Italy Day 6 - Palermo Day 2 (Mon., 9/9/13)

Today we had breakfast at the hotel and took a little walk a few blocks to the port. It was a short walk because I had put on the torture sneakers to give them another try. Big mistake. We went back to the hotel to change shoes and pick up our phones and maps. Then we picked up the car at the garage and set off on another adventure.

The day started out all right but soon turned to crap. We drove out to Trappeto because I insisted I wanted to see where my Grandmother on my father's side lived before she met her husband and emigrated to the United States. Trappeto is a small seaside village with the narrowest roads we'd ever seen. The iphone kept saying to turn down into the town, where we nearly got stuck maneuvering the car around curves on the tiny squished roads. Dennis lost his cool and so did I. I think the word, "divorce," was mentioned. We had no idea where my grandmother lived, specifically, but we got an image of the place anyway. It was a fine location, right by the water. We were happy to find our way out. Dennis did a great job, but I was still mad at him for most of the day.

After that fiasco, we drove on to Balestrate, where my grandfather on my father's side lived. It was just a short distance down the road and this time we only drove through the upper town and not down to the beach. Still mad, though.

I was ready to go back to the hotel or home if I could, but Dennis drove on to our third goal of the day, San Vito de Capo. I usually like to go to the end of things...like the end of Long Island or Maine or any other place that sticks out into the ocean. San Vito de Capo was such a place. This time the roads were really wide and easy to navigate, probably because it is a summer beach resort where families come to vacation and swim in the sea. We found a parking space (still at a premium here as it is everywhere in Italy) far from the Main Street, so we started walking again. 

On the Main Street we found restaurants and ice cream shops all up and down the street. I think we came at siesta time because many of the places were closed up. At the restaurant where we had lunch, Dennis asked where we could find a store to buy water to drink. The man who was perhaps the owner directed us to a grocery down the way but said it would be closed until 4 o'clock. I had been reading in "Stumbling through Italy" that stores open at 10 am until 1 p.m., then close for siesta until 4 pm. They they stay open until 8 or 9 in the evening. Seems it is true.

After spending some time in the town, we walked back to the car (Dennis saved me a couple of blocks of walking by retrieving the car and then picking me up.) We drove back to Palermo and, with me giving directions from my iphone and Dennis driving, we made it back to our hotel. What a trip driving in Palermo.

Dennis parked the car in the parking garage and I went to our room. Later he went out again and bought some bottles of water and goodies from the bakery. Somehow he was able to bring me a hot cup of cappuccino so I guess I forgive him for being mean to me.