Thursday 24 March, 2016

Palermo, Sicily

We arrived at the hotel in Palermo after nearly 25 hours in transit. By then end of the day the two days added up to nearly 36 hours long with only a few hours nap over the Atlantic.

The first evening following the rain, there was opportunity to briefly explore the area of the hotel and nearby shoreline.

The first day in Palermo we strolled through the center of the old town with a local guide, learning some of the history of the city.  We stopped in a few piazza before boarding our minibus for the drive to the cathedral at Montreale.

Set on a hillside 250 meters above Palermo, the Cathedral of Montreale was constructed in the 11^th century “Norman” period of the early Crusades. It is heavy building in the Romanesque style of architecture. The small windows of the period result in the interior being fairly devoid of natural light. Rather than being painted, as the churches in Northern Europe were, this one is literally lined with gold. The influence of the Byzantine Greek Orthodox is plainly apparent in the intricate mosaics. It was the holy Thursday of Easter Week, there was a celebration with 150 priests from the region when we visited. Consequently it was not possible to have access to most of the building. This was a mixed bag as typically the space is dimly lit, but during the service the lights were all on allowing to the mosaics to shine in a way never seen in medieval times. Smoke from incense at the alter added a haze to the air that added an almost magic feel to the vast interior. Photography was not allowed, so I cannot show the interior here.

Returning to Palermo at lunchtime we strolled through the crowded street market filled with vegetable, meat, and fish vendors. We stopped for lunch in the market, and enjoyed fresh shrimp and several local dishes featuring eggplant.  All of these pictures were taken with the phone camera which I have not gotten onto the computer yet.  Stay tuned for a variety of pictures from that device in the near future.

The last highlight of the day was a visit to one of the only remaining puppet theatres in Sicily.  This was traditionally the entertainment for the people.  Today there are few that survive and maintain the tradition, mainly as an attraction for tourists.

There are many small churches that are all worth stepping into.  Their somewhat plain facades conceal gorgeous baroque interiors that are all breathtaking.

arrivederci!