A Perfect Slice of Sicily (Part 1 of 2): Palermo!
A Perfect Slice of Sicily (Part 1 of 2): Palermo!
Picture it: Sicily, 2018.
It’s a balmy spring morning in Palermo. A pair of world-weary vagabonds are suddenly jolted awake by the boisterous abbanniata of the vendors from the ancient Ballarò Mercato situated just below their art deco apartment in the Albergheria district of the city. There’s absolutely zero chance of sleeping through this kind of din, so they resolve to undertake a brisk toilette and set off in search of the source of the commotion . . .
While our story didn’t exactly unfold like one of Sophia Petrillo’s tall tales recounted around the kitchen table over midnight slices of cheesecake with Blanche, Rose and Dorothy, our Sicilian adventure was nonetheless filled with Epicurean delights!
Although we did indeed begin our first morning in Palermo exactly as described. And no sooner had we exited our building, than we found ourselves tossed amongst the throngs of the marketplace, hungrily wolfing down juicy porchetta sandwiches and bottles of Birra Messina for breakfast at 8am! After our hearty breakfast, we explored the market and purchased some beautiful fruit, cheeses, cured meats and marinated olives to snack on at home. The market, touted as one of the oldest food markets in Palermo (according to a 10th century Arabic author’s travelogue), is also rumored to be the birthplace of the notorious occultist (and one of my favorite historical figures), the Count Alessandro di Cagliostro!
That afternoon, we stopped off at the spectacularly beautiful Palermo Cathedral, a unique edifice combining Gothic, Baroque, Moorish and Catalan styles, followed by a tour of the Antonino Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum. A charming museum specializing in some of the richest collections of Punic and Ancient Greek art in Italy, it was a perfect end to our first afternoon in Palermo.
Our exploration of Palermo continued for the next few days and included visits to San Cataldo’s Church, San Giovanni degli Eremiti (both examples of the Arab-Norman culture), the Teatro Politeama, the Quattro Canti and the Palazzo dei Normanni. But perhaps the pièce-de-résistance was our final evening spent at the legendary wine bar, Osteria dei Vespri (where Visconti filmed scenes from his classic film, The Leopard). It was quite warm, so we opted for a table outside and ventured indoors to explore the magnificent décor. Seated on the relaxing terrace, we passed several hours downing bottles of refreshing Sicilian rosé and delectable bites of antipasti.
Arrivederci Palermo!
Tune in next week for our adventures in: The Valley of the Temples, Noto & Syracuse!