Arrivederci, Palermo!
Our first few minutes in Sicily were spent navigating the streets of Messina, after having arrived on a ferry from the Italian mainland. Honking cars, crazy motorbikes and messy urban lawlessness, it was an immediate taste of the chaos which would accompany our 91 days in Palermo; an antipasto to the capital’s main course of noisy pandemonium. By the time we had gotten through Messina and onto the highway, my nerves were frayed and patience spent, but the wonder and excitement of finally being in Sicily remained intact…. Read More
Jan 14, 2012
Final Batch of Palermo Pictures
Food, fire, trash, art and architecture — you get a little of everything on a random walk through Palermo. This city is a lot of things, but boring is not one of them!… Read More
Jan 13, 2012
The Albergheria
The Albergheria is the oldest neighborhood in Palermo. This is where the Phoenicians founded the city, and it hosts the royal palace which all the city’s rulers have called home. Despite this rich history, today’s Albergheria is one of the most run-down sections of Palermo. Nowhere else is the juxtaposition of dilapidated housing and exquisite historic buildings quite so jarring…. Read More
Jan 13, 2012
The Picturesque Mountain Hamlet of Sávoca
Hailed as one of Italy’s most beautiful villages, the tiny hamlet of Sávoca has a spectacular mountain setting just four kilometers inland from Sicily’s eastern coast. Among the legions of people it’s charmed is Francis Ford Coppola, who filmed the Sicilian scenes of The Godfather here…. Read More
Jan 12, 2012
The Views of Taormina
On the last day of our final road-trip through Sicily, we drove a few kilometers up the coast from Catania to Taormina, the island’s most popular beach resort. Word of its charm had reached our ears from just about everyone we’d come in contact with — friends, strangers in bars, neighbors, Twitter acquaintances. Even my grandmother called to say that we absolutely couldn’t miss Taormina. She’s never even been to Sicily and she’s been dead for ten years! Phone calls from beyond the grave are pretty persuasive: we had to go…. Read More
Jan 12, 2012
The Brave Little Towns around Mt. Etna
Our planned ascent to the craters of Mt. Etna had been foiled due to high winds. So finding ourselves with a beautiful, sunny day and nothing else to do, we hopped back in the car and took a long drive around the volcano…. Read More
Jan 11, 2012
A Day on Mt. Etna
The eastern coast of Sicily is defined by the looming presence of Mount Etna, the largest and most active volcano in Europe. Though it had just erupted spectacularly a few days prior, we couldn’t resist checking it out during our final road trip on the island…. Read More
Jan 11, 2012
Stairway to Caltagirone
Still a healthy city of about 40,000 people, Caltagirone has been home to human activity since prehistoric days. The name comes from the Arabic “qal’at-al-ghiran”, or “Hill of Vases”, which serves as an indication of how tightly connected to pottery the town has always been. Caltagirone was completely destroyed in the 1693 earthquake that leveled much of eatern Sicily. But like Noto, it was rebuilt in grand style, with a heavy emphasis on Baroque architecture…. Read More
Jan 10, 2012
Villa Romana del Casale
The world’s most comprehensive and exquisite set of Roman mosaics is found in the middle of Sicily, at the archaeological site known as Villa Romana del Casale. The specifics of the villa’s history are largely lost to history, but experts have dated its origin from around the 4th century AD. It’s believed to have been the hunting lodge for Roman aristocrats, possibly owned by an Emperor such as Maximianus Herculius. But there aren’t enough clues to say for certain…. Read More
Jan 10, 2012
The Palazzo Mirto
A sense of faded grandeur permeates Palermo. The stately old palaces which occupy nearly every corner are usually shuttered up, damaged beyond repair, or have been converted for use as art galleries. The Palermitano aristocracy must surely have resided in splendor, but they’ve long since left the scene, removing all trace of their easy wealth. Today, in this chaotic and messy city, it’s almost impossible to imagine how the upper crust must have once lived…. Read More
Jan 06, 2012
A Month in the Casa del Bastione
After a couple great months in the Vucciria’s Casa Zatlo, we’ve switched to a different apartment near Il Capo. The Casa del Bastione. It’s a nice change for us; we get to experience a new, noticeably quieter section of the city and we’re close by the incredible market of Il Capo. Best of all? It’s got a terrace. And although the last few weeks have been marked by rain, we’ve taken advantage of every hour of sunlight that has presented itself…. Read More
Jan 05, 2012
The Porta Nuova
Only in an ancient city like Palermo could a construction known as the “New Gate” date from 1583. Found adjacent to the Norman Palace, the Porta Nuova is still the main entrance to the city center from the west…. Read More
Jan 05, 2012
Carini and its Castle
Set in the mountains just ten miles east of Palermo, the town of Carini enjoys a privileged view towards the sea. With a population of only 35,000 and a world-famous castle as its main attraction, it sounded like a nice, easy escape from city life, and we chose a Wednesday morning to explore it…. Read More
Jan 03, 2012
