Our first full day of guided touring was a welcome relief after our 15 kilometer forced march through Palermo. (We think we covered 75% of the driving portion of the tour through the city this morning the previous day on foot. No wonder we’re tired.) First stop was the duomo in Monreale, which is in some of the hills above the city. Interesting mix of Norman and Arab art and architecture. Huge church covered throughout with mosaics and/or gold leaf ceramic tile. Amazingly it took only 17 years to build in the 12th century. (Pictures to come later as this is a quick post before out latest 24-hour Internet card runs out of time.) Most amusing part of the visit was the dapper dude (snappy Italian sunglasses, crisp white shirt, the whole bit) serving as the rest room attendant. Only in Italy.

Next, was back to Palermo to visit the Palatine Chapel. Entry was delayed by a christening. Also a lovely building, but for 8.5 euros per person to enter, a bit of a ripoff given the Monreale duomo was free! (Pat didn’t have time to fill out the comment card. She would have given it to them straight.)

Then off to the seaside village of Cefalu, about 45 minutes east of Palermo. It’s marked by narrow winding lanes and views of the bay. We were struck by how calm the water was. Pat checked off another item from her list: had a traditional Sicilian dish, pasta with sardines, mint, fennel and pignoli nuts. Outstanding. Risotto with frutta de mare wasn’t too shabby either. Yes, food is a big part of this venture. Pat also had to dip her toes in the water, why not?

Tomorrow, wine tasting in Marsala and a “light” lunch that our guide has already warned us will be anything but light. The notion that Europeans serve smaller portions hasn’t filtered to Sicily. That’s right, that’s the “continent,” we aren’t in Europe.