Monreale

‘You will either love it or hate it’. Reading reviews ahead of our visit, it’s clear that Palermo inspires a strong emotional response. When we cross the road from the marina into the city the reasons are immediately clear. The place is littered, like the aftermath of a concert. The streets are dirty and potholed and there are beggars. On the other hand we feel an incredible energy as we wander through the bustling evening crowds and when we look up there are beautiful buildings everywhere. There are kids as young as twelve zooming around on electric mopeds; this is an edgy, vibrant and exciting city.

We have dinner sitting outside a restaurant in a street full of tables, all full with people. The glamorous girls sitting nearby fan their faces with brightly coloured fans they have just bought from one of the many street sellers who come by.
The next morning we begin our grand tour of Palermo at the chandlery. So for the following few hours, walking all through the town, Ronan carries a bottle of fuel additive.
The Cabo outdoor market is busy and loud as the stall holders shout out their bargains to the crowd. We enjoy wandering through while munching on our freshly cut fruit salad.
We join the line at the Cathedral and wait for our clothing to be assessed. We pass the modesty test and can enter, but anyone with exposed shoulders or short shorts must buy and wear a paper poncho. Meanwhile the lady walking up and down the queue begging has a child hanging off her breast.
Inside the Cathedral we find the zodiac meridian line and wait with great anticipation to see the mid-day sun shine down on Leo, Colm’s star sign. If it did shine down from the tiny hole in the roof we don’t see it: a cloud might have been in its way today.
Later we go to the shopping district and when Ruby and Colm see people carrying yellow Lego shopping bags, they get right on it with google maps. They stay in the shop until closing time, stuffing as many tiny pieces as possible into the self-fill boxes; nothing could make them happier.

It is dark as we wander back to the marina through a new part of the city. Just like the area we were in the night before, the streets are full of people out enjoying themselves. There really is a special atmosphere in this city.
The next day we lay low on the boat as the temperature raises to 43 degrees. We have the curtains closed and have as much shading up as we can and yet all the surfaces on the boat get hot. We put bowls of ice around the boat to try and keep the temperature down. In the afternoon a crazy wind starts to blow, like the hottest setting on a hairdryer. Black ash gets blown onto the boat and we see smoke. Early the next morning as we sail out of Palermo we see fires burning in some of the surrounding hills. Luckily the temperatures are down today and we hope the fires won’t last long.Read more