This is about Italy’s magical Palermo and some beautiful moments we collected there.

I love cities which give me a taste of shabby chick. This is definitely Palermo. Or you also may say that this town is a little bit run-down. But I love its charm.
Also, because almost every corner leaves you in awe with its majestic old buildings. Like there is a surprise waiting for you for sure.

I will take you with me on a short walk through Palermo. At the very same time it is my entry for the blog challenge FoPaNet from „Erkunde die Welt“. A wonderful chance for me to look back at my last 6 month. So I decided to take you with me on a journey to Siceley.

I fell in love with the art in Palermo – Abstract

A scent of orient reminds me of Marrakesh with its floral mosaics, stars and towers spread all over the city. A taste of beauty behind every corner.
Ancient times greeting me. With a breeze of goodbye.

I was so magnetised, lost in the magic of the tiles and art at the walls, that I forgot to click some pictures from the mesmerising palace which gives an overview. I was fascinated to create abstract pictures on my own through choosing specific details I could frame with my camera.

A wonderful tip for you: Take a chance to go to Palermo when it has its Biennale.
And yes, you hear right „Biennale“, but not in Venice.
This means in general that you find art spread all over the city and can visit beautiful old buildings which are normally closed for public. Like the one we visited above. Yes, this is what we did last autumn. And we enjoyed it a lot.

View

I want to take some steps back – this gives you a good overview over the city. How it feels like to be here. I was so fascinated every single time I stood there. I discovered abondened gardens, another beautiful building and started to dream.

It is very close to the sea from here. You can image the harbor just on the other side. I always felt the wonderful and fresh taste of salt on my tongue. What impressed me the most: The horizon is decorated with the view to the mountains. Then: Many old towers are spread over the city. As if these buildings support the city and compete with the mountains in the back.

We had the luck to rent a wonderful Airbnb with a roof terrace in the quartier „Ballarò“. This is its view. And again you can catch a scent of oriental breeze through the turquoise tiles of the tower in the back. A great point to start excursions. Also near the station, where the busses to the airport leave.
But everything is so close by that you can easily walk most of the time. But I have to mention I am very good on foot. And it is one of the things I love most. Walking and discovering a city.

Tierisch

A German word which you almost can’t translate. And is a play on words with „animal“. And means something like „incredible“.

Yes, we met some cute little dogs in Palermo. This one was excited to see us.

Landscape

A beautiful escape within the city. Palermo is very loud and noisy. And a wonderful way to find some calmness from the crowded streets is the botanical garden.

Shabby Chic and Street Art

This piazza is near the harbor and called „Piazza Garraffello“. You also find wonderful restaurants and osterias here.

 

Did I mention? … I loooove Graffiti:

Palermo is definitely all about food and art.

The food:

Small streets with wonderful cafés and bars.

 

And everywhere a possibility to sit outside.
This is so beautiful! As it was still very warm at the beginning of October.

When I am in Italy it is all about eating, starting the day with a cornetto filled with chocolate to die for, drinking latte macchiato in the beautiful cafés, eating fresh fish.

 

Then it’s also all about art, art, art:

This is a partiel view of one of the many large fountains in front of the Palazzo Reale and the church Chiesa de Jesu. I have to visit this one next time. It looks so beautiful from the outside. But it was also always very crowded by tourists and we had so many beautiful places to discover.

Amazing architecture:

This place is called „Quattro Canti“ because it has four beautiful fountains and four edges. „Canti“ means edges or corners. When we reached this square and we did several times a day, I always knew it is not far from home.

This is the Piazza Pretoria almost in front of our house.

Totally awesome. Or crass, even blatant (Krasse Sache)

Totally awesome: This tree in one of the many a beautiful courtyards.
This is a silk floss tree originally from Brasil. Sometimes known as kapok tree with even more mesmerising pink flowers and one of the many surprises we discovered. You can literally smell the scent of foreign cultures in this seaport.

Red

I will for sure come back. Even if I spent 5 days in Sicily’s capital. There is so much to see and discover. Time is always too short

The graffiti is by the artist exit enter. You find him all over Italy.

The magic you find within Palermo:

When I only have five pictures to describe Palermo:

1. Beautiful old buildings

I must admit that I didn’t go in this beauty.

Even when an Italian says you haven’t seen Palermo when you haven’t been in the cathedral. The church is very present here, like in general in Italy.

But this is my trick on all city trips. I almost never visit the most famous buildings or museums.  Because they are most of the time too crowded. Or I visit them anti-cyclical when I can’t resist. So in general Palermo is not overcrowded. It seems still a secret tip. And of course you have some streets and some corners and a hand full of famous buildings where you see a lot of tourists. Why not? Palermo is beautiful!

2. Events and festivities

And I was about right. There are various and almost not countable „Sagres“ and festivals in Sicily and Palermo. I tried to google this one at the specific date but I got lost by its sheer choice.

3. The small shabby chic run-down streets and corners with scooters

4. Art and a lot of Art Deco

 

This is a wall painting of the theatre „Teatro Politama“. You find it on the outside of the building. It is worth a visit. Take a guided tour. You will love it.

5. Food

… I mentioned it before. Definitely try sea food. It is only one jump away from the ocean.

But, I collected my most beautiful picture

… in front of my house at the river Rhine in November. So sometimes it is not about traveling far …

Lots of love, Miriam

 

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