Food tour and crucifixion!

Saturday 12th April 2025

Breakfast at the hotel was really over the top. Everything was served to our table and there was an enormous amount! But we can’t eat much as we are off on a good tour! On the way we stopped to look in Palermo cathedral. It is a huge landmark and very beautiful inside and out.

We started the tour at Thestro Massimo the great opera house. Sicily had a real problem with the Maria until recently and these hoardings are paintings of the people who died fighting the mafia and eventually winning. Lawyers, judges, priests all played their part. Then into the market for food!! My favourite at this stop was the flat chickpea fritter. It was delicious and we have looked up the recipe to make it at home! In the market we passed a series of doors like this. Our guide said that when he was young they used to house livestock here. Donkeys, sheep, chickens etc. It’s not allowed anymore which is probably a good thing!!

The tour took us to the back of the cathedral which we wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. Beautiful mosaics made out of volcanic stone from Etna! Theme we had an aranchina at one place and connolo at the next. Delicious but much too big, I had to ditch half of mine which was a shame! Overall the least favourite of our tours on this trip. Too much hanging around and not enough information, but the food was good!!

It is the start of Holy week and today Jesus was crucified! It was a reenactment on the steps of Teatro Massimo. It was actually very moving but I was worried about the three men who went on the crosses. It looked really uncomfortable although no nails were involved. And they were lucky to get off the cross without being dropped! A wonderful thing to see and be part of. Good make up ad well!

There are so many people in the city that there is a real rubbish problem. All the bins are empty in the morning but by 5pm they look like this!! I love the mobile aperol spritz vans!! It is legal to walk along the streets with an alcoholic drink here. Can’t imagine that in London!! Finished off the night in a very nice bar, didn’t really need anything to eat!!