16. Palermo, Sicily - Street Food +

Palermo is the ancient seaside capital of Sicily, an island lying off the southwest coast of continental Italy. Palermo traces its origins to the early Phoenicians in 736 B.C., and has known a succession of rulers from Arab to Norman. Each culture has left its mark, witness the countless architectural contributions to this city of 1,000,000+.

Sicily's renowned culinary tradition lives on in the famous Ballaro St. Market, where you can savor a range of "street food" delicacies (?) Craig and I have both been just mildly under the weather, so, after watching rice balls being made without gloved hands, and flies swarming the food, I decided to pass up the tempting taste-testing opportunity.

The main streets in the heart of the historical district are jammed with the cruise ship herd that descends upon the city during the heat of the day, but the crowds begin to thin out in the late afternoon, just in time for a refreshing gelato!Read more