Palermo, September 2022

I have come full circle, and on the last day, I finally feel like I have arrived. As I write this while flying towards the blood-orange sky, I am leaving Sicily behind.

Rewind: I flew to Palermo one week ago and explored Sicily from there, visiting Messina, Taormina, and finally Catania, circling half of the island. Today, I returned by bus, crossing through the center and witnessing the magnificent and ever-changing landscape pass by. This gave me a true sense of being here, on this volcanic island with its rich and turbulent history, for the first time. When I stopped in the center of Palermo for one last amazing meal, bought souvenirs, and had a glass of Grillo, I felt a contentment and pleasant warmth that I had been waiting for. The trip was magnificent, no question, but also felt a bit rushed and not entirely thought through.

It started with a two-hour delayed flight from Gatwick and miserable conditions at the said airport. This experience made me want to quit flying budget airlines (Wizz), as the cost in the end is higher, at least on my nerves and my experience. Nevertheless, I finally arrived in Palermo, full of excitement at 4 a.m., and was surprised to find that the only way to get downtown was a €60 taxi ride. The driver was nice and talked to me throughout the way, answering some of my questions and giving me tips, such as only ordering “Cannoli di Piana degli Albanesi,” trying Pasta con Ricci di Mare, and wines such as Grillo. He also assured me that Palermo was the most beautiful place in Sicily.

My Airbnb host, meanwhile, had not been very responsive, and I was still uncertain about how I would get my key. Eventually, it was outside in a plant on the street, in a non-locked lockbox. I made my way into the historical building, through a big gate and upstairs, and entered the home of a stranger who had left the light on for me but was apparently asleep. Still, I found my room intuitively, and the whole place was artistically decorated and charming, with all balcony doors open to let the air flow, as it was a warm and mellow September night. I felt familiar and safe, even though it was a whole new experience. I showered and finally went to bed, still not really able to sleep from curiosity about the city, and kept awake by mosquitoes and heat.

I still got up at 10ish, too hungry to wait for the adventures that awaited me in the city, and ready to explore. The flat was conveniently located in the city center, next to Teatro Massimo, and it was easy to navigate through the streets and small alleys. I discovered the traditional market right away and ended up on the main tourist street that leads to the famous Quattro Canti. The city boasts impressive historic architecture, yet has some dirty grittiness that shows the splendid times lay in the past. Being sleep-deprived and new, I just wandered around, trying to figure out the vibe, people, and safety. So far, nothing seemed dodgy or weird. I ended up in an impressive piazza, full of tall palm trees and a beautiful theater or opera house. Nearby was a pasticceria the taxi driver had recommended, and I indulged in my first coffee and traditional cannolo! A few streets and sights later, I had lunch in a side street, at a nice traditional restaurant where I had Sicilian pasta with fennel and anchovies, a glass of wine, and deep-fried pulpo. It was not cheap, but compared to London price levels, quite affordable. I continued exploring and started to notice the recurring symbols of the island—arancini, the trinacria, and the pine cones made of ceramics. Tired of walking, I scanned a random e-scooter and it worked with my app from London. Gliding through the streets effortlessly was very enjoyable and gave me a sense of freedom and ease. The traffic was not too crazy, but somehow you just have to blend into the flow of cars, vespas, and scooters, without really obeying traffic rules. The streets have a lot of charm, with crumbling palazzos and intricate ornaments on the buildings, bearing the patina of many generations coming and going.

I started to get really sleepy, so I headed back to the Airbnb and took a long nap, waking up at dawn and ready to go out again for the next excursion. There was a procession for Santa Rosalia, and the Sicilians take their Catholic faith very seriously, singing and chanting along, ending in fireworks.

I tried to find a street food market to try more of the local specialties like arancini, but it seemed strangely abandoned and home to the African immigrant population that had some street hangout and music going on. This part of town seemed darker and a bit filthy, with a repulsive smell and unsafe-looking alleys. So I walked back to the main area and finally tried the deep-fried rice ball and my second gelato. The ice creams are fantastic and absolutely my taste, with agrumi, ricotta, and pistachio as the favored ingredients. Finally, I returned back to the house, where I took a good night’s rest to get back my energy for another day.

My second day in Palermo was more relaxed and surprised me with a highlight: the Palazzo Conte Federico. I knew this palace and its charming lady from a travel documentary and couldn’t wait to see her in person, as she is this Austrian lady, swimmer and legend, who married into the Sicilian nobility. However, the tour was conducted by a blonde man around 35 years of age, who turned out to be one of her sons! The tour through the palace, which the family still inhabits, was remarkable, stunning, and moving! He showed private family photos, his mother’s swimming trophies, and his dad’s racing car room. Even the two family cats were part of the exhibition. Once we crossed another visitor group, I got a glimpse of the contessa and heard her speaking with a charming Austrian accent. What an aura!

In the afternoon, I spent time at the city’s most famous beach, Mondello, which is typical Italian bagno sardine style for €8. It was a nice sandy bay, with thousands of people, and crystal clear water. After sunset, I looked for a beach bar to get a drink and snack, but surprisingly, there were not many options. I finally got my Aperol Spritz and took the bus back to town.

In the evening, I treated myself to a fancier Sicilian dinner at a lovely restaurant, and later had a drink outside of (apparently) the only gay bar in town. It was a bit boring though; everyone looked bear-ish and knew each other, and the waiter quickly let me know that I couldn’t occupy a whole table by myself and should better move. So I did, back to the Airbnb, where I finally faced my host. A middle-aged, nice and cultivated uncle, who collects art and looks like one of those Italian directors or conductors. He only took a pic of my passport for documentation and promised he would bring me a lighter for the mosquito coil. I just fell asleep.

Sicily seems to be authentic and proud, and its inhabitants are aware of their thousands of years of history that have left marks in their blood and culture. I can feel it too, in the buildings, influenced by foreign powers such as the Greeks, the Arabs, or the Normans. There is a sizzling in the air, not only due to the heat, and you can feel the passion in the eyes of the people. They are relaxed and take their time, but engage in a fiery way even just passing by.

Palermo – Messina – Taormina

Along the coast, I took a train to reach the most northeastern part, Messina, where you can see the Italian mainland with Calabria. From there, another train took me down the coast along a picturesque shore and little bays to the famous small town perched above the cliff. I had planned to walk up to my next accommodation from the train station, only to realize it was high up on the steep rocks. Luckily, a bus took me up there, and I was quickly impressed and slightly overwhelmed by the pristine beauty and the masses of tourists in the lovely town.

My apartment was conveniently very central, but a bit dark, so I did not spend much time there, preferring instead to explore every little alley of Taormina several times. There are plenty of restaurants, pasticcerias, and souvenir shops, so I did most of my shopping here. The food was good, but the prices were quite high. I had a nice cocktail on the terrace of Belmond Hotel Timeo with a view of Mt. Etna for 23€!

In a little shop on the main walking street, I talked to a Sicilian owner who had lived in Switzerland and spoke German. He seemed very nice, so much so that I bought an over-the-top necklace for 50€, lol. He also recommended other areas to check out and suggested I should buy a house down here.

Most impressive were the public gardens with a view over the coastline and beautiful plants and trees, and the ancient Greek theater that took me back to a long-ago era. However, two nights were more than enough, so I was glad to take a bus directly from the bus terminus to my next stop, Catania.

Catania

… this will have to be a throwback…