Our first full day in Palermo, and it feels like we saw the entire city in our usual ‘speed tour’ method of sightseeing. Sturdy walking shoes a must. After an “indecent” breakfast (Jim stuck with the salumi; cheese and bread, but I had the custard-filled pastry and cake), we were off to Ballaro market, La Kalsa and the Catacombe dei Cappuccini.

Ballaro market was just what you would picture – an overabundance of fresh fish and meats, vendors bellowing out their offers – you really need to capture the sounds and smells of this market in addition to the pictures. May the loudest vendor win, or so seems the local rule.

The La Kalsa district is the old Arab-Norman area of the city – a place where travel guides warn you to be watchful. During the day, it was perfectly peaceful. We visited the Galleria Regionale di Sicilia, which is in a restored palazzo and features some beautiful frescoes and paintings. The most interesting was one of the Christ child’s circumcision. (Let’s just say it left little to the imagination; pretty randy those Renaissance artists.)

Then it was off to the catacombs. Why not spend your vacation looked at 8,000 mummies? It was incredibly eerie – they really are the exposed corpses of priests, professionals, children, virgins, military, etc. Apparently the conditions of the catacombs are especially good for preservation. My niece would have loved it – though it would probably keep her up at night – especially the two-year old who died in 1920 and looks so ‘alive’ you think she’ll get up in a minute. That will suffice for our Halloween treat this year.

After about seven hours of walking we’re enjoying our birra on the hotel’s terrace. We didn’t find the babbaluci (baby snails) to snack on, but the arancine – a deep-fried rice ball stuffed with ham and cheese – will hold us over until dinner. When in Sicily, do as the Sicilians do. (After this vacation – Atkins here I come!)