Oct 20th
The first leg of our trip was from San Francisco to Washington D.C. which took 4 1/2 hours. The next connection was to Rome, another 8 hrs, and then Rome to Palermo, another 1 hour. Almost 14 hrs flying including numerous hours, waiting for planes, running to connecting flights, being sent to the wrong location then dragging our luggage to another place so all in all it ended up being about 24 hrs from Calif to our hotel in Palermo. . This was not the fun part of the trip.
Oct21
It is the next morning in Palermo, 9 hrs later than California when we arrive. All I want to do is go to bed & sleep but the day is young. We were met by our guide Paul at the airport & took our tour bus to the hotel in dowtown historical Palermo, the city my great grandparents came from.
I just couldn't get over all the beatiful statues everywhere. The buildings all looked like they could use a good cleaning though.
Oct 22
Today we started the morning with a continental breakfast @ 7 am in our hotel . The weather is off & on rain but warm. The breakfast was wonderful. Lots of pastries, fruit such as peaches, pineapple, cereals, many fresh juices such as reg orange, red blood orange, lemonaide, milk, chocolate croissants, eggs, bacon, cookies.
After breakfast we met our guide Paul & driver Antonio & another local Palermo woman guide. We first took a walking tour to the four corners area across the street & local church.
There were protestors on the rooftop which is why the police & fire are here. The locals say every day they are up there protesting something else.
Now it's Shirley's turn.
I think every residence in Sicily has shutters & balconies.
We then boarded our bus to Monreale. While there we hiked up 96 steps to a beautiful church with shops along the way, souveniers, foods & mosaic shops. I purchased a mosaic crusafix for 19 euro, a bottled water for 1 euro & a banana for 30 cents. I'm starting to figure out the money situation. 1 euro is about $1.50 American.
This is Patty P. The city if full of tiny cards & scooters just darting all over the place. Watch your step or you might get mowed down. They don't seem to drive on the right or the left just where ever they want.
Shirley, Patti & John P.
The three of us heading back down hill.
The churches inside were just amazing but without being able to use a flash the photos didn't turn out so well.
The beautiful ceiling
There is Paul, Patti's husband.
Gold in the mosaics
One lady in our group, Patti, had to use the restroom & so did I. It is 50 cents for that privledge. There were long lines at the women's restroom & none at the mens. Patty talked the young handsome Italian door monitor in to letting us use the men's as we had to catch our bus & couldn't wait. The stalls have actual full doors, not the see through, peek under USA doors. The toilets have a push button on the wall. The sink had no faucet handle but a pedal on the floor. Then 96 steps down to our bus .
Next we took an hour and a half drive to Marsala . The countryside was green & beautiful with lots of fruit & olive orchards, old stone roofless buildings along the way. We took the Marsala winery tour & had lunch there - garlic bread, olives in olive oil, parsley & garlic, 3 different wines, sparkling (frizzante) water, round pasta noodles with sauce & meat cooked in some type of mold, a rice ball of white rice, pasta sauce & meat with dough fried covering & salad. Eggplant is used a lot in Sicily & is in their pasta sauces which is very good.
The old wine barrels
Here is great grandmother, first generation.
Four generations of the same family owned this winery. We had music & dancing & just a wonderful first day.
More later ....
