Caffe Spinnato in Palermo

Caffe Spinnato is one of those cafes with a deep history, like Cafe Flore or Les Deux Magots in Paris.  A major difference with Caffe Spinnato, however, is that a glance at the prices on the menu does not induce a heart-attack.  They still attract locals with their amazing food, ice cream, and pastries.  The interior of the cafe has an old world feel to it- it used to be the establishment for Palermo's elite and in some ways still is.  On any given day, you will find businessmen in suits, multi-generational families, and young lovers tucked away in corners ignoring their caffè.  

We enjoyed a delicious spaghetti alla Trapanese

After enjoying a leisurely lunch, we walked over to the pastry case and saw the most attractive and scrumptious-looking cake.  They cut us a slice and brought it back to our table.

Caffe Spinnato is located on Via Principe del Belmonte in Palermo

Beach Day in Mondello

In the summertime, Palermitans escape the city heat and grit and head to the beach in Mondello.  You can access it easily by taking a direct bus (#806) from Piazza Sturzo in Palermo.  It's about a 30-minute ride, and you can get a nice glimpse of where Palermo's elite live by looking out the window at the beautiful houses on the way.  When you return to Palermo in the evening, be prepared to wiggle your way onto standing-room only buses.  Ours featured a lively group of pre-teens singing American pop songs at the top of their lungs.    

A visit to Mondello is a great lesson in the beach culture of Palermitans.  Because of its proximity to Palermo (it's basically a suburb), people visit the beach for the whole day, rather than an extended vacation.  This requires a lot of planning and preparation so that no detail is forgotten, and the visit is as pleasurable as possible.  Families bring huge coolers of food, comfy beach chairs, entertainment for children and adults alike. Women take advantage of the moving "bazaars" on the beach, trying on different dresses and jewelry, consulting with their boyfriends and husbands, and bargaining with the sellers until they score the latest addition to their wardrobe.

Along the roadside, there are many food shacks selling quick and easy beach food: pizzette, panelle, arancini, panini, granite, and the like.  Also, if nightlife is your scene, the club and bar hotspots move from Palermo to Mondello during the summer months.

Back in Palermo, space is limited, so hanging laundry outside the window is always an option

Sicilian liqueur in the window display

Oldest Tree in Palermo

 Tucked away in the Piazza Marina is Palermo's oldest tree, a Banyan fig tree more than 150 years old.  It is quite a sight with aerial roots coming from all sides, making it difficult to distinguish the main trunk.  In the summer it provides a nice shady respite from the scorching sun. 

How to Make a Granita the Traditional Way

While I don't think I ever met a granita I didn't like, there is nothing like enjoying one made the traditional way which seemed to be more common in Palermo than in other parts of Sicily.  Instead of dispensing them out of a machine, these young men in Palermo worked against the heat, quickly chipping away at a large rectangular block of ice.  The consistency is different from many of the machine generated granite; it resembles a snow cone more than a slushy.  There is a definite art to it.

Then they put in the syrup.  This summer, I really became a fan of mandorla, or almond, a true Sicilian flavor.  It is creamy yet refreshing and perfect for the afternoon Palermo heat.

I also loved their portable cart.  It was very colorful and reminded me of the puppet theatres.  You can find granite all over Palermo (and Sicily) but if you can have one made right in front of you, don't pass it up.

Piazza XIII Vittime where the monument dedicated to Mafia victims stands

Capo Market in Palermo

Like other travelers, I quickly learned that the Vucciria market so vividly described in guidebooks was merely a memory in Palermitan life; something that thrived years ago and today barely remains.  Our favorite thing to do in Palermo was walk the winding streets for hours taking in the city's unique and at times overwhelming personality.  We did stumble upon the Capo Market which made up for our unsuccessful attempt at "finding" the Vucciria market.  The mercato di Capo was so lively and chaotic and reminded me of the market atmosphere in Tunisia.  

Just as we came out of the market, workers were taking down the decorations from the most recent patron saint festival.  If you have ever been to Italy, you know how celebrated the saints are, and if you are there in the summer in particular, it is nearly impossible to miss one.  

A walk around the La Kalsa neighborhood, an old, crumbling quarter of Palermo was both depressing and fascinating as poverty was prominent and many of the old buildings were falling apart after having been bombed in World War II.  Many of the apartments used these huge outdoor curtains to keep out the sun and heat.

The waterfront near the Foro Umberto I (just past La Cala) becomes a very happening place in the late afternoon and early evening when the Palermitans come here for their jog.  I saw quite a few serious runners every day, even before the sun had gone down and it was still almost unbearably hot to run in.  I must admit the sunset makes for a pretty backdrop during a workout.

The restaurants along the waterfront all specialize in grilling fresh fish right in front of you.  They are casual and very family-friendly and you can expect to eat something that was caught very recently.  You can go over to the table of raw fish and point at which one you'd like them to cook up for you.  They don't over-complicate the food as the focus is on the seafood--all you need is a little lemon squeezed over it and you are in for a treat.