V5 travels: A day by the water and some street food

After the tense arrival in Palermo we slept well. Our Pensione was extremely comfortable and the next morning we were greeted by a beautiful host - Maria - who had organised a banquet breakfast - salty and savoury through to pure sweetness - including cannoli and cappuccino.

Our tummies full, we wandered the streets - heading up via Cavour, past shops to a pedestrian area which started at the Teatro Massimo and continued almost to the water. Tourist cafes and souvenir stall dotted the avenue. At the end we found ourselves at the port and a bar called Nautoscopio - NAUTO.

Comfy chairs were on the boardwalk and deck chairs in the sand. Drinks ranged from sweet, coffee to alcoholic and as it was nearly noon we indulged in apperitivo while sitting in the sun and watching the yachts and birds over the water. The music c was great, the drinks were great, a hamburger was available so we found ourselves relaxing and soaking in the vibe of the place for more than a few hours. It wa a. Extremely pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

Late in the afternoon we wandered back. To our hotel for a siesta before meeting a group for a street food tour. Our guide Frederico took us through the city sourcing local and historically significant snacks and an odd wine / beer which we enjoyed with travellers from Brussels, Paris, Switzerland,Germany and one other Australian. The most interesting was the spleen sandwich - cow spleen cooked in lard on fresh bread rolls - that dated back to Jewish inhabitants prior to 1800. We also enjoyed crostini, croquets, panelle, gelato, wine, beer and a Palermo sweet wine called Sangue - similar to a Marsala. An interesting night

The next day we wandered Markeys and streets . Finishing with a tour of the Teatro Massimo before heading to our ferry

We are catching the overnight ferry to Napoli - a two north cabin on the outside deck We are a little nervous of a rough crossing but thought it worth the risk rather than a 13 hour drive Read the next blog to find out how it went !