. Very tasty it is, too.

Ciao for now

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.