West Coast Sicily Days 18 and 19 Trappeto and Palermo

What with wind and colds we haven't really enjoyed the views from our accommodation as much as we might have. But this morning we make up for it as there is a splendid dawn over the mountains and the sea. 

We set off by car to Palermo and stop in Trappeto for a stroll, it's a pleasant small town right next to the airport but the coast and sea are pretty and clean, it could be a good place to stay in the future as a base to visit the area and Palermo.

Our appointment to give our rental car back is just outside the centre of Palermo where the buses from Trapani come in. This involves navigating quite a bit of chaotic Palermo traffic on one of the first days when cars have been banned from the city centre, and the usual chaos is at least doubled with people blowing horns and getting annoyed when the traffic reaches a standstill as it inevitably does every 30 seconds. It is extremely stressful. We eventually find out where we're supposed to meet but it's impossible not only to park but even to hover waiting somewhere. Eventually I wait in the double parked car while Andrea goes to look for the rental man. After what seems ages they both arrive and rental man seems as bemused and worried as us at the thought of getting behind the wheel and driving out of Palermo, a small consolation.

We now have about a kilometre to wheel our trolleys to our accommodation not far from Ballero' market. We are hot and tired and stressed when we arrive. Usually when we book apartments I trawl through all the various options and then narrow it down, etc etc. Instead this had been a love at first sight, the apartment came up and we decided to book it. We are not disappointed. The apartment is splendid. Situated in a recently rebuilt historical building in the centre, it is furnished in a mix of elegant antiques and smart Ikea, it has air conditioning and even a small balcony. It is right bang in the centre of noisy busy chaotic Palermo and is a haven of absolute silence and calm. Our host is equally special, not only welcoming, he takes us on a quick tour of the area by foot. Definitely one of our best Airbnb experiences ever.

It's getting late even at Ballero' but we manage to get some fish and vegetables and use some of the finest frying pans I've ever encountered in my travels to prepare a welcome lunch.

Then we rest. It was needed.

Rested and nourished we venture out. Palermo is chaotic, there's no doubt about it. The centre may have banned cars but there still seem plenty around, supplemented by an array of noisy scooters, noisy people, bikes and general chaos. Along one of the streets a man is washing his car by throwing buckets of water from the first floor balcony. But in the midst of the chaos there are some really beautiful places - the outside of the cathedral is one of the best, even though the inside is not as beautiful. 

We like very much the gardens in front of Palazzo Normanni and the exterior of the Palazzo itself and Porta Nuova, the Quattro Canti... our apartment is just a short walk from the centre so we wander around before heading back to peace and quiet as it's getting dark.

The next day is dedicated to exploring Palermo. First of all we stock up on food and drink at Ballero' and the small shops nearby. We had visited Palermo on our previous trip to Sicily about 15 years ago and while many areas of the city seem cleaner and much improved Ballero' seems to have lost some of its charm, small crafts shops, such as a leather shop where I bought a very nice bag for work that I have used ever since have disappeared, replaced by Chinese shops of the type of stuff you could find anywhere. But the choice of fish and fruit and vegetables is still good. Later on we also visit the other markets - La Vucciria, Lattarini and the Flea Market. 

It's all fascinating but also noisy, chaotic and tiring and we very much appreciate the peace and quiet of our apartment for a long lunch break.

The fact that the main road of shops which leads to the station, Via Maqueda, is now pedestrian in the centre is undoubtedly an improvement and makes it a pleasant place to stroll. Temperatures have increased and are in the late 20s even about 30 degrees during the afternoon. Looking along Via Maqueda there is a haze of mist partly created by the street vendors roasting chestnuts, more appropriate for snowy streets but apparently popular even here.

We also discover that during this weekend, and other weekends late September and October there is the initiative "Le vie dei tesori"  which includes many monuments and sights in the city. The advantage is that places which are not always open to the public can be visited. The disadvantage is that you need to get the coupons online and print them to get the special price of 10 for 10 euros. Otherwise at the door the price is 2 euros, but this also includes many churches which are normally free to visit (!). Moreover, there are many many local tourists and day trippers to add to all the usual tourists. If you're planning a trip to Palermo I would avoid these weekends, or at least check it out first and print the coupons.

We visit San Giovanni degli Eremiti from the outside and skip Palazzo Normanni because we saw it on our previous visit, fortunately, because there is a very long queue. We visit the cathedral and sit for a while in the gardens and look at the shops between Quattro Canti and the cathedral and along Via Maqueda and very much like the Pretoria Fountain with the animal heads and square.

There is also an event in one of the squares and so we look at some of the stalls of local products. We also investigate train times for our trip to Cefalu the next day and on the way back from the station are pleased to find a Lidl for things like oat flakes, because while there are many small shops selling a very limited range of groceries in the centre of Palermo, Lidl is the only supermarket we find. It's Friday evening and the streets are full of people, time to go 'home'.