Day 35. Tuesday May 21st 2024
Cefalu, to Palermo, Sicily.
Our dream campsite turned into a noisy nightmare last night. There’s a plant of some kind next door which was going 24 hours. We didn’t hear it on the first night because it was Sunday. Last night I had to wear my headphones to block out the constant bangs and beeps from reversing vehicles. That’s a bit sad really, because otherwise it’s the perfect stop. Needless to say, Gareth slept like a log!
So we were up and away early again today, setting off for Palermo. Not too far away either. I did have a panic as I always do, worrying about ZTL’s. I googled and Palermo does have one. There’s a huge fine if you don’t buy a pass, BUT, try buying one online 
, it’s a nightmare.
To stop my panic, I rang the parking spot we had chosen and bless them, they didn’t understand my broken Italian about the ZTL, but did reserve us a spot 
. So then I emailed them. Thankfully they responded really quickly and confirmed they were outside the zone so I had no need to worry 
phew, panic over.
We arrived just before midday, just about when the whole of Palermo were breaking for lunch we think 
. The roads were so busy, Gareth put on his Italian driving hat and just owned his part of the road. We had a few waves but he didn’t drop any ‘bloody noras’ so we did quite well .
This parking spot is about 15 min walk from the start of the old town, absolutely brilliant. No need for a bus It’s called Parcheggio – Green Car Area di Sosta Attrezzata. It’s just a car park with services really and they park you very close to everyone else BUT it is right in the centre so no complaints.
Keeping to the shade as it was hotting up, we just walked down the main road, right into the heart of it.
Palermo has a real mixture of architectural history. There is a lot of influence left from the Normans and the Arabs, making for a gorgeous collection of buildings to see.
Our walk took us past Independence Square and then through the Porto Nova (New Gate), a stunning entrance to the city.
Just before the New Gate I noticed a dilapidated building that had wooden carvings above the doors. You could tell it was an ancient building originally and I just thought how sad it was that these carvings are going to be lost forever once the building finally crumbles. I wonder what the carvings denoted 
.
We followed an app we use a lot called GPSmyCity. You get to download various maps of the city you are visiting depending on how much time you want to spend there. It works offline too so comes in really handy when you are roaming.
Walking around Parliament Square, we thought there must have been something of significance happening as there were lots of flags and people hanging around the fenced area.
There’s a once beautiful park here in dire need of weeding. Even the lovely statue/ monument in the park had weeds that would have taken more than one year to grow.
As we approached the Cathedral, we heard music playing which enhanced the whole experience, seeing this beautiful building for the very first time 
. Wow, I just wanted to dance through the gates into the piazza 
.
Dogs weren’t allowed in so we took it in turns to pop into the cathedral. The entrance way was big with marble flooring so it was very cool to wait outside in the shade 
.
There is the option to buy a ticket to visit other parts of the cathedral which include a walk on the roof terrace. I bet the views were amazing .
Following the route map we then walked to the Count Federico Palace. You can pay to be shown round this private residence by the count and countess personally . It has a fab exterior so you get to imagine how lovely it is inside .
Our next stop was Ballaro Market.
Dating back to Arab times this market is full of tourist gifts, cooked food stalls, fresh fruit stalls and fresh juice stalls. Aperol spritz seemed to be the main alcoholic drink on sale – we don’t like it and I prefer Limoncello spritz anytime.
This market was mad. There was so much competition between opposing stall holders that the shouting and music just got louder as you walked through. There is all manner of fresh fish dishes on offer, plus the traditional Sicilian snacks.
We stopped at one stall, finding a rare free table in the shade. Gareth ordered what he thought was rollmops, bruschetta and Arancine – a fried ball of rice and various stuffings – nearest comparison would be a scotch egg – on the outside anyway. The rollmop things turned out to be very tasty sardines stuffed, and fried 
.
Lunchtime was over as we walked back through the market and it had calmed down somewhat, though this did mean we were targets for the stall holders. They weren’t pushy, just enthusiastic about you trying their wares .
Passing a couple of impressive churches we arrived at the Pretoria Fountain nicknamed The Fountain of Shame due to the nudity of the statues. It’s a beautiful fountain that would have been more of a spectacle had it been working. But it looked like the water hasn’t run for a while.
This fountain has an interesting story. The council of Palermo bought the fountain from Florence, they didn’t check the size and when it was being rebuilt in the Town Hall square, it was too big, so buildings had to be demolished to make way for it .
Just around the block is Quattro Canti, the four corners – similar to the four corners in Rome. With water in the fountains, the only ones we saw today.
Our last stop was Teatro Massimo and to get there we walked up a main thoroughfare that had been closed off to traffic. It was a very busy street with lots of cafes, bars and shops, all residing beneath some awesome facades of old buildings. Such a mixture of old and new. We stopped for a coffee by another street market, this one was mainly clothes and household textile items. Gareth found his next hat and was happy to pay €10 for it .
Massimo Theatre is an opera house, apparently the biggest in Italy and 3rd biggest in the world. It is definitely an impressive building, and commands your attention as you walk into Verdi Square. There is an entrance fee if you want to go inside, so it’s a bit disappointing when you see the paint peeling from the window frames and doors, weeds growing in the flagstones and litter ignored around it’s perimeter.
Palermo is definitely a contrast of the wonderful and the scruffy. There is a lot of unnecessary litter all around though this does not deter the eye from the glorious sites as you explore.
Back at the van we checked the temperature, it was 38.5 inside and 27.5 outside 
, we let it cool down for a bit with everything open .
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