Plans A and B

No matter how much I research before we leave home, not every place we go is going to be a fan favorite. And so much goes into an individual experience that sometimes you never can tell.

Case in point: Palermo, Sicily. We left Cagliari on an overnight ferry. To much excitement, I might add. It was more boat than we expected, with several restaurants, a cafeteria, a few bars, plenty of hang-out space, a deck-top pool (which was still closed for the season), and our very own 4-bunk cabin with private bathroom.

Everything began quite successfully. (Even the sea-sickers kept discomfort at bay.) Sleeping was a little difficult, though, as we were not in charge of our own cabin temperature. Some folks were chilly. And there was hall noise. And the breakfast announcements started at 3:00. Since we docked at 5:00.

Let me tell you when and where a port city looks its least glamorous: Sunday, 5:30 AM, along the docks. Seriously, it felt nearly post-apocalyptic. This city (which is optimistically advertised as “elegantly gritty”) can easily feel simply gritty. Add an Airbnb in an “up and coming” neighborhood with a (humid sea air assisted) scuzzy shower with pre-church Hair Rock blasting from the neighbors and bombed building remnants around the corner. And we said “no thank you.” Along with “I’m just so tired.”

So we checked on out of there, found a little hotel with the word “clean” in multiple reviews, and prepared to make a new plan.

We allowed ourselves a day off. Showers. Books. Movies. Video games. An easy stroll for easy groceries. And train tickets purchased for a new beachy town.

For our (now) one day in Palermo, we took off wandering. Saw the opera house where that critical scene of The Godfather III was filmed. Wended through a crowded and serpentine marketplace where we counted 3 completely unknown vegetables and lost count of the number of octopus vendors. Picked a path through a park of trash pile shoppers. Refused to pay to use the bathrooms at the palace (where we’d already paid 36€ to enter) where the chapel was mosaic-ed in gold. And stopped for an indulgent aperol spritz and French fries, because all the cool kids were doing it.

Had some good moments here. But all in all, not sad to be moving on. We figure life’s too short to be uncomfortable if’n you don’t have to. Cheers to scratching Plan A!