Day 2 - May 12
The rest of the group was scheduled to arrive by 2pm, so Dr V and I set off to find the Palermo Botanic Garden. We hitched a bus downtown, then braved the traffic as targets, um I mean pedestrians, the rest of the way. It really is like a game of chicken to see who blinks as to who wins the right of way. I think they could tell we were amateurs. But we survived and arrived at our destination. The bot garden was pretty interesting, but not as maintained as I would have expected. Lots of strange new plants and trees - a giant Ficus with roots growing down from the branches (yep, same as our houseplant Ficus), and a cotton tree which sheds silky cottony fiber that covers the ground. Could have spent more time there, but we ran out of time. That seemed to be a common problem of this year's Garden Tour, just as it was last year.
Met the group and hopped on the bus to visit St Rosalia Grotto. Our bus chugged slowly but surely around a windy road up Mount Pellegrino, overlooking Palermo. At the top was a grotto where the Catholic faithful of Palermo make their pilgrimage. Lots of altars and statues and candles and water dripping from the rock...cool place, but I don't really get the whole Catholic saint thing. To me, anything that takes the focus of worship off God is an idol. I just don't get it.
Next stop was the cathedral and cloister at Monreale, dating back to 1174. Very pretty and ornate with incredible mosaics in the cathedral. Amazing to think that this has stood for nearly a thousand years and still in such good condition. Not sure if they still worship there, but it sure would be a shame if they didn't.
Final stop of the day was at Villa San Marco. This family home dates back to the 16th century and the parents of a former UGA grad student still live there. They treated us to a delicious spread and gave us a tour of the garden, followed around by their beagle. Wanted to put that beagle in my suitcase and take her with us. They had the best fresh squeezed orange juice I've ever had, fresh from their citrus grove. Olives from their own grove too. They also had their own wine, but I stuck to the OJ. A good end to a good long day. The first of many more good and long days to come.
The rest of the group was scheduled to arrive by 2pm, so Dr V and I set off to find the Palermo Botanic Garden. We hitched a bus downtown, then braved the traffic as targets, um I mean pedestrians, the rest of the way. It really is like a game of chicken to see who blinks as to who wins the right of way. I think they could tell we were amateurs. But we survived and arrived at our destination. The bot garden was pretty interesting, but not as maintained as I would have expected. Lots of strange new plants and trees - a giant Ficus with roots growing down from the branches (yep, same as our houseplant Ficus), and a cotton tree which sheds silky cottony fiber that covers the ground. Could have spent more time there, but we ran out of time. That seemed to be a common problem of this year's Garden Tour, just as it was last year.
Met the group and hopped on the bus to visit St Rosalia Grotto. Our bus chugged slowly but surely around a windy road up Mount Pellegrino, overlooking Palermo. At the top was a grotto where the Catholic faithful of Palermo make their pilgrimage. Lots of altars and statues and candles and water dripping from the rock...cool place, but I don't really get the whole Catholic saint thing. To me, anything that takes the focus of worship off God is an idol. I just don't get it.
Next stop was the cathedral and cloister at Monreale, dating back to 1174. Very pretty and ornate with incredible mosaics in the cathedral. Amazing to think that this has stood for nearly a thousand years and still in such good condition. Not sure if they still worship there, but it sure would be a shame if they didn't. 
Final stop of the day was at Villa San Marco. This family home dates back to the 16th century and the parents of a former UGA grad student still live there. They treated us to a delicious spread and gave us a tour of the garden, followed around by their beagle. Wanted to put that beagle in my suitcase and take her with us. They had the best fresh squeezed orange juice I've ever had, fresh from their citrus grove. Olives from their own grove too. They also had their own wine, but I stuck to the OJ. A good end to a good long day. The first of many more good and long days to come.
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