Palermo Excursion

Our Palermo day was an early morning, meeting our fellow Disney mates who were going off to visit Segesta and Erice. The bus ride was made interesting by Vera, our guide who was very knowledgable and talkative. We were able to sit in the front seat, so Gary and I were a captive audience. We went first to Segesta, an ancient city from the 13th century and earlier, but no longer exists. All that is left is the Theatro and the Temple of Segesta. The Theatro was built in the 3rd Century BC and is still in wonderful condition, however they are doing some maintenance upgrades to it This excursion does require a good amount of walking uphill and on uneven pavement (what do you expect when it is centuries old?) The Temple was fascinating as Vera told us the history of it and the gods it was built to honor as well as why it was never finished. The Temple was built in the Classical design and faces east as most temples are. This is to represent each new day.

Following our time at Segesta we headed off to Erice. In order to reach this ancient, historic and quaint little village we had to take a cable car up the mountain. Once up at the top, Vera led us up to the Piazza or town square. The story behind Erice is that no one knows when the city was built and inhabited. Obviously by the looks and style of the buildings, it was centuries ago. There is a particular "bakery" on the "main street" that specializes in almond cookies and the knack of making marzipan. When our entire bus (32 of us) walked in, they started cutting up samples for us all to taste, which was a very smart move as it resulted in more sales for them. (think souvenirs ) Here is a picture taken in the bakery of the marzipan. We had time for looking around in the little shops that offered local handicrafts and produce. For lunch we were taken to a local restaurant/inn that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. The delicious homemade pasta and veal dish we were served made everybody very satisfied, therefore making for a very quiet bus ride back to the port of Palermo. This is the season for fresh watermelon and many other tasty fruits and vegetables and so this little markets display caught my eye.

For those reading this who are yet to come on the cruise, a couple things you do need to remember to bring with you on this excursion... suntan lotion, hats, and your travel paks of Charmin tissue as well as hand wipes. All were definitely needed, especially in Segesta.

More on Pompeii and Capri later.

Sandy