We arrived early for our walking trip so we’d have a free day to explore Palermo, and are pleased that we did.

There is no escaping that Palermo  is very shabby – and not in a chic way!  But it’s also full of amazing baroque architecture and art – not always in the best condition but nonetheless impressive. The hotel we are in was once a grand palazzo but is now a bit tired; but it still has amazing statues, chandeliers and glass.  Apparently it is state-owned and leased for use as a hotel and there’s an issue around maintenance.

We used our free day to explore a bit – visiting the Palatine Chapel in the Palazzo Reale, which dates from the Norman rule in Sicily in the 1140s, and which has amazing golden mosaics; visiting the Cathedral – an interesting and huge hotchpotch of different styles outside but a bit drab inside – the highlight was being able to go on the roof for views of the city, and generally wandering around the end of town near our hotel, discovering some truly over the top baroque fountains and statues along the way.  The Fontana Pretoria, a fountain full of nudes situated outside a convent was a particular standout!

We met our tour companions last night over a meal of typical sicilian food – a surfeit of eggplant antipasti but amazing deserts!

Today we did a city walk with our guide, learning a bit more about so places we stumbled on yesterday and getting thoroughly lost walking through various markets. Lots of unusual looking greens and vege, huge fava beans and eggplants, as well as tiny wild strawberries.  We didn’t sample the local streetfood offering of spleen stuffed in a bun although plenty of folk were.  In general though the markets weren’t as prosperous looking as say Tuscany or elsewhere in Italy we’ve visited.

We are off to a traditional sicilian puppet performance tonight (UNESCO listed as intagible cultural history no less) and head out of Palermo tomorrow to  Monreale, Cefalu, and Petralia Soprana, which is in the mountains and is our base for the next 4 nights.

Pics to follow.