Sicily Palermo

Let your pirate friend guide you again through Palermo - where she managed to pick 3 fights in less than an hour thanks to... well, they should know better than that! è_é

We rush towards the Cathedral before it closes on corso Vittorio Emanuele.

When we reach the Cathedral is finally clear to us what the obvious is: outside is pretty inside is tricky.

After picking a fight with some unidentified ticket ladies - to which I explain that 1) you cannot write "ticketing" in small print 2) a pic-nic table and a tin box do not constitute for a proper cash register 3) I cannot walk through walls and ropes so... no, there was no rope to block the entrance. I paid my 1,50 to God knows who and went to see the tomb of Frederic II Hohenstaufen (everybody should visit and friggin' worship a guy so awesome).

I pick a fight with this guy too because no ass should ever ride a horse!

Pictures below show something very similar to a wet market. Known as La Vuccirìa (which means, noise and chaos) it's the old market of Palermo.

And after this tour they gave us a badge: you survived the Vucciria! XDDD

The night the ninja went blind!

Maybe the ninja should explain this... but apparently waking up in a very dark room could be seriously, seriously scary. Go Ninja... do tell us how you went blind.


The Pirate


Well its a matter of falling asleep while reading in a brightly lit room unaware that clyda came in and switched off the lights ... awwwww, (we have been told to save power in sicily) then elisa/grace/friendly spirit came and closed the door tight. Now the room had no windows, so i was sleeping in complete and utter darkness, not to mention in total silence too.

I woke up around 3.30, open my eyes and saw nothing, blinked, rubbed my eyes and had a small panic attack thinking i have gone blind from eating too much. Fumbled like a idiot for the light switches (they were placed 6" lower than in SG) till the lights came on -.-

It seriously freaked me out.

The Ninja

Sicily Monreale

Monreale tower from the Belvedere (which means beautiful view and is usually a terrace).

Pupi Siciliani: the Sicilian traditional marionettes. The best show ever!!!! Listening to the stories of Charlemagne's knights sang in Sicilian and how Orlando lost his mind and became rageful is the best!

Monreale Duomo.

Interior done in traditional Byzantine style with golden tiles mosaics portraying the higher part of the church as Heaven and the lower part - with white marble - is Earth.

Christ Panthocrator: one of the three most beautiful depictions on this Planet. (I prefer this one to the Cefalù one, personal taste)

This is a traditional grindstone (or millstone).

A mosaic artist.

The Chinese palace is a classic chinoiserie (meant to look vaguely Chinese but not entirely). Too bad it was closed because inside it looked like this!

I always thought it looked funny and interesting, especially since the writing on top of the porch is only meant to look Chinese but it's not actual writing! XDDD

Sicily Ficarazzi

Preparing the sauce for sfincione pizza.

Work in progress? Nah, going shopping is an adventure!

Noooo, no pastrieeees!

Sicily: where buying veggies is a true pirate adventure!

Bread with sesame is the best... I am here to tell the baker that if he picks a fight with the sesame seller there is not reason to put less sesame on my bread!

On the veranda in our backyard.

At Home Elisa and Grace

And finally in Ficarazzi where auntie Grazia is cooking our dinner!

A classic living room (the house dates the first years of 1900)... corridor 11 meters, ceiling 6 meters in height.

Pasta impustata: sicilian broccolo pasta with raisins and pine nuts, baked in the over to delicious crunchiness.

These two girls don't like chocolate!

A traditional way to kill mosquitoes.

A better way to kill mosquitoes.

Jack Nicholson with Elisa and Grazia. There are no Wendys in this house.