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I begin this post at the Taormina train station, the very same spot the Michael met Kay as she got off the train in Bagheria in The Godfather, Part 3.
After our three days in Taormina, we were off to Palermo - the capital of Sicily. We had originally planned to have a driver take us the 170 mi drive, but as we were a group of 6, we decided that the train would be more fun and most certainly cheaper. We were excited to discover that the Taormina train station is featured in the Godfather film, although it's supposed to be Bagheria which is a small town right outside of Palermo, they used the Taormina station for filming the scene where Kay arrives in Palermo and it's exactly the same as it appears in the film.
The train from Taormina to Palermo takes just over 3 hours, and hugs the coastline of northern Sicily, so there's plenty to see, and we all decided that it was definitely a better way to travel than a car service.
Upon arriving in Palermo, our group split up, my husband and I were staying to the north of the port and the rest of our group had Air BNBs in old town. We jumped in a taxi and off we went. Our ride took us through the old town, and past the port. At first glance the city was messy, seemed disorganized and shockingly run-down. Immediately I was pleased we had decided to stay only two nights in Palermo. We passed impressive buildings, a mix of baroque, Roman and art Nouveau, all unbelievably run down and almost grungy looking. The cities avenues edged by tall apartment structures in tones of orange and clay, the garages and front doors covered in graffiti, trash in the streets and enough potholes to require a trip to the chiropractor.
Still, I was excited to be in a city after having spent 10 days in beach towns, and Palermo, for all its disorder is supposed to be great, and I knew we were staying somewhere fabulous.
Our driver continued through grimy streets, and as we climbed Via Belmonte, I could see the outline of the impressive structure of the Villa Igiea, Rocco Forte appear in the distance.
As we made the final turn, I exhaled in relief that we had arrived, and that the property looked every bit as magnificent as I had hoped. Security guards stood by the automatic gate and required our names to be allowed through. the first thing we saw as we approached the porte cochere was a Bvlgari store, (always a good sign, although not for my husband.) We both sighed at the same time... though not for the same reasons.
Attendants in waistcoat's flanked the entry to the hotel, and they rushed down to take our bags before we had even stepped foot out of the taxi. We were greeted enthusiastically and ushered up the stairs to the check in counter. Our room wasn't quite ready, so the receptionist recommended a tour of the property, or we could perhaps go to have a bite to eat. Our room should be ready in an hour, that was plenty of time for some lunch. We settled on Alicetta for lunch, a terrace restaurant nestled between the garden and the sea. I ordered an Aperol Spritz, and chose the crustacean special of the day, local lobster and Sicilian red prawns grilled with vegetables. The flavors were delicious and clean, the perfect meal after a long morning of travelling.
We checked in to our room after enjoying lunch, and neither my husband nor I could get over how magnificent our room was. We booked a deluxe sea view room, and it did not disappoint. The decor, a blend between classical and contemporary with herringbone parquetry flooring, textured wallpaper and objects d'art displayed throughout. The bathroom, Carrara marble with Sicilian tiled floors and luxury Irene Forte toiletry products.
After settling in, we decided it was time to head off into the city center and do some exploring (for me, that typically includes shopping!) The Rocco Forte has a complimentary shuttle, and we rode that into town, from the hotel it took about 20 minutes.
The main street, Via della Liberta was bustling and full of life. Cars, scooters, pedestrians all playing a dangerous game of chicken. we decided to head north up Via della Liberta and just see where we ended up. Naturally we ended up at Prada, which unfortunately was a big nothing burger, not only was the sales associate aloof and unhelpful, they had barely any items in stock, new collection or otherwise. The next stop on our walking tour of the city was Boutique Torregrossa at Via della Liberta 5. This boutique had a fine assortment of ready to wear pieces, from various designers. Again, the sales associate was aloof and unhelpful, and she had no English-speaking ability (unlike all of the sales associates I had met in Taormina) I was starting to feel disappointed that Palermo, although a major city, was not going to scratch my shopping itch at all.
We did the entire Via della Liberta on foot, in scorching hot heat, and full sun. Eventually we ran into my sister and nephew that were also out exploring the city on foot. We decided that we were ready to retreat to the luxury and serenity of our hotel and took a taxi back to the Rocco Forte.
We enjoyed aperitivo under the sandstone vaulted ceiling of Igiea terraza bar, surrounded by magnificent frescos painted by local artist Eugenio Morici. My husband declared that this was the most beautiful bar he had ever been to, and I have to agree with him. We only later discovered that this bar was featured in the white lotus, season 2 - It was transformed into the restaurant that Jennifer Coolidge eats the pasta with the giant clams with her husband Greg after their vespa ride.
After enjoying our cocktails, we moved on to restaurant Florio, for a sumptuous and elegant dinner experience. Florio was constructed in 1900, at the height of the Belle Epoque in Palermo. The Florio family transformed Villa Igiea from a private palazzo to the most luxurious hotel in Sicily.
The sound of a live pianist, playing Italian classics softly drifted around us, as we sat on the terrace section of the restaurant. The tables were dressed magnificently in starched white linens with sterling silver ice buckets and porcelain dinnerware in shades of subdued green and pink. I had enjoyed my cocktail so much from the bar, that I asked the server to bring another, the Lollo; with gin, italicus, lavender honey and lemon juice packed a punch but went down a dream.
I typically ask the server for their meal recommendations, and this evening I went with the seared scallops to start, followed by a decadent pasta dish with pistachio and Sicilian prawns.
The following day, we woke early and decided to head off to explore another side of Palermo, the old town. I asked to concierge where he recommended we go first, and he said the Capo Market was a must visit. We took a taxi this time and it took about 15 minutes from hotel the beginning of the market. Capo market dates back to when the Arabs ruled Palermo and at the time served primarily as a haven for pirates and slave merchants. Entry to the Capo market is through the Porta Carini, and you need about an hour to discover it in its entirety beginning from the Porta Carini to the Cathedral at the other end.
The market was busy and bustling with locals making their vegetable selections, aubergines looked like they had been plucked directly out of the garden. Fish stalls with mounds of different selections, all colorfully stacked on heapings of ice. We saw huge tuna and fish that looked like swordfish, and fishmongers with cigarettes hanging from their mouths dutifully peeling mountains of tiny shrimp.
My husband made a few snack purchases, arancini were available hot and cheesy, and fruit cups with precut portions of fruit. We wandered all the way to the Cathedral and marveled at not only its magnificence but the sheer size of it. Unlike any other Cathedral we had visited, its styled in Norman, Islamic, Gothic, Baroque and Neo-Classical style due to a long history of additions. The Cathedral was founded by Pope Gregory 1 and was later turned into a mosque by the Arabs after their conquest of the city in the 9th century.
We headed on foot to the Palermo train station. We had decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at the town of Cefalu which was about a 45-minute train ride from Palermo. Cefalu is a picturesque seaside village on the north coast of Sicily. Winding and narrow medieval streets flanked by all manner of small shops offering everything from ceramics to pizza and gelato. Cefalu is adorable and quaint, a pretty town that is picture perfect. We spent some time relaxing at the beach, but when the weather started to turn, we decided to head back home, not before visiting the medieval wash house, the lavatoio which is fed by a natural spring and located a few meters underneath street level. Accessed by a wide spiraling staircase made of lava and lumachella stone, it is a trace of times gone by, where local washerwomen used to come to do the laundry, using the special tubs to rub the cloths.
One of the things I love to do in every city I visit, is spend that last evening at a rooftop restaurant. I find it an enjoyable way to drink in the remaining energy of the city before I leave, and tonight was no different. I had done my research, and the very best rooftop venue in all of Palermo is the Seven Restaurant & Rooftop Cocktail Bar. I had our concierge at Villa Igea call to make the reservation, so we would be given the very best table they had to offer, and boy it did not disappoint.
There are two terraces that together offer a complete 360-degree view of the city in all its splendor. We were seated on the Roger 11 Terrace, which gave sweeping views over 13 historical landmarks. It was a magical venue to end our stay in Palermo. The service although spotty was made up for by the delicious cocktails and decadent food. Our group indulged in pasta dishes and meats since nobody in our party had had any steak in a while.
As we watched the sun set over the hills, the light reflecting off the domes of the cathedrals spotted in the distance, our group said our goodbyes to each other, some were continuing on to Barcelona and France, we were all thankful to have spent this time together in Palermo.
Fallon xo
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