Palermo

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Palermo is the capital città and was the first stop on our Sicilian ancestral adventure.
It was from the port of Palermo in the spring of 1910 that my maternal grandparents, Rosario Mannone and Antoninia Sarcone, emigrated from Italy to the United States. 

Now, 115 years later, Paul and I arrive in a different Palermo, a different Sicily than the one they left -- more prosperous, more modern, and definitely more full of tourists. 
From Naples, we arrived by train which crossed the Strait of Messina on a ferry! You can watch the video I made of them loading the train on the ferry at this link.
We are staying in a cute apartment I found on Booking.com, Aurora House, for about $64 USD per night.
It's close to our language school, about a block from the Capo market, and about a 5 minute walk from Teatro Massimo. For us, it was a perfect location.
The Teatro Massimo is the largest opera house in all of Italy and can seat 1,387. It is quite spectacular.

We loved shopping and eating at the markets both Mercato Capo and Mercato Ballarò. They were a feast for the senses. This lady was one of the highlights of out market visits.
Sweet red tomatoes still on the vine
Just-picked lemons
Artichokes
Pomegranites
Fresh fish and seafood right from the dock 
Only seasonal  produce 
Sun-dried tomatoes 
Cheeses, olives, and olive oils
Fresh and fragrant basil 
Arancine and oysters 
Pasta with eggplant for me and pasta carbonara for Paul 
Artichoke served with olive oil
Panino panele e crocchè (sandwich of fried chickpea cakes topped with fried fluffy potato fritters)
Ham and cheese pizza roll of sorts and an arancina (fried stuffed rice ball)
L'arancina stuffed with ragu (ground beef and vegetables)
And for dessert, a cannolo filled as I waited with a generous helping of chocolate chips, grazie mille!

Comments

Bixaorellana said…
Gloria, this is out of this world! You really do this singular city justice and including the story of your family just >makes it<.
What is the name of the town your grandparents were from?
April 20, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Gloria said…
My mother's parents were both from Marsala, my father's father from Sperlinga, and his mother from Messina. 😊
April 23, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Bixaorellana said…
Thanks! We're from opposite ends of the island.
I looked up Sperlinga, which seems absolutely gorgeous. If it's pretty small, you might be able to find relatives just by asking around.
April 24, 2025 at 7:51 AM
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