Sicily 2021 #21 - Palermo Mega Visit #2 , Neighborhoods

 After our epic day on Thursday, seeing as many of the primary sites of Palermo, we asked our guide Marco to do something very different for our second day on Saturday. We wanted to get more a picture of the real city. We sent him some links to blog posts from past trips so he could get a better feel for what we were looking for. The result was we covered much the same geographic area as we had on Thursday but very different streets with our seeing a much different aspect of the city. 

Palermo is quite intriguing as a modern city. It has been quite dysfunctional for a long period. While the vast majority of Western Europe rebuilt quite rapidly after WWII, various factors including rampant organized crime, emigration of land owners, poor local government conspired to the city not developing anywhere near as quickly. Even as much as a decade ago, it was known for horrible traffic and large parts of the downtown area still in a bombed out state from 60 years ago. This was all exacerbated by the role of the Mafia. Palermo was known as a city dominated by organized crime. They reinforced the physical decay of the city with practices of demolishing buildings with historic backgrounds to build cheap, poor replacements. The effect of their influence caused a flight from the center city causing depopulation. 

Then as we moved into the 21st century a number of factors began to cause a change. Palermo became a destination for immigration. Immigrants arrived, moved into the center city because it was cheap and started to create a positive economic environment. They were also more willing to resist mob threats and extortion. The Italian government also became more determined and effective in fighting organized crime. This is an interesting article on the subject. It has also benefited by having a long-term mayor, an independent, Leoluca Orlando, who has worked hard to revitalize the city by favoring immigration, working to develop tourism and fighting crime. 

To my novice eyes, one could feel the effects of these changes. Notorious for its inner city traffic and pollution, now many of its major streets are pedestrian only. This has led to positive real estate development. All through the neighborhoods we walked on could see various buildings being renovated. I told Marco that the overall feeling was of one walking in an 'old town' but one that was alive and vital. 

The Market - The Capo Market is the largest outdoor market in the city

 I have been to many, many markets. But I could not remember one that had produce as beautifully presented as this.

 

 Our guide wanted to have us try the local specialty of prickly pear. We couldn't convince him that we have plenty of this in New Mexico LOL.

 We were moving around too much and too fast to do much photographic specific stuff but I did try to do some candid photography.

 

 Moving on to the city, here are a few examples of the redeveloped right next to the undeveloped.

 

This very nice hotel

Right next to undeveloped building

 

There are still a lot of areas that are hardly touched since WWII

 

 

 Street Art - One of the things that really impressed me was the street art. Street art over the last 10-15 years has become prevalent all over the world. A lot of it is extremely well done. But the is a rough quality to much of what we saw in Palermo and a willingness to have the art meld with the actual character of the material it was put on that I've not seen before.

I like this one - a take on a traditional cart that might have a cannon on it but had a canolo instead and was pulled by a whale rather than horses.

 

 

 

 

There was some of the more polished street art

 

 

 This was impressive because of the detail of the eyes. It is supposed to be a representation of the patron saint of the city but done as a modern immigrant origin woman.

Miscellaneous from our walk in the city

These represent the city. The snake is all those over the decades that have sucked the wealth from it.

 

Examples of Arab-Norman style, both historic and new

 

 A float of the patron saint for her holiday parade

Other stuff from around the city

 

 When it rains, you cover your laundry with a plastic cover!

 This sign lists the Eras of man (Stone Age, Copper Age, Punic Era, Italian Unification, etc.) ending with the current age it calls the Age of the Scam!

 

 

 FOOD

This is a special pasta only found in Palermo. You make it like lasagna

 Arancina - Originate from Sicily. Are rice balls with a filling, traditionally a meat ragu, rolled in bread crumbs and fried. Found all over Italy now, they can be quite mediocre. Marco said these were the best. The rice itself was incredible.

The cannol - also originating here. Wife and I nearly died trying to finish them they were so rich

 Home to the best old style street type food in Palermo

Pani Ca'Meusa - Spleen Sandwich - Yup de-I does it again.

Actually was pretty good, like a very well cooked pot roast.

Last but not least

SIGNS OF THE WORLD

Palermo has a 'take no prisoners attitude'

 Park here and You're Going to Hell!

No Humans...period