Palermo – Palermo

44th day

The flag of Sicily is known as the Trinacria, representing a triskelion on a background divided diagonally from the upper corner to the lower one, with the upper part in red and the lower part in yellow. These two colors represent the cities of Palermo and Corleone… The term “Trinacria” derives from the Greek words for “three” and “cape,” alluding to the triangular shape of the island and the three capes that adorn its coast: Cape Perolo, Cape Passero, and Cape Lilibeo.
The triskelion is an ancient symbol that varies in its representation, featuring three spirals, three lines, or three human legs bent, believed to have originated in ancient Celtic culture, with its meaning varying according to the civilization that adopts it as its own. The motif was not unfamiliar to me; I became acquainted with it on the Isle of Man (where we were a couple of years ago), and even then, I found it fascinating and researched its origin and meaning🧐.
What caught my attention is that at the center of the symbol you see in the photo is the head of Medusa, a famous figure from Greek mythology, one of the three Gorgons; a winged monster with a horrible appearance, having snakes instead of hair, capable of turning anyone who looked her in the eyes to stone, and for Sicilians, she represents fertility and serves as a kind of talisman against negative energies due to her power to petrify her enemies 🙃.

This morning, Lina and Gerhart joined us to visit Palermo again. Thorsten was eager to get up early to visit the city's markets, but he wasn't too thrilled about the idea of going with all four of us 😄…
By around ten-thirty, we were catching the bus to the center, and by eleven, we were already wandering through its streets, discovering a side of the city center that we hadn't seen even a trace of yesterday ☺️.

Amazing, I had no idea what was brewing in those corners. The people of Palermo do not mess around when it comes to setting up markets, and they take “good food” very seriously. Streets and more streets flooded with stalls offering all kinds of food for passersby who can barely move between their stands. A vibrant atmosphere with a super special rhythm where you can't help but march to the beat of the music coming from the speakers or the songs chanted by the vendors. The heart of a pulsating city, full of colors and life, where it's hard to decide where to focus your gaze 😍.

The Vucciria is the most famous market where time seems to have stopped. The name derives from the French “boucherie” (butchery), but in the local dialect, it also means “confusion,” and certainly, there is no better word to describe what happens there. The shouts of the sellers, the laughter, and the smells of spices create a unique atmosphere that ends up enchanting you. At one time, it was the kingdom of fresh fish, meat, and spices; today, tradition and modernity intertwine gradually, and at certain hours, they give way to tables and food stalls for having appetizers and tasting what is called “street food.”

Ballarò is the oldest and most authentic of them all. It opens every day, and you can find everything there: fresh fruit, meat, spices, cheeses, local cured meats… as well as an endless variety of foods from foreign communities that offer their products as if they had been part of the tradition all along 🙃 (which they probably have).

Another market, less touristy, is the Capo, but that doesn't make it any less interesting. Here we discovered a world of typical sweets that are hard to resist. We avoided temptation, and after visiting them all 🚶‍♂️‍➡️ it was time to make the (really difficult) decision of where to grab a bite. We ended up sitting in a small square where there was a stall with very good-looking fish.

After the feast, a short siesta in a small park before slowly walking back home because I wanted to see some shops. T discovered, as usual, more churches to photograph, and I barely found a couple of shop windows 😓 and Gepeto's shop, just as you imagine it in your head when you were a child and heard the story for the first time 🥰.

Tranquility in the last stretch of the day; we wanted to sit for a while and enjoy a bit of peace. The biker bar had a rock party today, but we weren't up for more 😯.
Palermo has turned out to be quite an experience. Getting lost in its markets is like diving into its most authentic soul, whether you enjoy new culinary experiences or are delighted by history, because it all exudes a touch of authenticity that is not easy to find in other capitals. We have fallen totally and absolutely in love to the point of wanting to repeat the experience.
Good night… I’ll keep you posted 😘