Palermo Portrait

 I had just finished taking his photo when he put his knife down, beckoned me closer, and requested that we take a photograph together. And here it is. One of my favorite pics from that Palermo trip. Perhaps even one of my favorites of myself since arriving in Sicily. A fish seller with a big knife, Noah seated formally beside us, muddy fish guts under our feet, a charming, gritty, friendly encounter in the market. I love these kind of moments.

And isn't a photograph with a big knife perfect for Halloween? It's not every day that I get to take a picture with such a big knife or such a friendly fish seller or come to think of it such a willing seven year old son. Happy Halloween from Sicily!

Palermo

Palermo: full of energy, layers of grit and history, puppets, secret courtyards, honking traffic, fresh seafood, Norman, Baroque, Arabic, majestic, watch out for dog poop on the sidewalks, talk to the locals, and wander, just wander.

Some of our favorite spots during this recent trip:
Vucciria Market
The Marionette Museum (call ahead for schedule of performances)
Climbing the banyan trees in Giardino Garibaldi Park
Touring the Massimo Opera House (English Tours available)

On The Road

We are loading up and heading to Cefalu and Palermo for some more Sicilian adventures. Hard to believe it has been a year since our first trip to Palermo. Keeping our fingers crossed that the weather won't be too rainy, the kids won't be too cranky, and the "family rooms" we reserved in the hotels will work out for us. Have I written yet about that aspect of European travel? Booking hotel rooms with more than one child in Europe is not always easy. It is one reason we usually go the apartment or tent route. Most hotel rooms accommodate 2 people and occasionally 3. Finding a hotel for a family of 4 requires some extra searching and additional costs...room charges are frequently per person, including children (sometimes there is a discount for kids, sometimes not) and the rates don't always include breakfast. One thing we have never done, but I am curious about, is to stay in a Kinder Hotel. Anyone out there stayed in a Kinder Hotel? 

Searching for the hotel rooms for this weekend's trip took a little more time than usual because we booked so close to the time of travel. On the bright side, I have to remind myself that we are traveling with our kids at a great stage of life (ages 4 and 7)...no diapers, no strollers, no adolescent angst. And to make this coming trip even better, we will have built-in entertainment: Nana and Poobah who tell lots of good jokes, dole out jelly beans, play dinner games, and love to travel. Ok, enough rambling and back to packing. Have a good weekend!

*Photo taken last weekend in Zaffarena, Sicily. I love the Sicilian carts, but I am very happy that we'll be hitting the road in our Mazda van instead of a cart.