Palermo, Sicily

Tap into this post to read about some of our sightseeing, fun facts, travel tips and many pictures of our time in Sicily.  We encourage you to get out and see the world if you are able, and if not, we will bring it to you through our posts.  We hope you enjoy!

Flag of SicilyAlthough a province of Italy, the autonomous region of Sicily has its own flag (which flies below the Italian national flag).  The Sicilian flag has two equal triangles representing its two municipalities–Palermo (red) and Corleone (yellow).  The Trinacria symbol of three bent legs represents the triangular shape of the island and the winged head of Medusa with wheat ears symbolize the fertile land of the island.

One Gorgeous Sicilian Day

Another stop on our Mediterranean cruise was Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily.  Palermo is an ancient city, established in 734 B.C., and serves as the present day capital of Sicily.  Palermo has an interesting mix of very old buildings and architecture amid palm lined streets, gardens, and parks.  It has the feel of being in a very old European city but with palm trees everywhere–quite unique.  The July weather was warm and tropical with the bluest sky ever!  It was a lovely day.

Facts & Figures

—  Sicily is governed as an autonomous ‘Region of Italy’, however it is not an independent country

—  Palermo is the capital of Sicily and its metropolitan area has a population of nearly 1.5 million people

—  Palermo was founded over 2700 years ago by the Phoenicians and was first called ‘Ziz’, meaning ‘flower’

—  The Palermo Cathedral, originally built in 1152, contains an eclectic mix of architectural styles and features reflecting the many additions and renovations over the years, including Moorish, Norman, Byzantine, Romanesque, Renaissance, Baroque, and Gothic architectures

Travel Tips

—  Palermo is a fairly large sprawling city, therefore we recommend a hop-on, hop-off bus for touring the attractions

—  Palermo is one of Europe’s most temperate cities, good for visiting year round

—  Currency used in Sicily is the Euro

If you are a world trekker like us and want to become more ‘worldly’, then you will want to try our books below.  Thanks to the former British Empire and current Commonwealth, the English language is widely spoken across the world, however it is spoken quite differently depending on where you are traveling.  We believe the books below are essential to worldly trekkers and think you will find them both fun and informative.  The books include a dictionary of everyday words and phrases, traditional cuisine, some history and culture, and other handy information.

Simply click on the book covers below to find out more:

1 Chronicles 29:11 – New Living Translation (NLT)

¹¹ Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.