Oh Palermo

My faves & my downfall: pistachio & hazelnut gelato

Well. A few things:
1. I'm getting fat. None of the excessive walking that I've been doing seems to be counter-acting the rate at which I am consuming large amounts of bread, cheese, and gelato. I can't even avoid it. So the next time you see me, don't be alarmed if I look like myself, but in a fat suit.
2. Palermo is, um, interesting. It's what I expected, in that it's old, with lots of churches and monuments in varying states of disrepair. I'm missing the bustling piazzas that I remembered from trips to Rome a million years ago. But, then, this certainly isn't Rome.
3. I'm getting along fine, despite my limited Italian. Most people really don't speak English, so thank god for expressive hand gesturing. I have to say that I felt a bit melancholy my first day here when I realized that I had no one to talk with. Ok, I did say I wanted to be alone, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm a social person by nature. After 2 days spent exploring the city, I'm feeling more at ease. Plus, I managed to find some British tourists to chat with last night.
4. Holy shit, they're not kidding about the traffic.  What's incredible is that no one crashes into each other (or into pedestrians, for that matter), despite the lack of lanes, signage, and general chaos on the roads. It's a stark contrast to the streets in Amsterdam, with their neat bike lanes, and equally neat Dutch cyclists.
         It's amazing how a city can so clearly reflect the culture of its inhabitants. Amsterdam has its precisely built, clearly planned little streets. Everything in its place. To me, the actual Dutch (not the myriad tourists) were just as straight forward and precise. I found myself wondering when they let loose (likely in the privacy of their own perfectly decorated homes). Then there's Brussels. Similarly neat, but with less care.  Maybe some more litter, but not much. Less bikes. Like their city, these guys are a little more loose, if not indifferent. You see them laughing & drinking (and definitely smoking) at outdoor cafes, but no one's interested in anyone else. In both of these places, you're not going to hear people yelling in the streets or blasting their horns. That's where Palermo comes in. Laundry hangs from the windows and people shout greetings across the street to one another. Messy? No doubt. But there's a sense of life here; Sicilians don't seem to be the type of people who hold back from life, however frenetic or plebeian it may be.

Amsterdam: Even the plants are tidy

  

Brussels:  Neat enough

Palermo: Messy but alive