fellow travelers,
hello from the city of Palermo on the island region of Sicily in the country of Italy.
arrived today after long flights from Seattle to Chicago, and then Chicago to Rome, and then Rome to Palermo, Sicily. made worse by the fact that i was in coach class. in addition i am struggling with some pain in my right shoulder and right arm as a result of a bone spur in my neck/spinal cord. other than that it was great trip.
on the flight i got a chance to see Coco, the movie. has anyone else seen this? even though it has been out for almost 2 years, i had not seen it. the film is just delightful. never have really been a fan of animated films but this one blew me away. i was so intrigued by the way the film deals with the issues of family, pursuing one’s passion, life and death, a community’s culture, and the relationships between older and younger people. and, yes, i am known for tearing up in every movie, and this one was no exception.
after arriving in Palermo, the capital of Sicily, all i had time to do today was to leisurely walk around the city a little bit. Palermo has about the same population as Seattle, and both were inhabited some 10,000 years ago (8,000 BC). but the similarities stop there.
in Seattle there is evidence that since about the 6th century humans inhabited Seattle environs, with the Coast Salish native american peoples occupying the land up to the 1850’s. around 1850 is when Seattle was first “founded” — some 170 years ago.
Palermo, on the other hand, was first “founded” back in 734 BC — some 2753 years ago. and since that time the city has had a myriad of invaders including the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Normans, the Bourbons, and some French and German houses too.
can’t wait to explore the city and the island of Sicily and to do it with my family! my daughter Kelsey, her husband Brian and their 6 month old son Henry will be joining me tomorrow. in addition my son Guy and his significant other Chelsea will be joining us too for the next 10 days.
as you know, i love to write about what life has to offer. and i hope you enjoy the journey with me.
tomorrow, i will be writing about my first taste of Sicily and that is their food. OMG. it is to die for. it is absolutely unbelievable. wait to you hear about Caponata, which is the best eggplant salad i have ever tasted. more tomorrow.
Neil
Hi Neil – Glad you got there and your back troubles did not hold you up! Sounds like you are going to have a really wonderful holiday with all the family gathered. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us via your blog!
I always enjoy your travel blog adventures, as they are steeped in the history and culture of the cities you visit which I so enjoy. And how could your food travels in Italy be anything but wonderful?! Looking forward to reading about your daily adventures!
Neil,
be sure to see the gate to the city that Montgomery and Patton marched through
also the church about 150 inside the city coming from the gate
Put ice on the neck. Double you wine intake. If neither work, triple your wine intake and put the ice in the wine plus read any book on self-healing.
Sounds like a long trip but well worth it!! Coco is a great movie! Looking forward to following along on your adventure!
Glad you arrived in 1 piece.
Have fun.
Neil, Off on another adventure! We hope this one is not as “adventuresome” as last years. It should be fun. Glad your family can join you. Good luck to you all, and yes, please share your memories with us. Always fun to read about. When we see you in Indio, we will share stories, as we too are planning a big trip to Copenhagen, the Baltic area, Scotland, and the hermitage in St. petersburg, Russia, along with one son, wife and 2 grands. The only part I’m not looking forward to is the flight, too. See you in the South in the fall.
So glad you made it!
What a wonderful time for you w/ Kelsey and Guy and their families.
Hope the cortisone shot kicks in soon!!!
Probably wise to go to Sicily. Does this mean no circumnavigation of Vancouver Island?
no no. the bucket list item of the circumnavigation of Vancouver Island remains. yes, last year’s attempt did not succeed. but, who said “if you don’t succeed, try, try, try again”? so, in july this summer a second attempt will be made. stay tuned.
Glad to see you posting this years summer travel. Looking forward to seeing more on your adventure. Wonderful you will have family joining you there.