Palermo

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November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving! We made it to Palermo after an exhilarating day at the Valley of the Greek Temples in Agrigento yesterday. We were able to explore several Greek temples overlooking the Mediterranean outside of the city. It was spectacular! It is truly amazing that such structures could remain fairly intact after 2000+ years! After hiking around the ruins, we were able to take a nice cappuccino/gelato break down by the lido. After snacking, the kids put on their swimsuits and went for a dip in the sea! There is a real advantage of touring this time of year because there are not many people and the temperature, although not hot, is really quite pleasant! The beach was deserted with the exception of a handful of other tourists doing the same thing as us! The locals perhaps thought we were crazy….instead of donning bikini’s and shorts they were all bundled up in down coats. Ironic since it probably was about 70 degrees or so! I guess it must get very hot here in the summer if the locals think it is cool enough to pull out the winter ware!

Our accommodations in Argrigento were nice. We stayed at the Hotel Kaos, a very modern place overlooking the sea! We were out of season, so I think we were two families, out of 5 staying at the place. Summer here would be fabulous…the pool was huge and it was surrounded by tall palm trees! The kids were very disappointed that it had been drained for the winter months! Our room had a child bedroom, adult bedroom and a wonderful terrace overlooking the gardens. Cristiana loved the bathroom because it had a huge rain shower. Breakfast consisted of the usual breads, cheeses, meats and fruits but also of some regional specialities such as almond juice and red orange juice! We all stuffed ourselves!

Last night we arrived in Palermo in true Hawthorne style around rush hour….Jim did a fabulous job driving through the city, despite the fact that we did not know the location of our hotel. We had several near misses with scooter drivers but I am glad to say everyone is alive and well! Our friend Jim Fricton (dad of the family traveling with us) attempted to navigate us to where we thought the hotel must be and the Italian Grandma stood behind Jim giving him her two cents in Italian! I think we traversed the city several times getting a good look at the town prior to arriving at the Hotel Igiea just after dark! Our hotel was a private palace up until the late 1800’s and the building and grounds are very grand! Several famous people stayed her prior to WWII including the Queen of Romania, King of Spain, King of Siam and several royals from London. Tonight though, we were the only noble people here so the hotel staff opened up one of the ballrooms for our children to dance around. The Fricton and the Hawthorne children have had the grand treatment here so returning home to every day life might come with some sacrifices!

We spent the day sightseeing in Palermo….via public transportation…always a fun and interesting way to do things, especially with 4 children and an old grandma! The city is very busy and old and is very different from our usual Italian haunts….it almost feels a little bit like Mexico City in the centro The people here are wonderful and are eager to visit and to give advise regarding food and sights! We visited a several churches adorned with golden mosaics and interesting relics (including a few skulls and a mummified hand….always a hit with kids!) We toured a palace, Picasso exhibit, archeological museum (full of Greek artifacts), two markets and a small amusement park! The markets were filled with spices, fruits, vegetables and lots of different meats and fish. While looking at some scarves, I was tapped on the shoulder. When I turned around, a huge hog, drapped over a guys shoulder was staring me in the face….I must of jumped a foot, which was very entertaining to the young boys hanging around on the street! What a day!

We celebrated Thanksgiving at a restaurant called Al Cancelletto Verde. Our meal consisted of fish, pasta, pizza, lots of good red wine and some homemade Limoncello! Not a traditional Thanksgiving meal but special never the less! We did have the opportunity to eat turkey at our hotel. The hotel staff indicated to us that they would buy and prepare a turkey but we graciously declined. The local fare here is tremendous and we could not pass up another night of fresh seafood and pasta. Our waiter tonight was a cute Sicilian named Tony. Jim invited him to visit if he ever comes to the States…hope it is not until he is old with grandchildren because in the next couple of years, he may be a little too cute and charming for my girls! Tomorrow we are driving to the catacombs and a beach outside of the city a couple of kilometers. We will leave the Frictons around 6:00pm and fly to London prior to flying home on Saturday or Sunday. We are looking forward to another day here and we are wishing that our stay could be extended. This really is a fun place. I am guessing we will have to return!

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