That night in Palermo we are on our own. Most of the group went for the
optional "seafood extravaganza", but it didn't sound like our
cup of tea. We hadn't been served much in the way of mushrooms, so we
headed over to Biondo for the pasta with mushrooms and truffles.
Walking on the way back. Here is the full moon over some statues on the
roof of this structure.
The next day we are off on the optional tour of the markets and catacombs.
This is part of the reason we passed on the "seafood extravaganza".
You can find just about anything in the markets: a butcher next to a
fruit stand next to household appliances.
The second part was the catacombs where corpses are mummified and displayed
on the walls. And who is here to sell us guidebooks, but George Clooney
himself!
No cameras are allowed, so I shot this illicit photo from my fanny pack.
Just picture hallway after hallway of corpses. Here's to cremation!
This is part of the "four corners of Palermo" intersection.
Our sightseeing takes us to Monreale.
The trimarchi symbol with the head inside the three legs is a symbol
of Sicily. The three legs represent the triangular structure of the island,
the grain represents the important agricultural status, and the face is
that of Medusa for some reason.
A church that was built at two different times with two different styles.
This church is known for having one of the largest preserved set of mosaics,
especially the gold mosaics made from gold infused in glass tiles.
The ceiling truss structures.
The church tells Bible stories for the illiterate. There's Adam and Eve
with the serpent on the top row, and Abraham and Isaac on the second row.
Monreale is, like many of these cities, built on top of a hill for protection.
This means that it has awesome views.
That night is the "dine around" dinner, where you get to choose
from one of three pre-selected restaurants. Unfortunately, almost everyone
chose the first restaurant, and we overwhelmed them with the number of
people. This restaurant had the best marketing in their descriptions of
the food to be served, but the execution was pathetic. This is us still
smiling because we haven't eaten yet.