Palermo

One Day In Palermo

Palermo | Sicily | Italy

Situated on the edge of the Conca d’Oro (Golden Conch Shell) Palermo nestled between the Tyrrhenian sea and Sicilian mountains- of which the most famous is Monte Pellegrino.

What To Pack

Hands down the best dressed island I’ve ever been to. To avoid sticking out like a sore thumb avoid your tourist bests, and opt for something a little more formal. The Gents are suave and the ladies elegant as ever. In cooler months woollen coats and leather boots are uniform. Tracksuit pants and sneakers are nowhere to be seen.

How To Arrive

A popular stop for cruise liners, makes for easy access by sea. Alternatively you can fly into Falcone – Borsellino Airport (airport code PMO).

What To Eat

Dishes that originated right here in Sicily include:

Pasta alla Norma (Originating in Catania, Sicily, this vegetarian pasta dish contains tomatoes, fried aubergine, ricotta salata, and basil)
Arancini (Deep fried, breadcrumb coated, stuffed rice balls )
Cannoli (Short crust pastry rolled into a tube, and filled with a sweet ricotta, mascarpone cheese, vanilla cream or chocolate)
Panelle (These gram bean flour fritters are a street food often sold on a bun)
Different variations of Sicilian Pizza (thick crusted, like a focaccia with toppings and stuffed pizza)
muffuletta (sesame bread)
Pecorino Siciliano( Sheep milk pecorino cheese)
Stuffed aubergine
Pane (Italian for bread)
Scacciata (The Sicilian cheese pie)

Fresh seafood and produce from the markets

What to Drink

Coffee. As my primary food group I pride myself on recognising a good cup. The choices are classic (no decaf non-fat skinny lattes here…) and It is usually enjoyed standing at the bar.

Popular drinks include:

Local wines (Red, white, rosè and dessert)
Limoncello (Lemon liqueur)
Marsala wine (A sweet or dry wine from the region surrounding the city Marsala, in Sicily)
Amaro Averna (A herb, root and lemon rind digestif, it is consumed neat or with ice after a meal)

Things To Do

With only one day on your hands, the local sightseeing city bus is a good bet. In warmer months there is a bus route that travels to beaches north of Monte Pellegrino.