bilboburgler

wow thanks Ann.

bilboburgler

Ok, so the first 3 or 4 days we are going to have a car base in Ortygia doing the city and probably a couple of car drives from there.

Then everyone goes back to the UK, except me.

So I'm planing to catch the bus from Catania up to Palermo and base there for another 3 days before catching the earlish Pullman back to Catania airport.

Now that means I'm in Palermo for Sunday and Monday when a lot of things are shut and I'd rather use public transport.

Best ideas for Palermo?

sundriedtopepo

There is more to see than you will ever have time for, and in a pretty concentrated, walkable area:

Monreale for the mosaics and the view

Mercato di Balaro open everyday am

Museo archeologico regionale Antonino Salinas di Palermo

Hopefully you can find updated hours or a telephone number here:
http://www.regione.sicilia.it/benicu...dC=&IdS=&IdAS=

Capella Palatina
Martorana

the Quattro Canti 4 corners

Palazzo dei Normanni
http://travelguide.michelin.com/euro...o-dei-normanni

Palazzo Abatellis

Oratorio di San Lorenzo 3* Green guide

Oratorio del Rosario di San Domenico also 3* Green guide, we didn't get to go inside due to a wedding

Porta Nuova and Porta Felice
There is an upper walk way along the waterfront which fronts some of the old palazzi and ends at Porta Felice, very pleasant walk on a sunny day.

Just a few things we enjoyed.

kja

sundriedtopepo has given you a good starting list. I would again urge you to consult either the <i>Rough Guide</i> or <i>Michelin Green Guide</i>. IMO, the cathedral of Monreale, just outside Palermo, is one of the world's great treasures. Palermo's puppet theater can be surprisingly fun.

As already noted, Ortygia is not particularly car friendly. Make sure you have a workable plan for it.

Why take the bus to Palermo from Catania instead of from Siracusa?

bilboburgler

Plan in place

"Why take the bus to Palermo from Catania instead of from Siracusa?" I may do either but I suspect I will be in Catania airport when I catch the bus.

annhig

just a thought - if you're likely to be at Catania airport and want to get to Palermo, why not fly? There may be a convenient cheap flight.

annhig

[PS - it also seems that there is a train from Catania central station to Palermo - takes about 3 ½ hours.]

kja

Aah -- the bus from Catania now makes sense!

I'm sure you will check into your options, but I believe the train from Catania to Palermo actually takes longer than the bus, and by the time it would take to get from Palermo's airport into the city itself, it's hard for me to believe that would be a time saver either. I could easily be wrong....

bilboburgler

I read a book last year about using the trains of Italy. The worst are on Sicily but i intend to visit stations as part of my "station visiting hobby".

annhig

I read a book last year about using the trains of Italy. The worst are on Sicily but i intend to visit stations as part of my "station visiting hobby".>>

what do you do for fun, bilbo?

thursdaysd

The train from Messina to Siracusa was extremely slow, but the scenery was good, especially in the spring with the wildflowers in bloom.

bilboburgler

ann, I've just street-viewed the Palermo post office, wow looks like roughly 1925 build, ( I also visit post offices)

Getting quiet excited as weather forecast is suggesting mainly dry and 15C which is rather nicer than Yorkshire at the moment at "raining and 8C".

annhig

<<what do you do for fun, bilbo?>>

>>ann, I've just street-viewed the Palermo post office, wow looks like roughly 1925 build, ( I also visit post offices)<<

I can barely stand the excitement.

the temps look good though.

sundriedtopepo

Train stations and post offices; maybe I should have asked your interests before making recommendations on what to see

bilboburgler

Just booked into Hotel Artemisia, slightly worried as it claims 4 stars (about 2 above my usual hotel rating) but tripadvisors claim "staff don't seem to be able to speak English" so I saw that as a plus.

sundriedtopepo

Looks great! Take your sweet tooth for breakfast. Whether they speak English or not the Sicilian people are warm and helpful. Lovely people.

I would suggest you take along one of those adapter plugs that you can plug your devices into, as we found in many places there weren't enough outlets. Older buildings you know...

annhig

Is this the one bilbo?

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_...mo_Sicily.html

a few reviewers think that the rooms are small but that won't bother us brits will it?

and plenty of opportunity to practice the Italian!

frencharmoire

The very stunning post office of Palermo has a unique and extremely important Futurist mural which is not always open for public viewing. It is very much worth seeing (if it is there during your visit, because it is sometimes lent out) but check ahead to see which times it can be seen.

The first (and maybe only true) vegetarian cookbook in Italy was written in Sicily, not far from Palermo, by the Duca di Salaparuta.

http://www.mhpbooks.com/books/the-dukes-table/

However, not much of the tradition survives. Sicily in winter is a meaty and fishy place, although there is an historic tradition of eating healthful soups in Palermo. There are 2 famous places to do that -- one is Casa di Brodo and the other is Maestro di Brodo. I am not sure if the broth of the soup is completely vegetarian, but the soups are delicious, and both restaurants have extensive vegetarian buffets.

kja

I agree that the Palermo Post Office is well worth seeing, although, unfortunately, I was not able to see the mural when I was there.

And I agree with frencharmoire that the Casa del Brodo is worth considering for a meal. I had the boiled beef, for which I believe it is famous -- delicious!

bilboburgler

yes Ann that's the place, it looks a wee walk from the station. Have you seen Milan station, Porto's or Haarlem? Once you have then it becomes addictive.

kja, french, guys thanks for that, very helpful