Palermo

Today we visited the cathedral which is a symbol of the merge of cultures, eastern and western, that have, over centuries, influenced and shaped Palermo and its people.  The beautiful, colourful mosaic tiles on the dome of the cathedral have Arabic origins, while the inside reflects the grand, impressive and powerful influence of the Normans.  While we were contemplating, we saw a priest taking confession in the traditional wooden confessional box, then sit down with a young couple to discuss their wedding.  That's what I like a working church and a working priest!

The afternoons are very hot, so between 1-3.30pm the city closes down for a rest and slowly, at around 4pm, as if by magic, the streets come to life once more.  This is gelato time!  We found this lovely cafe which was also a bar and patisserie.  We like to sit down to give our feet a rest and having a gelato is the perfect excuse.  We wish we had found this cafe earlier, locals were dropping in for espresso at the bar, others were picking up preordered cakes salads and pasta.  The staff were so attentive.  A small girl who had just been given her gelato, dropped it on the floor, the attendant swiftly picked it up, threw it in the bin and prepared another for her with a minimum of fuss.  Where was he in Coogee 1992!

Apart from the hotel staff, very few people speak English in Palermo, nevertheless, we have found them to be helpful in a laid back way, or should I say in an insouciant way!

There is a great deal of poverty here, many beggars and people sleeping rough, but there are million dollar boats bobbing up and down in the marina and, as always, the evening passeggiata highlights what is really important to the locals - style and conversation.

Palermo is a beguiling contradiction and we loved it!

PS  Paul had his first Martini - shaken not stirred - last night.  Another one crossed off the bucket list!