Discovering Palermo

We fell hard for Sicily’s capitol as we wandered around the city. Our first day there was very rainy and the streets quickly turned to rushing rivers, but once the rain stopped we walked everywhere, visiting museums, marveling at the architecture, people watching while sitting in cafés and enjoying delicious food.

Churches:
With too many churches to count, it’s difficult to decide which church to visit, as most of them require a ticket to enter. In the end, we decided on three very different churches. Next time, I’d like to visit the Cathedral and San Giovanni degli Eremiti.

Santa Caterina:
This was a rather spontaneous visit that turned into a happy accident. I had it on my list of places to visit, but didn’t realize this was the church with the amazing stone inlays until we stepped in. Unfortunately, most people walk in, take 10 pictures and then leave towards the cloister. This is a church to be looked at in detail before moving on. There is much to be seen.

The happy accident happened when we moved out towards the cloister and there was a discreet sign which pointed towards a bakery. I had read about a bakery in a church, but had pushed it to the back of my mind because I’m very wary of “things to do” on any list of recommendations. But we were there and it was drizzling so why not have a look? There was a line of tourists, which was to be expected, and we picked a number. While we were waiting a quickly realized the thing to get were the cannoli which are filled in from of your eyes. There is also a huge selection of cookies, mostly with almonds and pistachios, to choose from. I had yet to have a cannoli and this was the place where I was going to have one! We enjoyed the cannoli and a few other delicious cookies while enjoying the view of the courtyard.

 

Capella Palatina:
The Palatine Chapel was on my list of places I wanted to visit as it promised to be magnificent. There is a mixture of Byzantine, Arabic and Norman architectural styles which require time to enjoy. The only thing that bothered me where the many tourists who chattered the entire time. A room as beautiful as the chapel should be savored in peace.

 

San Giuseppe de Teatini:
Our visit to this church wasn’t planned, but turned out to be a place we can recommend. This church is across from Santa Caterina and when we saw people walking around on the roof, we decided to have a look. We walked in right around lunch time and we were the only visitors. After walking through the large church, we made our way up to the top and marveled at the views.

Palazzi:
There are many palazzi in Palermo, most of which are still privately owned, and not open to the public. Visiting a palazzo was high on our list of things to do, but it turned out to be no easy feat. The first palazzo we went to was indefinitely closed, during a tour of the second one, we were hawkishly watched to make sure we touched nothing and took no pictures. The “tour” consisted of reading a leaflet on our own and questions were frowned upon. Three is a charm, and I was able to book a tour at the Palazzo Conte Federico. The tour is led by the young count who’s family has owned the building for many generations. It was an informative and amusing tour and all of our questions (even the indiscreet ones) were answered. It’s even possible to stay in one of the seven apartments, they’ve renovated for guests.

Orto Botanico di Palermo:
As with every city, there comes a point when it becomes necessary to rest the feet and the ears. A stroll through the botanical garden and a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice were perfect to refresh the senses.

 

Food:
We had spectacular meals at every restaurant we went to. We slipped into a wine bar specializing in regional organic and natural wines and serving simple but delicious food, we shared amazing pizzas at a bustling restaurant filled with locals, we enjoyed a lunch at a restaurant in a quiet courtyard just around the corner from the loud and touristy Mercato Capo, and spent our last very tasty meal in the city sitting outside while people-watching.