Sheilaclapkin's Blog;

Palermo

Let me begin with the fact that Italian men and especially Sicilian men suck you into their soul with their eyes and you give yours back. It is the purest kind of love, the love of one person to another. Just love and a mutual respect.  The women are very different with a different set of communications.  They are beautiful and delicate with a sense of harmony.  Let us get back to the men. My self esteem has risen percentage wise on the scale from one to one hundred, to one thousand. Look I am an old lady, old lady or not they look and do this soul drawing thing.  I wish I had the power to describe it, but when you feel it you know it has happened.  It is all done with the eyes. These Italian and Sicilian men have magical eyes and beautiful souls.  Oh of course NOT all of them, but the ones that looked and looked back, yes.  To those of you men who looked and showed the humanity of love to this old lady, not as old as you think, grazie, grazie.

By the way one more personal observation of the Italian, Sicilian man thing.  When asking directions, they help as quickly as they can and kind of snuggle up to you shoulder to shoulder and speak directly into your face: face to face, I love it and grazie, grazie again.

We walked for over five miles in the city center, then out to the water and saw so much of the everyday living of the Sicilian people in Palermo. We visited an open market, a magnificent church with the skull of the Saint buried beneath, picnicked at the beach, wandered, saw, did, and had hair raising coffee with pastries, plus realized on our walk back that everyone had locked up their stores and went home for a rest. They will return for business at 3:00 or there about. We came home to rest, too. I guess when in Sicily, do as the Sicilian’s do.

What a set of pipes

I must say that I love and appreciate Palermo for what it is and it is a gracious, magnificent, glorious, city that is intricate and complex in an ancient eclectic way.  There were many people who came to Palermo who were religious and of nobility. Each newcomer left their mark. We visited four churches today, each having a very special meaning to this city.  I love churches, love to sit and pray in each one of them, but four is a limit.

I wish you to know about the Patron Saint Rosalia of Palermo. It is of special interest because I have a very long time friend whose name is Rosalia and I think she will enjoy hearing that she is the Patron Saint of Palermo.  Her sainthood took five centuries in the making. The story is that Rosalia, the daughter of a Duke decided to live the life of a hermit and hide in the caves in the mountains until she died. Long after her death a hunter found her remains exactly at the time the plague ended. She is credited with the miracle of the plague’s end. Her remains were taken to the special cathedral dedicated to Our Lady of Assumption. When Saint Rosalia does a miracle to this day, you will smell flowers When I entered the cathedral with a fellow traveler, Lisa, she said what is that sweet smell. I said that I have been smelling that smell since we arrived in Palermo. Our guide told us that the smell of flowers is Saint Rosalia doing her miracle.  I wonder what miracle she performed on Lisa and me.

We had a special opportunity to venture out to the fishing town of Cefalu. Put an accent on the u. It is a beautiful town and the ride to get there more than breath taking. The drive was between huge mountains, full of gorgeous valleys, seascapes is worth remembering and did you know Celalu, with an accent on the u is on the Tyrrhenian Sea? This is a new sea for me. What a thrill just to learn how to spell it let alone see it and be there on its shores. Oh very happy day. Oh Beautiful Tyrrhenian Sea.