After nine days on the mainland, today I returned to the birthplace of my mother – bella Sicilia! We had an 11:45 a.m. Alitalia flight out of Fiumicino airport that, despite being an Italian airline, left on time and arrived a couple of minutes early! And flights within Europe are ridiculously inexpensive when compared to flights originating in or within the United States. It cost only $178 for two one way tickets, including the extra fees for early seat selection and checked bags! The plane ticket was less expensive than taking the train (which would have been a miserable 10 or 12 hour overnight ride.
The prearranged driver was waiting for us at the arrival area and we were quickly swept off, in a large van, to the bustling city of Palermo, the capital of the region of Sicily. The traffic was crazy, as is anyone who would actually choose to drive in this city. The driver wove in and out of traffic lanes, dodging cyclists, motorcyclists and other cars in this ridiculously large (for Italy) van. Within an hour, we arrived at B&B Delle Vittorie, just around the corner from via Maqueda, a main pedestrian thoroughfare lined with restaurants, shops, and bars and only a five minute walk to the Teatro Massimo, the third largest opera house in Europe and a magnificent architectural wonder.
The B&B is gorgeous- located on the 2nd (1st in Europe) floor of an early 20th century palazzo. The rooms are modern and the bathroom is quite spacious.
Much of Palermo was bombed in WW2 and the city has been the site of conquests over thousands of years, so most of the buildings are fairly new in relative Italian terms, i.e. 17th through 20th centuries. The city has a gritty and bustling vibe, much like Naples.
After a quick lunch at the bar on the first (ground) floor (eggplant parmigiana and couscous) we took a walk to get oriented to this part of the city. 
We had our first granita (a typical Sicilian treat of a fruit ice, traditionally lemon) and spotted the first bride in Sicily.
Then we returned to the B&B to get ready for our night at the opera, the Barber of Seville. 
The opera house is a magnificent structure, with seating boxes rather than the balconies we see in American theaters. 
The performance was unique in the sense that it incorporated animation as a background rather than a traditional set. 
The theater was impressive but so was the temperature- no air conditioning– explaining why most of the women carried fans!
Afterwards we took a stroll down via Maqueda and just had a slice of delicious Sicilian style pizza at Biga, just around the corner of the B&B.
Tomorrow starts our 17 day trip around the island, revisiting some place we saw 21 years ago and exploring some new sites.
Camino Musings 