This northern shore of the island is precipitous. The cactus-clad mountains tumble down into the sea, and the coastal roads wind semi-hysterically at times. It takes almost two hours to get to the dramatic and sketchable citadel of Tindari, crowning a particularly bloodcurdling pinnacle above the sea. Tindari was a Greek settlement four centuries before the Christian era, but most of it has slid into the sea. What remains is a medieval sanctuary, well worth the slight detour.
CEFALU
The drama of these hills begins to taper off as you approach Ccfalu, one of the most memorable of Sicilian towns, crouching at the base of a Gibraltarlike limestone promontory. The square towers of its massive Norman cathedral, begun a little over eight centuries ago, Stand out from a welter of close-packed waterfront buildings. In the choir are the first of the superlative mosaics for which Sicily is famed. It was here that the Norman King Roger wished to be buried with his queen. He built two im posing sarcophagi of porphyry for the purpose. But his wishes were ignored. The couple have long since joined the royal family in the tombs of the cathedral in Palermo. Adjoining Cefalú's cathedral is a Romanesque cloister of great beauty. It all builds up into quite a temptation for the more assiduous enthusiasts of Norman art.
PALERMO
Many travelers begin their Sicilian adventure in this island capital, coming here by transatlantic liner or by the overnight steamer from Naples or Tunis. Daily plane service from Rome, Milan and Naples brings other visitors, sometimes in unexpected droves. Palermo's hotel facilities being limited, it is highly important to make reservations in advance, either at the long-established VILLA IGEA overlooking the sea, or at the HOTEL DES PALMES, in the heart of the city.
This effervescent, noisy metropolis of some half million inhabitants holds unexpected rewards for the prowling sightseer, especially near the waterfront and the market squares. Pinpoint the Piazza Caracciola on your map and look for the ultimate in Sicilian animation. The place reverberates with the shouts of black marketeers, fish peddlers, pastry vendors and medicine men. Street singers, hand organs, quite gruesome meat markets and damsels of doubtful virtue enrich the atmosphere. The sheltered Cala, where the fishing fleet clusters in colorful disorder, is another spot dear to the hearts of local artists. After a rainstorm, a hundred sails in varied lints arc hoisted to dry, an unforgettable sight calling for the quick use of a color camera. Nor will you ever forget the catacombs of Palermo: dank places whose walls are decorated with the robed skeletons of lmonks. A mote cheerful apparition is found in the gay and pagan fountain decorating the Piazza Pretoria, as playful and irreverent a display as you'll find in many a day, and certain to be banned in Boston. Other highlights of Palermo arc more sober-the extraordinary half-Moorish, half-Norman churches with their tomaco-pink domes, and the immense, discordant cathedral with its sextet of royal tombs. There are many beautiful things in Sicily but, in my humble opinion, nothing quite approaches the splendor of its monks, two superlative examples of which arc here. Missing that chef-d'oeuvre of Byzantine art, the Palatine Chapel in Palermo's Royal Palace, would be comparable to missing No re Dame in Paris. It is a thing of perfect, miraculous beauty. In the hills some five miles above the metropolis is Monreale, a city made famous by its cathedral and cloisters, both of which have no peer in the world of architecture, Monreale leaves one speechless with awe and admiration for the achievements of which man is capable.
Palermo has its lighter side-a fine opera, a university whose students swarm the busy streets between classes and, we are glad to say, a few restaurants to provide a glimpse, at least, of Sicilian cooking. The most satisfactory of these is the OLIMPIA, on the populous Via Ruggera Settino. We found the place full of silver-thatched Sicilian executives, an unfailing index of excellence. On the ground floor is the CAPE DAGNINO, a student-dense wonderland of drinks, cakes, confections and ices which merits exploration. In the far corner is a sort of hot shop where they sell exotic unsweet things, and litre is your best chance to savor Palermo's local specialties. You take your pick, prop yourself on a high stool facing a marble shelf on the wall, and you tan almost imagine yourself in an American beanery-except for the food, which shatters the illusion at once. You can buy a segment of that famous pasta alla sarttc here for a song, or aromatic rice fritters, assorted pizzas, fish fries and sandwiches which defy all precedent. It's a marvelous place to stock up on provisions for a picnic, and you don't have to know the names of things. Just point. The brunette at this counter will wrap up a treasury of strange delicacies which taste less alarming than they look. Up one flight is the Olimpia restaurant, a reposeful and well-lighted salon whose windows overlook the teeming thoroughfare. The menu is conventional but varied, and the service by waiters dressed as bellboys with gold buttons, is all one could ask. The wine list is good, the coffee hot and strong. The grey-haired businessmen arc rignr, as usual; Olimpia deserves its steadfast clientele.
Pinterest
