(got a USB drive! So all
pics from now on will be mine)
Yesterday was my 4th trip to
Rome in the last 27 months. My Mom
and I spent three days in Palermo, where I spent four days last year. Each trip is different, but of course
there is a lot of overlap. Our
tour guide in Rome last night talked about how historians refer to Rome as
Lasagna because of its historical layers, and I’m beginning to feel similarly
about part of Italy. Walking
around the city I saw places I had dinner my first trip there, tourist
destinations from my second trip, and meeting spots from my third trip. I imagine I will similarly about my
third visit to Florence today. I
don’t think it’s good or bad to observe these layers, but it’s something I’ve
been thinking about quite a bit.
It’s exciting to fill in the gaps from my last trip or last three
trips. Going to the Capella
Palatina in Palermo, Galleria Borghese in Rome, experiencing Chianti. But like last year, the more I see the
more I feel there is to be seen.
On Day 2 of Palermo we went up the hill
to Monreale, one of my favorite spots from last year. It’s a big church with golden mosaics decorating the
interior walls. Outside there is a
courtyard (il chiostro) which may be the most picturesque place I’ve ever
been. The center of the courtyard
is not kept up, there’s more dirt than grass, but the mosaic poles surrounding
it are beautiful, and the Church exterior isn’t too bad either. I had one picture from there on my wall
this past year, and I tried to find another angle that was Wall-worthy, and I
think this (outside shot) might be it. 
Our last day in Sicily we did a Hop On,
Hop Off exposed 2nd level bus tour, which I have never been a fan
of. But it’s a good way to see
areas of the city that are too far to walk to. The audio guide never seemed to discuss what I wanted to
know, only talked for less than half the time, when there was a lot more it
could have said. We did another in
Rome yesterday that, again, was a good way to see lots of things, but was
equally frustrating. 
Afterward we visited the Galleria
Borghese, an art museum in the main park in Rome where the building is a work
of art itself. The museum has a
few really impressive Bernini sculptures, one of David that I studied in art
history and another of Dafne and Apollo (I think?) where she’s turning into a
tree. I think it’s my new favorite
sculpture. The ceilings of every
room were incredible, it was just a beautiful place.
We had a super stressful time finding our
evening tour but once we did it was great. The tour was just us and a Canadian family, and the guide
was pretty good. I’d been to the
Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Venezia etc. three or four times before, but
never on a tour, so this was a welcome new layer. And for dinner we FINALLY had pizza, followed by a couple
gelato stops, I think San Crispino may be the best in Rome.
On Day 2 of Palermo we went up the hill
to Monreale, one of my favorite spots from last year. It’s a big church with golden mosaics decorating the
interior walls. Outside there is a
courtyard (il chiostro) which may be the most picturesque place I’ve ever
been. The center of the courtyard
is not kept up, there’s more dirt than grass, but the mosaic poles surrounding
it are beautiful, and the Church exterior isn’t too bad either. I had one picture from there on my wall
this past year, and I tried to find another angle that was Wall-worthy, and I
think this (outside shot) might be it.
Our last day in Sicily we did a Hop On,
Hop Off exposed 2nd level bus tour, which I have never been a fan
of. But it’s a good way to see
areas of the city that are too far to walk to. The audio guide never seemed to discuss what I wanted to
know, only talked for less than half the time, when there was a lot more it
could have said. We did another in
Rome yesterday that, again, was a good way to see lots of things, but was
equally frustrating. 
One last note on Sicily... the food. Arancini are these fried rice balls with cheese and/or veggies and/or meat inside. In the US they are maybe 1.5 inches in diameter. In Sicily they can be up to 5. And they are delicious.
Afterward we visited the Galleria
Borghese, an art museum in the main park in Rome where the building is a work
of art itself. The museum has a
few really impressive Bernini sculptures, one of David that I studied in art
history and another of Dafne and Apollo (I think?) where she’s turning into a
tree. I think it’s my new favorite
sculpture. The ceilings of every
room were incredible, it was just a beautiful place.
We had a super stressful time finding our
evening tour but once we did it was great. The tour was just us and a Canadian family, and the guide
was pretty good. I’d been to the
Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Venezia etc. three or four times before, but
never on a tour, so this was a welcome new layer. And for dinner we FINALLY had pizza, followed by a couple
gelato stops, I think San Crispino may be the best in Rome.
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