Palermo

We caught the inter-city bus directly from Licata to Palermo, capital of Sicily. The trip takes three hours, but the buses are very comfortable, the drivers skilled at negotiating the unpredictable traffic, and it’s an opportunity to take in some of the beautiful scenery. At this time of the year, early spring, the countryside is vividly green, the fruit trees are in blossom and wild flowers splash patches of yellow and crimson across the fields.

Palermo has lots of accommodation options, from exclusive hotels to B&Bs. This time we rented an apartment, Casa Vacanza Bellini, in the old town in what appears to be the Bangladeshi neighbourhood. The extra facilities enabled us to do a bit of our own cooking (with produce from the famous markets) and to wash clothes rather than packing a lot of stuff. It was a perfect location for exploring this beautiful and historic city.

 

Pretoria Fountain in the 'Square of Shame'

Like most of the Med, Sicily has been settled since human history began, and its position in the middle of the Middle Sea has made it a centre of wealth, power, culture and conflict throughout the last 5000 or so years. Palermo itself was an important port for the Phoenicians, followed by the Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish and Bourbons prior to the unification of Italy. Some of the oldest and most beautiful buildings date from the Norman occupation, making them nearly 900 years old. The amusingly named Roger the Norman was responsible for many of these, including the breathtaking Palatine Chapel. Almost every square foot of the chapel is covered in mosaics depicting Biblical themes, in rich blues and golds. The figures are Medieval in style, but much more fluid and expressive than the icons of the Eastern (Greek) church, and they are in perfect condition. It is one of the most beautiful religious artworks I have ever seen. (To quote Terry, “It beats the crap out of the Sistine Chapel.”) The Norman Palace and Monreale Cathedral (built by Roger’s son William) are also spectacular and well worth a visit. You begin to imagine these Norman Kings as enlightened and cultivated leaders until you read that Roger and William shared another hobby of personally devising new and excruciating tortures for their prisoners.

 Mosaics in the Palatine Chapel

 

We toured the lovely Massimo Teatro, where the last part of The Godfather III was filmed (Michael Corleone’s daughter is shot on these steps.) The Royal Box and antechamber never served the King of the time – he said the theatre was far too grand for a second-rate city like Palermo! Sadly, no performances were running while we were in town so we’ll have to make do with Cruisers’ Monday Night Singalong at the Las Vegas Bar in Licata.

 Steps of the Massimo

 

 The royal box - Al Pacino sat here

Palermo is a great town to walk around. It has the usual cafes, bars and restaurants, including some excellent ones representing the migrant groups who have settled there. The shops are fascinating. All the Italian and international brand stores are there, but also lots of tiny, specialised shops – the cravat shop, the beret shop, the puppet mender, the man who crafts inlaid wood, the artisan chocolates, the hand-made baby clothes – and the coffin maker right next door. The public buildings are stately and there are gardens, fountains and a fine waterfront.

Crafting marquetry 

 

Puppet maker's workshop

 

 Majestic ficus tree

The harbour

 

On Sunday we made our way to the famous weekly market, which took up about six full streets – the biggest and best market we’ve yet seen. The fresh produce was amazing, with oranges, strawberries (four euros per kilo!!), and winter vegetables in season. I’ve developed a serious wild asparagus habit, which fortunately is quite sustainable at two euros for a good sized bunch. It will be hard to see the season end, but I will try to console myself with cherries…  Meat, fish, cheeses and fresh pasta - so much to choose from! We bought what we needed, along with a bottle of local wine and enjoyed a fine home-cooked, market-fresh dinner.

 

 

 Sunday market scenes

I was curious to see the Cappuccin Mausoleum – a bit macabre, perhaps but I have rather a fascination with funeral rites and traditions. You learn a lot about a culture from the way it manages death. We made our way to the monastery by taxi as it is a bit out of town, then took the stairs down into the half-lit catacombs. The mummified bodies are either tied upright in niches, or laid out in shelves cut into the rock. All are dressed in the clothing of their time – the monks in their simple hessian robes, the priests in the rags of their regalia, the workmen in the uniforms of their trade, the ladies in remnants of their finery and the children and infants in lovingly stitched robes and bonnets. Most are little more than gaping skulls and skeletons, but some are better preserved, with skin, hair and even eyelashes. One child, known as “the Princess” sleeps perfectly preserved in her sealed glass coffin. A stroll through the various chambers (“the infants”, “the virgins”…) is a powerful Memento Mori which is exactly what the church intended, “to this end we all must come”. The effect was spoiled somewhat by a group of American tourists, laughing, joking and talking so loudly that the attendant had to settle them down. This was obviously their way of dealing with anxiety – as I said, you learn a lot about a culture from the way it handles death.
 

The catacombs (from a postcard - no photos permitted)

 



Another pleasant bus ride back to Licata, despite extensive roadworks, and now it’s time to do those last few jobs before setting sail again.