Staycation May 2026: Friends Visit Sicily
We met playing trivia. Rob reminded me that it was 80s trivia. Cousin Gerlyn was part of the gang on that cruise
After consulting, Steve and Rob decided to spend two nights in Palermo, three in Capo d'Orlando, and two in Catania. I went to meet with them for part of their time in Palermo, then we had fun spending time together in Capo. While they were here, I arranged for a day tour on the eastern side of the island.
(Note: I've written in several other blogs about Palermo, including many of our stops. You can search "Palermo" at my blog site if you want to dig in deeper.)
I arrived to Palermo in time to check in and meet the friends for dinner at Obicà Mozzarella Bar. I had wanted to take them to my favorite trattoria, but it was closed since it was Sunday night. Nevertheless, we had some delicious food and wine. Since Emily is in Palermo for her training course right now, she was able to join us. That made it extra special.
I was so busy gabbing, that I did not take one picture of our meal. Oops!
We were treated to a procession! I never figured out what it was for. Rob and Steve said it went through their neighborhood later that evening, and I heard fireworks near midnight, so it must have been something important.
The next morning I met up with Steve, Rob, and Brenda to give them a tour of some Palermo highlights in the city centre. If you've read previous blogs, you know that we had to go to have the best cannoli in Sicily, LOL! We started the tour at one of my favorite Palermo churches, Chiesa del Gesù di Casa Professa.
Casa Professa exterior. I was a bit surprised to find that there was an entrance fee; it used to be free. The fee is minimal and well worth the visit, but it speaks to the growing popularity of Palermo as a tourist destination.
The church was established under the Jesuits in the late 1500s, with additions made over time. As you can see, it is in the Baroque style. The dome was destroyed in WWII and reconstructed with new frescoes.
This was a display that caught all of our attention. It speaks for itself.
Next, we were off to the area near the Quattro Canti. I chose here because there are several interesting sights in close proximity (and cannoli!).
The Four Corners without a bunch of people, rare! This area is the centre of Palermo, the plans having been established in the early 1600s. Four streets extend from this central point, and the corners of the four ancient neighborhoods of Palermo meet here. The four concave buildings are in the Baroque style. Each has a fountain symbolizing one of the seasons, statues of Spanish kings, and statues of the four female patron saints of Palermo.
Nearby is La Martorana, Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio, one of the buildings in the UNESCO cluster celebrating Arab-Norman architecture. I wanted our friends to be sure to see at least one of the structures in this cluster with the magnificent mosaics, so I suggested we visit the interior.
The church (groundbreaking in 1143) is known for its blend of Norman-Arab-Byzantine and Baroque styles.
Chiesa di San Cataldo, c. 1160, and also part of the UNESCO cluster, is right next door. The friends went inside to visit while I caught up on messages (I've been before).
Next up, across Piazza Bellini, I Segreti del Chiostro, in the former monastery of Chiesa di Santa Caterina. Here one can enjoy delicious pastries based on old recipes the nuns collected over time. There is a lovely garden to enjoy your choices. If you visit Palermo, in my opinion, this is the one place you must go!
A ticket is required to tour the monastery and church. However, you can catch a few glimpses as you walk through to get to the bakery. The old-style confessional was interesting.
The cannoli! We shared - they are huge.
The garden courtyard where you enjoy your sweets.
We had a little walk to get to our final destination. There is always interesting street art in Palermo!
Don't vote, go to the sea. Since there had been an important election recently (John and Emily voted for the first time), I found this one interesting. I don't agree, but it succinctly captured a certain approach to life.
New Italian Voters
We passed by The Fountain of Shame, always interesting. I love birds of paradise. Nice art!
I understand the sentiment. On my last visit, a KFC had been installed at the edge of one of the ancient markets. This time I saw a Burger King right on a main street in the centre. I heard recently that there are plans for a Hard Rock Cafe. Noooooooo!
A famous quote from a famous book (we talked about it in school this year), Il Gattopardo (The Leopard). Perhaps you have seen the recent Netflix series, the older film, or read the book yourself?
Our final destination was Antica Focacceria San Francisco. My Italian teacher Andrea had suggested this as a good place to try authentic Sicilian foods, especially Palermo specialties.
Note the date!
Very cool interior.
What we tried (l-r): Pasta al Forno (featuring common Palermo pasta shape, annelli), Panelle (chick pea fritters), Caponata (eggplant-based salad), Sfincione (Sicilian pizza popular in Palermo, rectangular shape), and Sarde a Beccafico (stuffed sardines).
After lunch, it was time for me to return to Capo d'Orlando. The friends went on to explore Palermo Cathedral and other sights. We met up again the following day in Capo d'Orlando.
Arrived! And perfect weather.
We had lunch at our place while waiting for check-in time.
Cheers!
A little time for aperitivo on the hotel balcony. Steve and Rob were upgraded to the panoramic view. Everyone was satisfied with Seaside Hotel - recommend!
That evening, John joined the friends for dinner at Doria 66, a restaurant near our apartment, specializing in fresh seafood. The menu changes with what is seasonally available.
Our next day was a full one, as we were up early to travel to Messina by train in order to meet our driver Santino. I had arranged a tour of Savoca, Taormina, and a visit to a Mt. Etna winery.
Where we went.
On the train towards our adventure!
Fun on the road! Brenda and Rob had us cracking up with their enthusiastic back-up dancing and commentary. "Eyes on the road." There were other videos too, but this gives a sense of our travel. Santino was great!
Savoca is a small town in the hills that is famous because it is where several scenes from the Godfather were filmed. Savoca stood in for Corleone. Some of the most famous scenes are: Michael's encounter with Appollonia's father at Bar Vitelli, Michael and Appollonia's wedding and procession, and their wedding reception.
Since John and I have visited before, and we definitely did not want to make that trek up the hill to the church again, we decided to relax and enjoy the view from the piazza in front of Bar Vitelli. While it was nice to visit here again (it's stunning!), and we were happy that Brenda, Steve, and Rob got to see it, I was disappointed in how it had changed in 4 years. There were so many tourists! Bar Vitelli was roped off, difficult to even peek in and make a photo, whereas in 2022 we sat there, had a drink, and the owner showed us all of the Godfather photos and memorabilia inside. Here are some photos from the friends' trek up the hill.
Like I said, stunning!
Next we were off to Taormina. This has always been a popular Sicilian city to visit, but it has exploded in popularity since the series White Lotus was filmed here. It's full of ancient ruins (notably its theatre, which we were not able to see because the ticket line was so long) and beautiful vistas.
The city gate. I used Google photo tools to remove all of the people! Santino dropped us off here for about an hour of exploring. We meandered, took photos, and did a little shopping.
There were many pretty plants, ceramics, and structures.
I took a moment to pop into ABC, Chiesa di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, c. 17th century.
Alternate views of the city gate.
Ruins of a late Hellenistic temple dedicated to Jupiter Serapis, 2-1 BC. In the background, Chiesa di San Pancrazio. St. Pancreas is the patron saint of Taormina.
Our final stop in Taormina was at a lookout over Isola Bella, with panoramic views. Can you spot Mt. Etna in the background? Bella Sicilia!
Next, we were off on a drive to the foothills of Mt. Etna (Presa, Catania province) for our visit to La Gelsomina winery.
View on the drive.
Winery grounds. I felt like I was back in California's Santa Ynez Valley!
Inside the building where the wine used to be made. Where I'm standing (top level) is where the grapes would first be squished with the feet. Next onto the lower two levels for continued processing.
La Gelsomina has a partnership with a winery in Trapani province, Tenute Orestiadi. We tried 3 wines from La Gelsomina, and one from Tenute.
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Syrah (Tenute), Etna Rossa, Etna Bianco, Enta Sparkling
John was being very attentive.
Cin cin! I'm double-fisted! The hostess wanted us to compare the two reds, one from their winery and one from their partner. They were both delicious. It was very difficult to decide which one was best, but I eventually landed on the Etna Rosso.
Good thing we had a substantial snack to accompany our tasting, as we hadn't eaten any lunch!
We ended our experience with a tour of the vineyards.
Super Santino with happy customers.
For the last day of our friends visit, we decided to have a leisurely day hanging out in Capo d'Orlando.
It was Thursday, our weekly market day, so we headed over to check it out. We had a fun meander around, and Rob scored a great deal on a shirt from the 3€ table.
Next up - granita! Here I'm explaining all the flavors and whether or not one might eat them with panna.
Brenda, Steve, and Rob enjoyed a nice walk along the lungomare.
We re-convened in the evening for aperitivo and sunset on the balcony.
More wine-tasting. Comparing different Nero d'Avolas. Salute!
The sunset did not disappoint!
A perfect way to wrap up our visit! The friends continued on to Catania for the final leg of their Sicily adventure. Thank you for visiting (also for sharing photos for the blog)! Memories made, time shared, bonds strengthened - it's what life is about!
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