Our traveling buddies, Sylvia and Len, arrived from Chicago this week. We spent a day in Florence and a day in San Gimignano before heading to Sicily for our third shared travel adventure. Here we are enjoying a lovely lunch at a San Gimignano winery.
The natural beauty is astonishing here. And if you ask me, the scenery isn't bad either😀
As we flew to Palermo from Florence, the theme music from The Godfather became an ear-worm I simply could not extinguish. La da da da da da, da da da da da daaaaaaaaaaa. Despite the unrelenting music in my head, I suspected the mafia was no longer entrenched in Sicilian daily life. According to our guide, Mimmo, I was only partially correct. He explained that Cosa Nostra is not as visible as it once was, but they are everywhere and continue to involve themselves in all aspects of Italian business, most of it, these days, legitimate. We arrived on an auspicious weekend. It was the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Giovanni Falcone, an anti-mafia judge and prosecuting magistrate who spend the bulk of his professional life trying to obliterate the mafia. He was killed when a bomb was detonated as his car drove down the highway. Every year, ceremonies are held in his honor, and thousands join in the commemorative events. We watched as the military arrived at the Massimo Opera House dressed to the nines for the occasion, along with numerous Sicilian dignitaries. Quite the big deal.
Palermo actually looks like a set from The Godfather. It is gritty, crowded, noisy and smells like fish and tobacco. South Philadelphia on steroids. Harold deserves a medal for driving through its narrow, bustling streets where people think nothing of double or triple parking or scaring hapless pedestrian tourists into submission with their horns or irreverent vocalizations. At night, the motorcycles swerve around hordes of young people dancing in the streets. We loved it!
I am not going to give a history lesson, but I will say this. I had no idea how many nations conquered Sicily. The island was founded by the Phoenicians, a very peaceful people. Over the centuries, it was conquered by the Greeks, the Romans, the Moors, the Normans and the Spaniards. Art and architecture reflect all of these different cultural influences...a total mishmash. It is fascinating.
But not as fascinating as the local street market across from our hotel. Check out this half of a swordfish.
Or these zucchini:
I know, I know, it always comes down to food.
We spent two days touring Palermo, Cefalu, Segeste and Erice, admiring ancient Greek architecture, Roman mosaics, and Norman churches. Mimmo, our guide, was a fount of information...historic, artistic and culinary. And he had a wonderful sense of humor, which is an essential characteristic for spouses and tour guides. Plus, even though he was aggravated by the number of times Sylvia and I had to find a restroom, we could see he tried very hard not to let his consternation show. That was admirable. Thirty years ago I could tour for an entire day without the need for a WC. I could even drink coffee for breakfast and not need a restroom before dinner. Sorry. No more bladder chatter.
For those interested in amateur photos here are some:
One more word about food. We took a street food tour one evening. I thought we'd have pizza and gelato. Nope. We had lung and spleen. Not kidding. Apparently, a lung and spleen sandwich is a delicacy much enjoyed by the denizens of Palermo. Salvo, our street food connoisseur, also happens to be an excellent guide on guilt trips. When I balked at the thought of ingesting that greasy slop on a bun, he accused me of being "a mere tourist, not a true traveler." I had no choice but to shut up and eat. The offal was awful!
Weekly stats:
Aperol Spritz: Sadly, only 2
Gelato: 2. I was scaring myself.
Cappucino: 4
Lung and spleen sandwich: 1
Regrets: lung and spleen sandwich
This blog is now dedicated to the memory of my dear friend, Elayne Klein, who passed away in California while I was enjoying life in Italy. She would have been thrilled for me. Elayne was a light unto the world.
Magnificently beautiful inside and out, her smile lit up any room she entered. We shared times of pure joy and stood by each other through some dark days. I will miss her always.
Looks like a very happy crew!
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