Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Visited on 19-21 February 2025.
So I started in Oman in the Middle East and then made an abrupt turn to Iraq. From there, I flew to Tunisia in North Africa. Since Sicily is just across the pond, I decided to fly to its capital, Palermo.
Of course, I have heard much about Sicily. Think mafias. Think of the godfathers. But think of them as the past.
Definitely a change in scenery. I now see historic churches tucked among the old houses, cementing their iconic places, and preserving their legacy. Like antiques, they proudly display their age; seniority absent senility. Some of them are architecturally jaw-dropping. The Palermo Cathedral was built to be visually overpowering. It is a blend of Norman, Islamic, Gothic, and Baroque styles. I stood in front of it, my eyes struggling to take in the towers, dome, parapets, and arches. Quattro Canti is unique – the four buildings, divided by two streets at right angles, separated by a small square, are almost identical. Each time I came to this intersection, street artists were performing. It feels like here is where everything in Palermo intersects. Here is where music should echo, where happiness emanates. Fontana Pretoria is an X-rated place with many marble statues of naked bodies on display. But these are figures artistically sculptured. As arts, I think it qualifies to be G-rated.
Most streets and alleys are still paved with old cobblestones, polished smooth by time by rubber, yet uneven. But we still prefer to walk in the footsteps of our forefathers. Cars vibrate as they squeeze between the walls.
This is the place to indulge and lie to yourself because eating feels so good. I have been gorging myself with pick-me-on-the-go street food, snacks, and pizzas. I have also treated the desserts like staples, sometimes also as breakfast. I think my quality of life has improved since arriving in Palermo. I might regret it later but now is not the time to think about that.
Palermo is just as I expected – history and good food. Amen to that.
Syracuse, Sicily, Italy. Visited on 25 February 2025.
I left Palermo on the 23rd of February, riding the inter-city bus for 200 km to Catania, where I would be based for the next few days. While in Catania, I took a day trip to Syracuse, 90 km away.
From the station, I first walked to the Neopolis Heritage Park, which included the Quarries of Paradise, the Greek Theater and the Roman Amphitheater. From here, I walked sprightly towards the seafront. On the way, my attention was distracted by Baba au Rhum, one of those that you don’t want to try and then find yourself hooked. I tried it once 40 years ago; I had been talking about it every time I met an Italian. If you like alcohol but dislike the idea of binge drinking, this will make it somewhat excusable. It is a dessert – a sponge cake disguised as a mushroom that soaks up rum.
After crossing the bridge Ponte Umbertino, I was immediately in love with the intoxicatingly enchanting blue and green of the sea around me. The water around here has been tamed to be calm and flat to soothe the turbulence in you. This part is the historic heart of Syracuse. The Tempio di Apollo is still there, but barely – not much is left. The narrow alleys laid with old cobblestone that are hallmarks of Sicily’s old towns still pave the way. The Syracuse Cathedral and the ground it stands on, Piazza del Duomo, are still the centerpiece that pulls people here to reminisce about old times.
A stroll along the Largo Aretusa and Lungamare Alfeo was the perfect winding down after a day of hopping from place to place chasing those not-to-be-missed sights – the sea was unperturbed, the blue of the sky turned softer, the crowd was sparse, and their gait lackadaisical.
I returned to Canatania just in time for the peak hours traffic jam.
Syracuse, where they paint sea with water color of the most exquisite shades of green and blue and brought it to my feet; where they keep the color of their history left by their forefathers. Today was a beautiful stroll back in time.
Catania, Sicily, Italy. Visited on 23 – 27 February 2025.
From Palermo, I took the intercity bus to Catania on the eastern coast, arriving two and a half hours later.
Many came to see Mount Etna smoking, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. I came to experience Sicilian culture, shaped by its history under the Roman Empire, the Byzantines, the Arabs, and the Normans.
My first instinct was to head to the Piazza del Duomo. This is where all the streets, and the wandering visitors, gravitate back to. Indeed, visitors congregated excitedly, marveling at the Catania Cathedral and other historical buildings. Within earshot, street performers sang passionately to appreciative audiences who fidgeted to stay warm in Piazza Universita. Via Etnea, a central thoroughfare, connects pedestrians with the cafes, restaurants, and historical buildings that line it. I strolled along and eventually reached Villa Bellini. The sun was setting, and children were playing in the park, trampling on and tossing tiny paper confetti, dressed as fairytale characters. At the top of the hill, Mount Etna puffed unthreateningly, like an old man smoking on his veranda, resigned to people-watching.
Historic cathedrals and churches are scattered along the old cobblestone streets. These architectural masterpieces remain in their original state, unvarnished, wearing their age with dignity. They were where forefathers congregated to worship and socialize – a life the locals long to connect with, that they never experienced, only heard about.
In the old town is the fish market, wet and fishy. The fish have, conveniently but forcibly, landed here; this is after all, a coastal town. I enjoyed several meals of cones filled with fried calamari, anchovies shrimp, and other seafood – flesh and bones, heads, tails, bones, limbs, een traces of dried blood. They looked ghastly but fried crisped to perfection. I squeezed lemon over them, crunched them whole, and washed it down with a cold Sicilian beer.
Catania tied it all together. Absolutely Sicilian!
Click the link below to go to the next stop:
Click the link below to start from stop 1:
Itinerary for this 80-day trip:
Oman Muscat->Dimmah Sinkhole->Wadi Shab->Sur->Ras Al Hadd->Ras Aal Jinz->Al Wasil->Wahid Bani Khalid->Nizwa->Jebel Shams->Iraq Baghdad->Kurdistan Erbil-> Kurdistan Sulaymaniyah->Karbala->Najaf->Babylon->Tunisia Tunis->Sousse->Kairouan->Monastir->El Jem->Carthage->Italy Sicily Palermo->Sicily Syracuse->Sicily Catania->Malta->Madrid->Dominican Republic Punta Cana->Les Terrenas->Santo Domingo->Puerto Rico->Miami
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