By jadoerge
Semester Break Vacation: Part 5
After an uneventful night aboard the very large ferry between Naples and Sicily and many games of “Mafia” a.k.a. “Palermo Nights,” we finally arrived into the incredibly picturesque port of Palermo. As we pulled into the dock with sunrise just above the mountains, it became clear that life aboard this little island would likely differ greatly from life on the mainland, particularly in Naples. After disembarking and noticing that the morning traffic was beginning to rumble along the coastal highway, we took off in search of our bed and breakfast for the next few days. On the way there, we ascertained a rather grim impression of the island at first glance. For example, we saw plenty of trash on the streets, many barely-functioning cars, an ancient city wall filled with graffiti and a lack of upkeep, and a general lack of attention to the buildings and infrastructure in the city of Palermo. Upon checking into our B&B, we headed out for our first taste of Sicily at a small local bakery where we gorged on rum-soaked pastries, small, glazed lobster-tail-shaped flakey deserts, and a variety of filled, fresh baked dough pockets. Despite the lack of upkeep in regards to infrastructure, I can say with confidence that the Sicilians spare no expense with their food. Having satiated our empty stomachs, we headed out to explore the downtown area. After not two city blocks, we were approached by a very eccentric man with a horse and buggy offering to take us on a tour of the city. Our program director, being quite the explorer in search of new experiences, signed us up on the spot and soon enough, we were trotting down the cobblestone streets of Palermo with 10 people in two carriages designed for 4. Despite the slight feeling of being cramped, we all enjoyed the fresh air and the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with the city in a very short amount of time. After approximately 1.5-2 hours touring the city, we said arrivederci to our tour guide and went out in search, of course, for more food. After wandering for a while, we settled on a rather run-down establishment in a residential alley near downtown next to a couple of very famous hat stores and a very interesting hand-made porcelain shop. Once again, Sicily did not disappoint with a wonderful house-wine, freshly baked bread, and a plate of grilled swordfish that would have dwarfed even a larger T-bone steak. After lunch, I peeked into the small but well known hat store which had hand-made Sicilian style hats (similar to paper-boy hats in the States) made from 100% Sicilian wool. Finding it hard to pass up such an authentic souvenir, I walked away with a great navy-blue cashmere/wool hat and looked positively Sicilian for the rest of the trip…minus the great tan and dark hair, of course. After a few more uneventful hours, and another great dinner, we called it quits for the night, having been up since 4 or 5am. ...continue reading "Palermo Nights"
