Palermo

Palermo has an ancient feel to it - most of the buildings are very old and well maintained, and there are few modern buildings. It is densely populated, with a few green parks to be stumbled upon and strolled through (another New York similarity).

We stayed right in the center of the city, just south of Teatro (Theater) Massimo and two blocks north of the ocean. In "Godfather III" this was where the scene was shot where Micheal Corleone sat on the stairs and cried after he learned of his daughter's death.


The neighborhood was a wonderful collection of restaurants, bars and markets where we spent the majority of our time.

You can still see the traces of Arab, Greek and Roman rule throughout the city in it's many beautiful cathedrals, medieval and civic buildings, and ancient ruins.
Each red light is like the start of the Indianapolis 500. The scooters always have pole position and dominate the start with a roar. There was one guy sitting crossed-legged, on his cell phone, smoking, helmet not strapped, ripping by at about 40 mph - something straight out of a circus! Probably not his first time on a Vespa.

The weather has been perfect - warm sun and cool ocean breeze - perfect for sipping cappuccinos, eating paninis for lunch and looking for that perfect plate of pasta for dinner. Two of Sicily's staple items are artichokes and eggplant, which are done to perfection here. Needless to say, if we do not keep up the 20 miles per day on foot, we are in big trouble!