Well, how many churches does it take for a city to be dubbed "City of Churches"? My guess is, Palermo would surely qualify. How many churches have I seen? I have lost count. Many are ridiculously ornate. There is often so much detail that the brain just can't itake it all in. Me, I am much more a fan of the adage of "less is more". But I have to say that our first stop of the day, the Oratorio Di San Lorenzo, was breathtaking. Serpotta was the artist who decorated this jewel which has walls crowded with stuccoed statues and putti. The women who depict the various virtues are gorgeous. They are very well dressed in the best fashion styles of the day. The putti are charming; they frolic and smirk; their chubby limbs are ... read more

It's 5.15 am in the morning and my unfamiliar surroundings are dark. I am awake. My tiredness is gone. The room is warm, but the air con is activated in bursts automatically, so it is quite bearable. Our hotel is called Porta Felice (Gate of Happiness?) and surrounding it are massive stone buildings, some more dilapidated than others. My first impressions of Palermo are jumbled, much like my brain. It has been buffeted by the endless torture that is long haul flying and the mind numbing madness of waiting in airports for a total of about 32 hours all up. Thankfully, that part of travel is like childbirth; eventually, you forget it and wallow in the joy of the prize it brings. When we left Adelaide, it was cold, wet and grey. That was on another ... read more