Dead bodies everywhere!

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Lots of dead bodies!

Finally, after a far too long gap of 32 years, I got to come back to Palermo in Sicily today.  The temperature climbed to 36 degrees so it worked well that we had chosen to go to the Catacombs.  They have over 8,000 dead bodies lying around on shelves or rather spookily standing up - well hanging from hooks but it looks like they're standing up.  Everyone was buried in their finest clothing so it's a bit like a macabre clothing museum with costumes dating back to the 1500s.  And still they have the 2-year old Rosalia Lombardo who died back in 1920.  The embalming process used on her was an amazing success as she looks like she's asleep and recent x-rays have proved she still has all her internal organs and in good shape too.  This is definitely one of the weirder things to do on your holidays but if you're not spooked by a load of dead bodies, it's also one of the more fascinating places to visit.  Weird but in a pretty wonderful kind of way!

Palermo itself is full - of history, of palaces, of mansions, of street markets, of cafes, of bars, of shops, of parks, and of traffic.  The traffic is worth watching on its own.  They make 4 lanes where you and I would only make 3 and then, when that's not enough space, all the scooters and bikes use the pavements.  The pedestrians just have to chance their lot to luck and hope for the best as they are definitely last in the pecking order.  But very adept at gesticulating in Italian!

Saw one of the strangest ever shopping sights today: a shop selling the kind of clothing and trinkets only bought by bishops and cardinals.  And if that wasn't strange enough, the 2 shop assistants were a pair of nuns!  You sure as heck don't get that in Reading town centre.

Had a lovely swim this afternoon back on board then the most amazing fillet steak for dinner.  Sounds simple enough, except there was a complication.  We dressed for dinner (formal tonight, Richard in dinner suit bow tie, etc, Claire in full length evening dress - we looked a picture).  Off we went to the lifts, and couldn't help but notice how few people had bothered to dress up properly.  Oops - zoom back to our cabin, check the dress code, and discover it was smart casual only.  Quick change and back out again.

We giggled all the way to the restaurant, thinking about how embarrassing it could have been, and how relieved we were to have realised in time.  It would have been like turning up at a fancy dress party, only...well, you get the picture.

Tonight's show was a comic magician and he absolutely hit my funny bone.  I giggled the whole way through his show.  Then we met up with some friends in the games room before retiring to our lovely cabin for a last cup of tea of the day.

All at sea tomorrow so another day of rest and relaxation before the pinnacle of our trip: Venice on Thursday.

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