Palermo by car

We went to Palermo, by car in the end, our second (and last) attempt at a train journey ended in abject failure.  We got up early ‘cos we knew there were no trains during the middle of the day, and got to the station at about 9 am.  We’d missed the last train !! it was at 08.26 and the next one was at 15.30.

It’s hard to work out how this system operates.  There are 6 or 7 trains a day from Palermo to Trapani, but only 2 or 3, from Trapani to Palermo, along a single track.  So, either they sneak trains back to Palermo off the timetable, or very soon all the trains on the island will be at Trapani station.

The drive in was uneventful, but parking wasn’t easy.  I ended up parking in some run down area with burnt out cars scattered about.  Turns out we were only a couple of minutes walk from the epicentre  (Cathedral, Parliament etc).  Fantastic edifices on every corner, lots of mixed Arab and Norman architecture.  A few shops, but nothing of any help to us, one place seemed to be selling machine guns, the next religious apparel and hardware, like this Madonna with the iPOD.

We strolled through the back streets ..

Which were curious; till we found a stall selling fish and chips, or rather the local equivalent.  So we had a potato and batter sandwich (we think), which tasted nicer than it sounds.

The next 2 days we just dossed about, a bit of half-hearted fishing. First with anchovies, which were not ideal, energetic casts resulted in  the weight and the hook going off in a northerly direction and the bait going off towards the North East, then with a spinner we found on the beach, but with my boat rod I could not cast far enough so abandoned that.

I earlier recounted about being adopted by a dog in France, it’s a daily occurrence here.  There’s lots of strays, all friendly and keen to impress by barking at other dogs, or in the absence of that barking at the sea, or chasing birds, or a cat, but always with half an eye on you, and an expression that says “impressed? PAH! that was nothing, you want to see what I do for people who feed me”. 

Bunty speaking here…  I  have tried so hard not to show any emotion to these dogs – walk on, look straight ahead but it is so hard, they have obviously been someone’s pets and just abandoned, it is pitiful and I find it incredibly hard to walk on by – if I had my way they would all be coming back to England with us.  Man’s best friend – we should  be ashamed – or the Italians should be ashamed – where is their  RSPCA – is there one?  Will have to look it up on the internet when we can find it – anyone fancy a pet? Can hear the cat with a human cry making its rounds – oh gawd!