Palermo, Sicily - The Finale
38°07'55" N, 13°20'8" E
We visited almost every museum on the list…in the last days we were in Palermo! The city started to cook in the summer heat and we now have a new appreciation for Matt Goulding’s comments: “After a few days, you learn to turn down one street because it smells like jasmine and honeysuckle in the morning; you learn to avoid another street because in the heat of the afternoon the air is thick with the suggestion of swordfish three days past its prime.”
We attempted to go to the Zisa Palace a few times. On the first Sunday of the month all state run museums offer free entry and the Zisa was not having anything to do with free entry. We were met with closed signs more often than we would like to admit, but we were rewarded for our tenacity on our final try. Originally a hunting palace during Norman rule and then left to deteriorate until the state of Sicily bought it in the 1990s, the Zisa is now a part of the UNESCO Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale World Heritage Site. It is stunning even when being renovated. We found the air conditioning system absolutely fascinating. The palace is strategically positioned to face north-east, allowing the structure to capture refreshing sea winds. A gorgeous fountain in front of the main hall supplies humidity for fresh air. There are also vent ducts throughout the house positioned to capture and circulate the scorching Sirocco winds off of the Sahara Desert. We couldn’t help but imagine returning some day with a mountain of cash to return the palace to its original glory.
Palermo days started to get really hot and our winter gear was starting to get even hotter! We made another trip out to Cefalu to cool off and collect some more linen. In Italy one can choose to go to the free beach or the lido. A lido is a place that charges around €20 for two chairs and an umbrella and the benefit is that they have a bathroom, food, changing rooms, and a little bit less trash. We attempted to do research, but it was really a crap shoot. We picked the one with yellow umbrellas so the pictures would look nicer. We handed over our €20 and they tried to stuff us by the trash cans! Lesson number one for Sicily: always, always, always decide on the rate AND what you are getting BEFORE you hand over any money. A little push back got us a seat in the middle of the madness which proved to be a great people watching spot for the day. We still have no idea how to reserve a front row lido seat, but we are certain that comes with time and experience. We stopped by Le Chat Noir for dinner and had the absolute best anchovies in the whole world.
Mary really wanted to see the Renato Guttuso paintings at the Villa Cattolica and we had a dinner date with David and Rikard, so we hopped on the train and spent the day in Bagheria. The place was stunning! The building interior and grounds are incredible and so is the collection of art. We highly recommend a visit. Fighting off mosquitoes while admiring incredible art stirred up an appetite, so we stopped into the Friggitoria (fry shop) for an arancini because our days of giant fried rice balls stuffed with goodness were certainly coming to an end. We had dreams of walking by the addresses for Krystal ancestors, but it was literally so hot we thought our feet would melt. Instead we headed to Barotolo’s bar in Porticello to enjoy a few aperol spritzes in the sea breeze. Our evening wrapped up with a glorious meal at Cafe Buttita with David and Rikard. Complete with a never-ending flow of a white wine from Marsala we had the best night ever. We also froze as Rikard noted the last train to Palermo passing as we were just being served a thinly sliced banana soaked in Marsala wine. Shit. This led to a wild adventure where Rikard drove us all the way back to the Ballarò. Truly a gift to have caring people who understand the limitations of public transportation in Sicily in our orbit.
Did we mention how hot it was getting? Where does one go when it is sweltering? The mall! We took the tram (Palermo totally has a tram, but it is slightly disjointed because the EU threatened to take the funds back if they didn’t get it done. So they built it…part of it.) to the mall. This may have been the best decision we have ever made. It is an interior mall with glorious air conditioning. We realized all of the shops on Via della Libertà in Palermo are for tourists who don’t mind melting between shops. The Forum, however, has food and all of the shops and did we mention AC? We had a blast! Krystal wandered into a dress shop and the sales lady decked her out with really great dresses that were on sale! We were stocked for summer and we even got new underwear! Note that when everything you own fits in a 40L bag, you wash and wear what you do have a lot!
Armed with unwavering confidence in the Palermo public transportation system we took the bus to the far end of town to visit the Palazzina Cinese and the Sicilian Ethnographic Museum. After visiting we are now firmly in the camp of not believing a word most published reviews report. Wow. The Palazzina Cinese was free to enter and absolute magic. Designed and built for King Ferdinand III of Sicily and kept in respectable condition by the Commune of Palermo it is well worth a visit. Stunning frescoes, a marble bathtub, and a tabletop that is set one story below and elevated up to the dining table by a lift are just a few mind blowing details.
Our favorite museum in all of Sicily was one of the last ones we visited. Next door to the Palazzina Cinese is the Sicilian Ethnographic Museum. Founded by the scholar Giuseppe Pitrè in 1909 the collection is beautifully cared for and shines light on many artifacts of everyday Sicilian life. We even saw locks of hair that reportedly belonged to Roger II of Sicily the King of Sicily. The most incredible thing was the kitchen! Dreamy indoor wood fired brick ovens and luscious tile provided a backdrop for old Roman-style water jugs and giant pots we imagine once held mountains of caponata.
Our last adventure before heading to Tunisia was to see the tiny elephants that once roamed Sicily. They are, or were, totally real and super fascinating! Imagine an elephant the size of a pony!
We were leaving Sicily just as the summer season was in full swing. The markets were brimming with goodness: apricots, cherries, plumbs, figs as well as tuna and anchovies. We also discovered the refreshing respite of pistachio granitas. Really a special icy treat for the hottest moments in the day.
It was a gift to get to know Palermo and we have made dear lifetime friends. We will be back soon!