Being the “expert” among friends back home- for all things Sicilian- I occasionally get emails asking for advice. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. I had about 500 words and a few emails to tell them everything I know. Oddly, it was enough. :)Monday July 19th, 1:56pm
We’re friends of Carrie Rosen’s daddy (and Carrie also :) ) :) we’re coming to Sicily for 5 days. First stop will be in Palermo late Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday off to Agrigento! Writing to say hello :)
We’re staying @ the central palace hotel for 1 nite. If you make contact, great. if no, be well.
Ricky & Lucy Firestone :)
Monday July 19th, 2:30pm
Dear Ricky & Lucy.
You are coming to a wonderful place. It is magical and aggressive all at the same time. We will not be in town on Tuesday afternoon unfortunately. It’s just too busy at the shop to pull away. Soo sorry we can’t show you around a bit.
However, I would love to do what I can via email. If you have ideas for your time in Palermo I can concur or steer you in a better direction. Just let me know what your itinerary is. We live outside of Palermo, and my husband is a native son, so we can definitely give you a local’s view of the town. Between us we cover a lot of areas, art, food, beach, restaurants
Where will you be going after Agrigento and will be you be in a car or a bus?
Siciliana
Monday July 19th, 3pm
Thanks for the quick comeback.
We will only be in Palermo for 1 nite, leaving sometime during the day on Wednesday, stopping by CORLEONE, and then on to Agrigento. We are going to be there 2 nites and then we drive to Taormina (sp?) for 2 nites. Then drive to Catania and fly to Rome where we will get a car and drive to Umbria. We don’t have any major plans for Palermo. Anything you might offer would be great.
We like good wine and we like to eat :), so what else is new :)
Thanks,
Ricky
Mille grazzie!
Monday July 19th, 3:30pm
No problem, are you talking about tomorrow as in Tuesday or next week as in Tuesday?
As for Corleone, unless you have a specific destination and/or friends there is not much there, and it is small. A small farm area. Alternatively, or in addition to, if you have time: In Bagheria there are some very nice Baroque Villas, and it is a big town with a decent museum in an old 18th century villa. The collection is a very good selection of Sicilian art from the last century. Some nice photos from Giuseppe Tornatore – native son who made the move Cinema Paradiso and most recently, Baaria, (in fact if you could see that before coming it would be a real kick to see the town after seeing the movie.) I actually like this museum a bit better than the one in Palermo, although there are worthwhile pieces in some of the museums in Palermo, but for a unique experience of art that is good, and will most likely never travel to another country for a big exhibition, I vote for Villa Catolica, Il Museo di Renato Guttuso in Bagheria.
Also in Bagheria is the Villa Palagonia, which is very interesting too. All very close to each other.
As for Palermo, and I am thinking specifically meals, since arriving at 3pm or so in the afternoon, you will probably want to take a nap, have a granita, (In my opinion, the only reasonable antidote for the heat) and get ready for dinner. Outside the Monreale Cathedral there is a cafe where my mother a devotee of all things lemon, had what she said was an epiphany when she ordered their lemon granita. I had my first granita di melone (cantaloupe granita) and it was also great. But I digress, granita in the heat always tastes better.
So that would mean: coming into Punta Raisi Airport in Palermo, going straight to Bagheria, the museum there, even dinner there or in the neighboring fishing village of Porticello, I would recommend Francu u Piscaturi then back to Palermo and Monreale the next morning before heading out might be a good itinerary. Walking around Palermo at night, after dinner near your hotel is probably the best way to see the town at night. It is alive and pretty. You could of course have lunch on Weds at Francu u Piscaturi. (sensational fish right off the boat. No kidding on this btw.)
Hope this helps with my neck of the woods.
Siciliana
Monday July 19th, 4pm
Tomorrow. Our flight leaves @ 2200 hrs :)
Monday July 19th, 5pm
Hope you have exactly the trip you are hoping for and that Sicily exceeds your expectations. In Ragusa where you will be in Taormina eat anything and everything with pistachios they are grown on the slopes of Mt Etna and delish. Also the chocolate is special there a bit different and some is flavored
with cinnamon (canella) or hot pepper-(pepperoncini)-interesting. If you find it, I have eaten a pasta dish with pistachio and tagliatelle mmmmmm. Plus there is a liquor called Fiche d'India wow. They bottle it like Limonicello it is made from cactus pears. Again-- special not avail everywhere and will cost you 5 times the price at the airport.
Have a wonderful time and don't take any wooden nickles.
Siciliana
Monday July 19th, 5:15pm
:)
xoxox
Sunday, August 15, 11:30
To my readers, "What would you have added to my suggestions?|" Just a note: I skipped certain must sees that are only open on days my friends were not going to be in town. I didn't want to torture them.
More information and recipes of the artisanal products mentioned here.
Search Amazon.com for sicily guide book
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