Day 15, Thursday, Feb. 25
Another wake-up call at 6:30 am so I could start my breakfast at 7 am. We have always had a good
selection at the buffets, but this one was the best. I could now have my eggs sunny side up. I really
didn’t need any more calories, yet who could resist the array of pastries. After breakfast we departed for a city tour of Palermo at 9 am armed with our whispers. Just outside our hotel and immediately in front of us was the Politeama Theater.
Built in neoclassical style, which was in vogue at the end of the 1800s, the Politeama Theatre illuminates the Piazza which shares its name. Designed as a "polytheama," or performance space for a variety of shows, its role in Palermo was to be as central to social life then, as cinema is now.
We drove by the Teatro Massimo (below) en route to the Duomo.
At the Duomo we met our capable local guide who introduced us to the massive structure.
According to www.sacred destinations.com: In 1184, during Sicily's Norman period, Archbishop of Palermo Gualtiero Offamiglio founded the cathedral on the site of a Muslim mosque, which had itself been built over an early Christian basilica. The archbishop's main aim was to surpass the glory of the magnificent cathedral of nearby Monreale, and the Palermo Duomo became an architectural battleground for "The Battle of the Two Cathedrals."
For most visitors, Monreale Duomo remains the winner, but Palermo's cathedral is still well worth a visit (and photographs). Many additions were made to the original Norman structure over the years. The exterior (above) was "Gothicized" in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The interior was impressive.
I captured statues of a couple of the well-known Sicilian saints.
There is a set of signs of the zodiac in opus sectile work, as part of a heliometer. This dates from 1690, and is a type of sundial. A small hole in the ceiling projects a spot of sunlight which travels across the floor with the movement of the sun through the sky. At noon each day, the spot crosses a meridian (a line running north-south) below the hole. In midsummer the sun is higher, so the spot crosses towards
the south end of the line, marked by Cancer, the crab. At the north end is the midwinter sign, Capricorn.
We left the Cathedral and headed toward the Palace. Our bus passed by the Atlantes at Porta Nuova, the city gate built in 1583 in honor of Emperor Charles V to celebrate his victory over the Turks. Our local guide noted that the arms that had been cut off.
The next stop for our white bus was the Palace of the Normans, sometimes referred to as Palermo’s greatest attraction. According to Frommer’s: The history of the palace can be traced to the 9th century and the days of the Arab emirs and their harems, but probably goes back even further: The Arabs built the palace on an older Roman and Punic fortress. Over time the Arabs abandoned it, and the conquering Normans restored it into a sumptuous residence. The Normans came and went, and by the mid-16th
century the palace was in serious decay until discovered anew by Spanish viceroys, who in 1555 began its rescue and once again turned it into a royal residence. Today it is the seat of Sicily's semiautonomous regional government.
Our guide made much of the blend between the Western influence (rectangular) and the Eastern influence (the dome). The Moorish ceiling was made of wood.
Finally, we discovered the Arab-Norman splendor of the Monreale Cathedral This nearby treasure dates from the 12th century and shows the diverse architectural influences of both the Normans and the Arab population.
Side view of the Cathedral.
The Cathedral from the front.
I started my own tour with the side porch area and was impressed with the large statues. William II is shown on the right presenting his duomo to the Virgin Mary.
I thought the statue of Mary unique.
The Cathedral of Monreale, on a hill on the lower slopes of the mountain overlooking Palermo, was the last and most beautiful of the Norman churches built in Sicily, and one of the architectural wonders of the medieval world. A project of the Norman King William II (1153 - 1166 - 1189), the huge Cathedral took only 8 years to build (between 1174 and 1182).
The interior is breath taking. According to www.paradoxplace.com: Some idea of the richness of the interior mosaics, which cover the entire Cathedral, can be gleaned from the fact that they contain around 2,200 kilos of pure gold!
I appreciated that our guide took the time to explain how Old and New Testament stories were portrayed
in mosaics along the walls. No doubt this was of great benefit to the Christians who frequented the church in an earlier time period when many could not read.
Next, our guide drew attention to the altar area and the Norman depiction of Christ.
The ceiling above us was masterful as well. And there beside us was the tomb of William II to remind us of his role in building the Cathedral .
We returned to Palermo. So often we had a glimpse of General Patton’s headquarters on a mountain high above the city. The pink building stood out, but I never had a good chance to photograph it. He used a
palace formerly occupied by the king of Italy. “I am in the King’s room,” Patton exalted, “and by count,
seven anti-rooms and the State dining room.” Patton reveled in sleeping in a royal bed (General Patton:
A Soldier’s Life by Stanley Hirshon).
Maurizio had the bus stop at the Teatro Massimo so that those interested could tour this opera house and purchase pickets for an evening performance.
I chose instead to do a little exploring on my own. I wanted to spend more time at the Piazza Vigliena (much more commonly known as Quattro Canti) which marks the intersection of Corso Vittorio Emmanuele and Via Maqueda. Geographically the centre of the city when it was built, even in today's sprawling metropolis, it is still regarded as the heart of the city. The piazza was laid out in 1608 in an ambitious and very successful piece of early city planning. Every Italian city has a major street named after Victor Emanuel ll, the first king of unified Italy who reigned from 1861-1878. When Sicily's 17th century Spanish Viceroy took up town planning, the street was known as the Cassaro and was an ancient thoroughfare that ran from the harbor to the Norman Palace. The Viceroy's planners had a new street constructed, crossing the Cassaro right in the middle, dividing the city very neatly into four distinct quarters. Of course the street was named for the most important man in town — the Viceroy himself, the Duke of Marqueda.
Fountains, statues, columns and coats of arms adorn the curved facades of the palazzos that stand at each corner in a splendid symmetry (above). Each corner has three tiers of decoration — at ground level there are fountains representing the four seasons. Above the fountains stand statues of the four Spanish kings (Charles V, Philip II, Philip III, and Philip IV), and above them stand four saints - Santa Ninfa, Santa Cristina, Sant’Oliva, and Sant’Agata - all of whom were reputedly born in Palermo.
The Piazza Pretoria close to Quat Canti, reached by climbing a few steps from Via Maqueda, is dominated by a magnificent fountain, the Fontana Pretoria, constructed by the Florentine sculptor Francesco Camilliani and Angelo Vagherino in 1544-55 for an estate belonging to the viceroy Don
Pietro de Toledo. He then decided he did not want it, and the Palermo city council purchased it in 1573.
The fountain has nearly fifty figures.
Now it was time for me to walk back to the hotel. This gave me an opportunity to see a few more sights, like this one. The San Domenico Basilica (above) is located in Piazza San Domenico, off Via Roma. The outer appearance has been changed several times over the last few hundred years and the frontage is now Baroque with twin bell towers and flanked with pillars and statues. I thought the building attractive.
Then I walked pass the Post Office (above). We had seen this earlier from the bus. At that time our guide said the massive building was built to represent the power of government.
Our evening meal (below) was really great and a setting for celebrations. A birthday was acknowledged and an Inner Circle member honored with a plaque for her 24th trip with Grand Circle. Maurizio awarded both of our celebrities with flowers.
Day 16, Friday, Feb. 26
Again a great breakfast at the Garibaldi Hotel. This morning, we set out through the Sicilian countryside on our way to the historic hilltop town of Corleone, the inspiration for The Godfather book and films.
Our bus stopped on the edge of town and we had to walk into the city. Our major objective was the Corleone anti-Mafia headquarters. Grand Circle Travel is the only American tour operator to travel to
this destination. A young gentleman (below) met us there to tell us about the anti-Mafia campaign.
Beginning in the 1960s, this town became famous for its Mafia, being the town in which some well-known clans had their headquarters (the Clan dei Corleonesi). Mafiosi born or taking up residence in Corleone have included Michele avarra, Luciano Leggio, Leoluca Bagarella, Salvatore Riina and Bernardo Provenzano.
What made the efforts to reign in the Mafia so difficult was that investigators, informers or judges were systematically silences. The guide gave some specific examples such as this judge who was car bombed.
Or of this young boy’s father who was assassinated. I took this photo from a larger picture which showed his father’s bullet-ridden body in the foreground. The larger picture had a cloth over the victim’s
mouth because he had been shot in the mouth as well. Our speaker said the boy, now older, works in the market downtown. The killing of his father was conducted to intimidate anyone who might testify against or challenge the mob.
The 1970s and 1980s were tough years for the anti Mafia organization Riina was arrested n 1993. Our guide spent considerable time on this person. Further headway was made in 1995 with the arrest of Leoluca Bagarella, his successor, who personally was a bloodthirsty killer. One time, on a dare, he made a bet for a package of cigarettes that he could arrange the death of an individual. Leoluca gunned down
the man himself. He became important because he won the fight against the Agleri family (of the Mafia) in Palermo. In this photo below, he is shown at the moment of his arrest.
The most notable event in Corleone was the arrest in 2006 of Bernardo Provenzano "Boss of Bosses," who had been in hiding for more than 40 years. This gave rise to much celebration. "Liberation Day" on April 11 (the date of Provenzano's capture) and naming a street "11 Aprile" shows just how much the arrest has affected Corleone. His successor is reported to be either Matteo Messina Denaro or Salvatore Lo Piccolo. This presupposes that Provenzano has the power to nominate a successor, which is not unanimously accepted among Mafia observers. "The Mafia today is more of a federation and less of an authoritarian state," according to anti-Mafia prosecutor Antonio Ingroia of the Direzione distrettuale antimafia (DDA) of Palermo, referring to the previous period of authoritarian rule under Salvatore Riina.
The name of the town was used as the adopted surname of the title character in Mario Puzo's book and Francis Ford Coppola's film, The Godfather. In the novel, Vito Andolini emigrates from the village of Corleone. In the theatrical release of The Godfather, Part II, young Vito is assigned the Corleone surname while passing through immigration at Ellis Island. Shy and unable to speak English, Vito is unable to respond when asked for his proper name, and is given the last name of Corleone by an immigration official. Throughout The Godfather film series, various members of the Corleone family visit the town of Corleone. The grandparents of Al Pacino (who played Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy of films) emigrated from Corleone, Sicily, in the same generation as Don Vito Corleone from the film. The Grand Circle guide I had in my tour of Tuscany said there is tremendous corruption in government and the Catholic Church today and there still are strong ties with the Mafia.
In December of 2009, The Mafia was in the news again with the capture of a key figure in Palermo.
Users of the popular Internet social networking site Face book have urged Giovanni Niche, the Sicilian mafia fugitive boss captured at the weekend, to become an informant. Since Nicchi was arrested in the southern city of Palermo, more than 5,000 people have registered on the Face book page of the Palermo police department’s elite squad that hunts down the most-wanted mafia suspects. "You can still do good by renouncing evil,’ wrote one user on the Face book page. Police will Wednesday hand over to public prosecutors in Palermo items, including a laptop computer and mobile phones, seized during the raid on the small flat where 28-year-old Nicchi was arrested.
We left the building (below) with a better understand of the Mafia situation.
Just outside the building where we had met, I took a photo of a Piazza Garibaldi , where we could see the clock tower and the l8th c. Town Hall, containing a painting, the Martyrdom of St Bartholomew, attributed to Jusepe Ribera. On either summit of the two lofty crags dominating the landscape there used to be a fortress: the Castello Soprano, where now there is a tower known as Torre dei Saraceni (Saracen Tower), and the Castello Sottano, a Bourbon prison in 1845 converted into a Franciscan hermitage after 1960.
On the way back to the bus, I took a shot of this narrow street in Corleone.
Mission accomplished here we set out for an included authentic Sicilian lunch in a countryside restaurant known as Antica Stazione (old train station). No, those are not grilled pork shops, but cold pickled eggplant paddies.
To the right we are leaving the converted railroad station was where we had lunch.
Nice scenic trip home to the Garibaldi al Politeama.
Day 17, Saturday, Feb. 27
Wake-up call 6:30 am; breakfast; 7 am, and 8:30 am departure for Agrigento.
All in our places (random seating), we were on our way to Agrigento.
About 35 km southeast of Palermo, we spotted this castle-like community up on a ridge to our right. This town has a population of around 3,000. The photo was taken from a moving bus.
Soon it was rest stop time and we pulled over to a gas station restaurant. The cannoli looked tempting, but I resisted the impulse to indulge. The scenery around here was peaceful and merited a photo.
When we arrived at Agrigento we were met by a local guide.
Agrigento is a major tourist center due to its extraordinarily rich archaeological legacy. It also serves as an agricultural centre for the surrounding region. Sulfur and potas have been mined locally since Roman times and are exported from the nearby harbor of Porto Empedocle (named after the philosopher Empedocles who lived in ancient Akragas). However, it is one of the poorest towns in Italy on a per capita income basis and has a long-standing problem with organized crime, particularly involving the Mafia and the smuggling of illegal drugs. Maurizio mention as we entered the city that many of the buildings here (both legal and illegal) were built by the Masfia who controlled the building industry.
Our major object, of course, was the Valley of the Temples, containing some of the greatest Greek ruins in the world Stretched out along a ridge, and nestling in the area to the south of it, are a series of temples which were all erected in the course of a century (5C BC), as if to testify to the prosperity of the city at that time. Having been set ablaze by the Carthaginians in 406 BC, the buildings were restored by the Romans (1C BC) respecting their original Doric style. Their subsequent state of disrepair has been put down either to seismic activity or the destructive fury of the Christians backed by an edict of the Emperor of the Eastern Empire, Theodosius (4C). The only one to survive intact is the Temple of Concord that, in the 6C, was converted into a Christian church. During the Middle Ages, masonry was removed to help construct other buildings, in particular, the Temple of Zeus, known locally as the Giant’s Quarry, provided material for the church of San Nicola and the 18C part of the jetty at Porto Empedocle.
All the buildings face east, respecting the Classical criterion (both Greek and Roman) that the entrance to the cella (Holy of Holies) where the statue of the god was housed could be illuminated by the rays of the rising sun, the source and blood of life.
Our starting point was Tempio di Hera Lacinia (Giunone) – The Temple of Hera Lacinia (Juno) is situated at the top of the hill and is traditionally dedicated to the protector of matrimony and childbirth.
We walked down the hill to our pathway and continued walking along the old city wall to our left that contained Byzantine tombs. These walls are 2,500 years old.
We moved on toward Concordia.
The Temple of Concord is one of the best-preserved temples surviving from Antiquity, thereby providing an insight into the elegance and majestic symmetry of other such buildings. The reason it has survived intact is due to its transformation into a church in the 6C AD. Inside the colonnade, the original arches through the cella walls of the Classical temple can still be made out. It is thought to have been built in about 430 BC, but it is not known to which god it was dedicated.
The name Concord comes from a Latin inscription found in the vicinity. The temple is a typical example of the architectural refinement in temple building known as “optical correction” : the columns are tapered (becoming narrower at the top so as to appear taller) and have an entasis (a very slight convex curve at about two-thirds of the height of the column which counteracts the illusion of concavity); they are also
slightly inclined towards the central axis of the temple façade. This allows the observer standing at a certain distance from the temple to see a perfectly straight image.
While we studied the great temple, students (below) on a field trip gathered nearby.
Our local guide below.
Side view of Concordia Temple
Just after the Temple of Concord there was another group of tombs on the right. Necropoli paleocristiana – The Paleochristiana necropolis is situated beneath the road, dug into the base rock, or far from the ancient walls of the city. There are various types of ancient tombs: oculi (cells or chamber for corpse or urn) and arcosolia (arched cavities like a niche), as often found in catacombs.
Tempio di Eracle (Ercole) – Conforming to the Archaic Doric style, the Temple of Heracles (Hercules) is the earliest of the group. The remains enable us to imagine how elegant this temple must have been. Today, a line of eight tapering columns stands erect, re-erected during the first half of this century. From the temple, looking south can be seen what is erroneously called the Tomb of Theron.
We approached the archeological site around the Temple of Zeus -- the Sacrificial altar. Just beyond the
entrance, on the right, slightly set back, are the remains of an enormous altar, used for large-scale sacrifices. One hundred oxen could be sacrificed at the same time
Having been razed to the ground, the Temple of Zeus (Jupiter) was re-erected following the victory of the people of Agrigentum (allied with the Syracusans) over the Carthaginians at Himera (in about 480 BC) as a gesture of thanks to Zeus, it was one of the largest temples built in ancient times, being 113m long by 36m wide, and is thought never to have been completed.
The entablature was supported by half-columns 20m high, which probably alternated with giant male
caryatids (atlantes or telamons). A reproduction of atlantes is displayed in the middle of the temple giving some idea of scale proportional to the vast building. Their supporting role is accentuated by their position, with arms bent back to balance the weight upon their shoulders. The more common term alludes to the mythological figure Atlas, the giant and leader of the Titans who struggled against the gods of Olympus and was condemned by Zeus to support the weight of the sky on his head.
Tempio di Castore e Polluce o dei Dioscuri (below) – The Temple of Castor and Pollux or the Dioscuri
is the veritable symbol of Agrigento.
Built during the last decades of the 5C BC, it is dedicated to the twins born from the union of Leda and
Zeus while transformed into a swan. Four columns and part of the entablature are all that remain of the temple, which was reconstructed in the 19C. Under one edge of the cornice is a rosette, one of the typical decorative motifs used. On the right are the remains of what was probably a sanctuary dedicated to the Chthonic Deities (the gods of the underworld): Persephone (Proserpina), queen of the underworld, and her mother, Demeter (Ceres), the goddess of corn and fertility and patroness of agriculture. On the site are a square altar, probably used for sacrificing piglets, and another round one with a sacred well in the centre. This is probably where married women celebrated the rite of the Thesmophoria, a festival held in honor of Demeter.
Lunch took place at a nearby restaurant called Villa Kefos. Nourishment was supplied in the form of wine, olive/cheese plate and community pizza.
In the evening when we returned to Palermo, a number of streets had been closed off to limit Saturday driving (and pollution). Our bus had to reroute and come in another way.
The square in front of our hotel was teeming with people.
Day 18, Sunday, Feb. 28
The morning ritual was pretty much the same: 6:30 am wake-up, 7:00 am breakfast, and 8:30 am on the bus. Our agenda today was the west coast of Sicily. Maurizio warned us that jackets might be needed
because of the elevation of Mt. Erice.
We were not on the road very long before we came across Castellammare (see map). The town once was the main port and principal trading post for the ancient cities of Segesta and Erice.
In the center of the town stands the medieval castle which gave it its name.
Further along massive marble quarries intruded on the countryside. From here came one of the most highly prized marbles in the world, which is on a par with the celebrated "Carrara white". In the
Custonaci area of the Sicilian province of Trapani, they quarry a marble that has always been used in sculpture and important architectural works.
Again, off to the right, was another significant sight -- a Norman castle perched on a high elevation. Just think of the effort necessary to build a structure up there.
We approached the city of Erice , standing atop Mt. Erice, around 2,500 feet above sea level. It overlooks nearby Trapani and the beaches of San Vito Lo Capo. The view was outstanding.
We concentrated first upon the fortifications. In the northeastern portion of the city there are the remains of ancient Elymian and Phoenician walls indicating different stages of settlement and occupation in antiquity
There are two castles that remain in the city: Pepoli Castle, which dates from Saracen times, and the Venus Castle, dating from the Norman period, built on top of the ancient Temple of Venus, where Venus Ericina was worshipped. According to legend, Aeneas founded the temple. It was well known throughout the Mediterranean area in the ancient age, and an important cult was celebrated in it. Pepoli
Castle was at first a feudal stronghold, though Erice was eventually ceded to the Crown as a demesnial city. The view from the castle towers is stupendous. (Pepoli Castle is now a hotel.)
Maurizio wanted us to discover this delightful town, which is the epitome of the Middle Ages. He led us to a shop where we could sample sweets and then gave suggestions where we might pick up a light lunch.
A number of used the deli-like restaurant. I ordered the lasagna.
Free time offered a chance to visit the town’s main church, referred to as the Mother Church. There was
an admission charge to enter the church so I limited myself to observing the exterior. Erice has a repu-
tation for overcharging and charging for everything but the air. Built in the 14C, principally using stone
from the Temple of Venus, its massive form and merlons topped walls suggest it was intended as a
church-fortress. Inside, fashioned in Neo-Gothic, sits a fine marble altarpiece from the Renaissance. The
lonely bell tower to the left of the church was originally intended as a watchtower. The first level has simple narrow slits, while the upper section is graced with fine two-light Chiaramonte-style windows. The top is crenellated with Ghibelline merlons
The façade is graced with a fine rose window (replicating the original), which is now partly concealed by the Gothic porch that was added a century later. The intricate tracery around the rose window was
beautiful.
I left the church and exited via Porta di Trapani, one of the gates to the town.
Back on the bus we headed downhill . I managed to get a parting shot of the salt flats in the distance beyond and in Trapani. Salt was, of course, a hugely important commodity for the preservation of food and so the west coast of Sicily soon had a fundamental role to play in the daily life of thousands of people around the Mediterranean and in Europe.
Our bus driver (below) treated us to some Marsala wine, for which the area is famous, as Maurizio looked over his shoulder. Marsala is produced using the Grillo, Inzolia, and Catarratto white grape varietals, among others. According to Maurizio, the grapes of the Marsala area have unique properties. Marsala wine was traditionally served as an aperitif between the first and second courses of a meal. Contemporary diners will serve it chilled with Parmesan (stravecchio), Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and other spicy cheeses, with fruits or pastries, or at room temperature as a dessert wine. The wine we tasted on the bus did have a distinct taste.
A Farewell Dinner was in store for us this evening. The restaurant was only a five-minute walk from the hotel. The dishes and wine were very satisfying. This was the third time we had veal, but to me they all were different. The somi freddo dessert was refreshing.
Day 19, Monday, March 1
This was to be our last day of touring. After breakfast we hit the road (A19) for an optional excursion to Cefalu. This enchanting fishing village and summertime resort sits on a rocky outcrop in the center of Sicily's north coast.
As we approached I took a picture through the bus window. The Greeks thought the rocky outcrop, the Rocca, resembled a head—kephalos in Greek—thus, the name of the town. Cefalu lies in a scenic locale
between the massive peak and a long sweeping beach. Against this backdrop rise the lofty twin towers of the cathedral built by Roger II in 1130.
A little closer to the city, our driver pulled over fora photo stop. There seemed to be a kind of haze over the city for the this shot.
Our driver drove the bus around the Madonie Mountains and we approached the city from the other side. Since the bus could not enter the city limits we had our walking exercise. Our stroll took us along the sea front which had been the Jewish quarter. This gave us a nice view of the sea splashing against the waterfront.
Our group then took a narrow street that led to the Cathedral.
The Cathedral , begun in 1131, in a style of Norman architecture that would be more accurately called
Sicilian Romanesque. The exterior is well preserved, and is largely decorated with interlacing pointed
arches; the windows also are pointed. On each side of the façade is a massive tower of four stories. The
round-headed Norman portal is worthy of note. A semi-circular apse is set into the east end wall. Its
strengthening counter-forts that work like buttresses, are shaped as paired columns to lighten their aspect.
The groined vaulting of the roof is visible in the choir and the right transept, while the rest of the church has a wooden roof.
Best of Sicily adds: The church, with some Gothic features, was one of the first Sicilian cathedrals built on the Western model, with a long nave and distinct transept. This indicates an influence more Norman than Byzantine or Arab, though the icon of Christ in the apse leaves no doubt about the Eastern (Orthodox) tradition still very much alive in western Sicily at the time the church was built.
Since this was a Norman church, Christ is depicted as a blond, not a brunette; but his nose and mouth
look Greek, his brows and beard like a Saracens.
Having completed my viewing of the church, I decided to use my free time by taking a side street down towards the beach and the Roman laundry.
The city had a nice sandy beach and I met fellow travelers there. We stopped at an open air cafe and Sue treated us to a refreshing drink -- pure orange juice.
On the return trip to the meeting site by the church, I stopped to visit the Lavatoio. Fed by fresh water springs the Lavatoio is a medieval wash house, used up to a few decades ago by women who wanted to wash in its cool running water. Descending down a flight of stairs at its entrance, you enter a room with a low ceiling resembling a cave.
Around its three walls are numerous mouths from which the water flows.
Before leaving the city I felt compelled to take a shot of the lighthouse (above).
From the moving bus leaving the city I managed to catch a fleeting shot of the battlements. Cefalù's mountain boasts the ruins of a large fortress and an ancient Sicanian-Greek temple.
Though the fortress itself crumbled long ago, the battlements atop the mountain were built during the Norman rule of the island in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. A few segments of this outer wall are restorations; most are original. It was lunch time and lunch was included with the tour. We had veal cutlets, but every time we had veal it just wasn’t like veal. Still, the meal was nice.
When we returned to the hotel Maurizio reminded us that our check-in luggage should be outside our room by 9:30 pm and that we should ask for a wake-up call around 3 am so we can leave the hotel by 4:30 am.
Day 20, Tuesday, March 2
The Garibaldi Hotel prepared boxed breakfasts for us so we could move right out. We were accompanied to the airport by Maurizio for our morning flight home.
I departed Palermo for Rome and then on to JFK at NYC. Because of flight time changes I had to run like OJ Simpson through the airport. I caught my flight to Minneapolis, but my luggage did not. Delta sent my bag to New Ulm two days later. Such is life. I met Annette at our usual meeting spot by the Green Ramp parking area and drove the car home.
I really enjoyed my trip and the fellow tour members!
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