Palermo is a raw and unpolished city, one that’s far from perfect. The streets smell a bit, every narrow alley is filled with hanging laundry, fruit is shining bright in the sun, trash is stinking in the corners, scooters are driving by too fast and the smell of fried snacks is penetrating your skin. Don’t get mistaken, there’s a lot to see, but with its dark edges the city would make a perfect filmset for a film noir.
While walking around you can spot plenty of interesting sites. Climb as much towers as possible, walk the gardens, cool down at the many piazzas or in the churches and enjoy the gestures and body movements of the Palermitans. Don’t forget to devour some street snacks; the vending stands along the road are a proud, centuries-old tradition in town, born both out of practicality and poverty.
Most of all, Palermo gives you contrast to the rest of the fairy tale-like feeling of the island. The people seem more down-to-earth or perhaps without pretence, and barely care what you do walking around in their streets, since tourism is not the efforts’ focus. Because of that, the bustling city gives you truth – whether you think it’s an ugly or magnificent one, it even seems indifferent to your opinion – and it’s just that authentic taste of Sicilian culture that’s remarkably refreshing.
