The hardest part of moving to a new city every three months is finding a suitable apartment. But we really lucked out when planning our stay in Sicily, and discovered Casa Zatlò over the excellent website VisitPalermo.it, with almost no effort. We couldn't be happier with our new temporary home, and can totally recommend it to anyone who wants to stay in something a little homier than a hotel.
As we were leaving the Santa Caterina on Plaza Bellini, eyes still bruised by the church's baroque extravagance, another of our senses came under attack. Like Micky Mouse following the scent of cake, we became captive to a strong whiff of coffee. Powerless to resist, we were carried to the doors of Torrefazione Ideal.
Although it's tucked into the maze-like alleys of the Albergheria, the Casa Professa (or the Chiesa del Gesù, as it's more officially known) isn't difficult to find. Just head towards that beautiful green and white tiled dome, visible over most of the neighborhood's rooftops. One of southern Italy's most spectacular Baroque churches awaits.
Apparently, cilantro isn't an herb much used in Sicilian cooking. The stand in the Vucciria Market had piles of basil, sage and oregano, but the seller had never heard of cilantro. Still, he was determined to help me out, and asked if I would recognize it by sight. "I think so, probably". Producing herb after herb from the back of his store, he held out branches for me to sniff and inspect.
This might be common throughout Italy, but Palermo is the first time we've encountered a store that sells wine by the liter, as though it were gas. Pumped from a tank, through a nozzle into a large plastic container, with a ticker racking up the price, really as though it were gas. It's even about the same price.
One of the best birds-eye views of Palermo can be had from the top of the Torre di San Nicolò, near the Ballarò market in the Albergheria. The late-Gothic tower was constructed in the 13th century for defensive purposes, and now belongs to the adjoining San Nicolò church. For a structure built so long ago, the tower is in remarkable condition, and you'd have a hard time finding a better panorama of the medieval city.
Tucked into a small plaza just south of the Corso Vittoro Emanuele is the church of San Francesco d'Assisi. Originally built in 1260, the church has undergone many transformations in its 750 years, and still plays an important role in Palermo's religious life.
Although their presence is practically invisible to tourists, the Mafia is very much a reality for the residents of Palermo. One of the most tangible nuisances is the pizzo: the "protection fee" that Sicilian business owners are compelled to pay to the Cosa Nostra.
Trapped between Monte Pelligrino and Monte Gallo, Mondello was a fishing village for most of its existence, until its white beach and turquoise water were discovered by the leisure classes of Palermo. Nowadays, it's almost purely a resort town, and highly congested during summer. When we visited on the last day of September, though, there weren't too many other people and the water was still warm enough for swimming.
Reading that one of Palermo's favorite dishes is pasta con le sarde, spaghetti with sardines and fennel, didn't exactly set my stomach on fire with unquenchable desire. But after seeing plate after plate being ordered at Ristorante Amato, near the Teatro Massimo, I figured there must be something to it. So I hopped on the bandwagon and ordered my first ever pasta/sardine/fennel dish. And it won't be my last.
