LET'S HOP ON THE TRAIN!Palermo Airport Into Palermo
We followed the directions in the RS Sicily guidebook, exiting the arrivals area and taking the stairs down to the train platforms. We bought our one way tickets from some red machines to Stazione Centrale in Palermo. We consulted the schedule on the wall and hung out for about 45 minutes before the next train into Palermo came along. The train was wonderful and new, and offered gorgeous scenery.
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HOTEL AMBASCIATORIOn Via Roma, Palermo, Sicily
We arrived in Palermo after a pleasant and relaxing ride on the train. We headed around to the front of the station, away from the tracks, and straight down the street in front of us, Via Roma. Several blocks down with the pots flanking the door was our first hotel. We booked our same rooms as we would have on the tour for one night before the tour started so we could get over jet lag and get settled in. Brett and I were on the 1st floor and Deb was up on the 5th. We both had simple but wonderful rooms.
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A'NICA
A'nica is a 5 minute walk from the hotel, and our hotel desk clerk kindly called for a reservation for us our first night in Palermo. You want a reservation for this place. It is good, it is busy, and the wait staff is friendly. The pizza is definitely the highlight of the menu, but the atmosphere out on the terrace really can't be beat. We spent 3 nights in Palermo and 2 of them we ate here. The pizza really is scrumptious! We thoroughly enjoyed our long and relaxing dinner, and chatted about what was in store for tomorrow as evening fell and the atmospheric lights came on.
The little street that A'nica is on, courtyard seating, saluti, delicious 4 cheese and prosciutto pizza and wine, night falling on the courtyard.
A Beautiful Evening Stroll
Day 1: Palermo and Meeting Our Group
BREAKFAST!Our breakfast area was on the roof with the amazingly beautiful view you see to the right. It was a perfect way to start our mornings in Palermo - an amazing view, delicious food, great coffee and relaxation.
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Everything was delicious, but I have to say that the fruit was particularly amazing! The melons were some of the best I'd ever tasted, and it was so wonderful to get fresh apricots! And it seemed like most hotels we had in Sicily either had coffee machines or the servers would make it and bring it to your table. Fabulous!!
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Our First Full Day in PalermoWe wanted to start our day by seeing La Martorana church, but it wasn't open until afternoon as it was a Sunday. So we headed down Via Maqueda stopping at the Fountain of Shame and Quattro Canti along the way to Teatro Massimo. The Theatre was already open, so we were able to go in and get tickets for the next English tour, about a half hour wait. We actually ended up an Italian/English tour which was great as we looked around a room while the tour guide was talking in Italian, and the Italian speakers looked around during the English portion. What a beautiful building!
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Salinas Archeological MuseumAfter seeing the Opera House we headed a few short blocks to the Salinas Archeological Museum. It was closing at 1pm so we had to be faster than we normally are when enjoying a museum, but we really enjoyed seeing some of the highlights on offer.
The piece behind me was from Temple C in Selinunte (540-510 BC) Apollo on a quadriga, side by side with Leto and Artemis. Perseus beheading Medusa in front of Athena, followed by the birth of Pegasus. Heracles carrying the Cercopes, two bandits he caught, hanging on a pole. I love this kind of stuff!!
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Palazzo Federico
Our first group activity after our initial meeting was to take a walking tour with our destination being the Palazzo Federico and a tour of it with the Contessa. She was originally from Austria and was a hoot! She lovingly described how she and her husband refurbished the Palazzo after their marriage.
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