May 12, 2023

May 12, 2023

The weather is delightful here in Palermo, Sicily. I took advantage of it this morning reading on our penthouse balcony. At 7am we went down for breakfast. After bacon and eggs and a cappuccino, I dove into the many desserts available, including Pistachio cake and make-it-yourself Cannoli. A Cannoli is a crispy shell that is hand-filled with a Ricotta cheese-sugar mixture. I am going to need to go on a serious diet after we get home.

After breakfast, we met our driver in the lobby and he ferried us the forty-five miles east along the northern coast to the town of Cefalu. The coastline is very scenic and lined with mountains. Cefalu, which comes from the Greek word Cephalos meaning head, refers to the rocky mound of land that abuts the seaport town. This beach resort city has a long history.

We met our local city guide and she first gave us a review of the long history of invasion from Phoenician and Greeks to Arabs, Normans and Spanish. Sixteen different cultures according to her. She compared it humorously and appropriately to the layers of Lasagna.

Our guide was a fount of information giving us fascinating tidbits of trivia and history as we strolled down the narrow lanes of the ancient quarter. Much of Italian immigration to America came from Sicily. After Italian unification in the 1860's southern Italy lagged northern. Naples and Sicily, (the Kingdom of the two Sicilys), was mired in feudalism and fell behind the north which invented capitalism, experienced the Renaissance, and industrialized their economy, leaving their southern brothers in the dust.

One curious stop was an ancient public laundry that used a natural stream passing through some man-made rock tubs. My family loves doing laundry so my sister and Aimee had to give it a try. Nearby was also an ancient olive oil press with its many terracotta pots.

The culmination of Cefalu history was the Norman Conquest. King Roger intended to move the capital here from Palermo to balance his western Latin and eastern Greek constituents. He began the construction of a great Cathedral but died before the move could be made. This castle-like cathedral is famous for its gold mosaic altar decoration. Disappointingly it is behind scaffolding and we only can see a photo representation. Instead we concentrated on the Arab craftsman influence on the Norman design. This Arab-Norman architecture of Cefalu and Palermo is a World Heritage Site.

Leaving our guide we sat at a harbor restaurant and had a Bruschetta lunch with fresh Cannoli for dessert. We then made the ninety-minute drive back to Palermo.

We made a brief detour to the Capuchin Monastery outside Palermo. Their underground cemetery has become a popular tourist attraction. Originally intended as a crypt for monks, it became desirable for local elites who would pay to be interred here. Apparently the monks were expert morticians skilled at preservation. Today the extensive catacomb is filled with thousands of bodies hanging on walls and in niches still wearing their burial garments. The corpses and garments are in a wide range of decay. We are seeing Dust to Dust in action. This catacomb is both very unique and exceedingly creepy.

Back at our hotel, we rested before heading out for another big dinner of Artichoke appetizer, Salmon steak entree with Tiramisu for dessert. We walked back to the hotel to work off the calories.