Sicily

The flight arriving into Palermo (via Roma) was spectacular - huge mountains right to the edge of the blue-green ocean. In between the mountains are cities and fishing villages nestled at the shore's edge. So beautiful, or "bella!" as the Italians would say.

It's 45 minutes by train from the airport to Palermo Centrale Stazione, a central station that can easily rival Grand Central Station. This was just the first of many New York similarities. This is also the main bus terminal. Below is the view looking across the street from the station. It was quite an adventure from there, figuring out the bus to the hotel.


We quickly realized that Palermo is not a popular destination for English speaking travelers, as the signs were take-it-or-leave-it Italian. Our first interaction with a Sicilian was great; he sold us our bus tickets, stepped into the street to stop the bus for us, and instructed the driver to tell us when to get off at our stop. Who needs signs when you have people like this!

Sicily is the largest region in Italy, 9,900 square miles and has more than 5 million people. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, and its history can be traced back over 2,500 years. Its central location has made it the most sought after island of all of the ancient empires, and many have left their touch on the culture here. The Sicialians and Greeks both claim that the best Greek temple ruins are located here, and not in Greece. We can not wait to do our own comparison!