Palermo , Sicily

June 25, fine 28 deg.

The taxi ride from the airport to our hotel is in itself a whole story ! I just think it is hilarious that a single lane for taxis and buses has traffic going in both directions... at once - so occasionally you are faced with an oncoming bus. We were up front with the driver and the three nuns were behind us - just as well.

At one stage I thought we were on a movie set. You know the one with the scene of a car flying through an intersection (red light I think) and narrowly missing oncoming traffic - having said all that - I did feel completely safe with our "home grown" Palermo taxi driver.

This sets the tone for our short Palermo stay -

We did have a big win with our accommodation - Mark's selection via the internet prior to leaving home. I can highly recommend the Hotel Porto Felice www.portofelice.it

It's a really well appointed hotel, near the port (convenient for us) with a Wellness Centre. A massage was needed after the taxi ride.

Palermo is steeped in incredible history and this is shown by the architecture with Greek influences. There is much to see and we found the easiest way around was a horse and carriage ride. We bartered on the price of course - 50 euro for 1 hour is not too bad when you consider a cab ride for about 10 minutes is 40 euro! Anyway a great way to see the sights.

Now the food.......... as expected the seafood is in abundance and is freshest I've ever eaten. We do lots of street dining. We find a little restaurant in a lane way or a street barbecue as this is where you find the best.

Recommend is Trattoria de Salvo - same street and two blocks from our hotel. All the shellfish on offer is displayed in tubs, still alive, and the fish are cooking on the BBQ. Mumma is out back cooking spaghetti. We know we are in the right place. This is the real Palermo !

We are seated on the street (literally) and the Trattoria is loaded with atmosphere. From the scooters passing by, the waiters yelling orders to the chefs and buskers selling their wares, this place is buzzing! Platter after platter of prawns, lobster, grilled fish, mussels, clams, spaghetti - it just keeps coming and coming.

We have the freshest, most tender, melt in the mouth mussels in a light tomato broth that we've ever encountered. The is fish cooked to perfection - insalada - really basic well cooked fare. Add in a bottle of Sicilian white wine and we are both Molto Contento !