Upon arrival in Palermo we were met by Giorgio, our guide for the next 12 days.  After checking into our hotel and freshening up we enjoyed a walking tour of Palermo. The hotel was an 18th century cloister, then a bank and now a hotel. The rooms are spacious and very comfortable and situated in the heart of the old city.

The town is located along a beautiful bay on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Founded by the Phoenicians in the eighth and seventh centuries BC, it was conquered by the Arabs in 831, and a period of immense prosperity began.We were enchanted by Palermo’s wide boulevards, traditional Sicilian Old Quarter, baroque palaces and the twelfth-century Cathedral of Palermo.

Georgio took us for a stroll through cobblestone streets, past colourful shops, narrow alleyways and to the square where there were magnificent fountains.

This evening we enjoyed a welcome dinner at Bisso Bistrot. The food was amazing and service excellent!

After dinner we took a stroll to see the opera house and did a little purse shopping along the way and enjoyed a tasty canoli for dessert..

25Sep19 Number of steps taken today 12,363

Over night: Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo