Sicilian Mafia

Welcome our dear travellers,

We keep on travelling all around the world, and today we will visit very sunny and warm country. However, it tends to be the birthplace of the true mafia… Can you tell me what it is? Yes, you are absolutely right, so welcome to Sicily! Sicily is an idyllic, tranquil and beautiful island, "packed with" a huge number of attractions. Perhaps this enigmatic mixture each season attracts so many tourists from all around the globe.

Indeed, the Sicilian Mafia brings a lot of problems, but today she is firmly established at all levels of government, it is almost impossible to eradicate. Despite this, the mayor of Palermo sure that foreign tourist are in no danger. Ordinary Italians on the streets are sociable and very friendly.

Starting the trip from the air port we offer two ways for savers: use a bus that will drag you to the city center for 7,97eur, buses are new and very comfortable, so your trip will be very cozy. However for our spenders in order to feel all the temper of Italians we offer to rent an Italian red Ferrari for 2 days it will cost 5230eur with driver.

In case you want to spend weekend in the place where all the most famous and powerful people spend their time, Villa Igiea will be the best choice for you. It is the building for more than 200 years history, you can find there very classy and conservative design, expensive paintings and very interesting legends according some of the them. For 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room and big terrace apartment for 2 days you should be ready to pay 1137euros. 

For people who have very limited budget for travelling we would offer to use the very well know “couchsurfing” program, in order to save money.

In Sicily you can always feel the smell of Mafia. You can’t stand them out from others, however you always feel that they are somewhere around you. Mafia is like another Sicilian culture, you should know at least general rules that they stated, some of them are very creepy like “bloody vendetta” or “omerta rule”. For ladies it is better not to wear very short skirts and dresses, or wear very  causing clothes, because man are there not very reserved. Moreover, it is better not to go deep into the streets of Sicily, because you can easily get lost in those narrow, small streets. We offer you, for your safety and wealth to walk by streets that are mainly maid for tourists. The best choice would be to buy bus ticket for 2 days for 9,15euros.

In Palermo you should definitely taste the local cuisine. Delicious pasta, seafood and pizza on thin crust - the Italians know a lot about food. By the way, do not forget about the phenomenon of the siesta - from 13 to 17 hours the city is literally "dying." Only a few institutions targeted at foreign tourists, work without a break.  People who have unlimited budget should definitely visit “Alle Terazze” restaurant and try their very well known octopus, white tuna and a lot of different seafood for 120euros.

Piazza Pretoria - Palermo's main square. In the center is a magnificent fountain decorated with statues of animals and mythological characters. Due to the fact that the majority of the sculptures are naked people, the citizens gave it the name "fountain of shame."

A peculiar attraction, popular among tourists in Palermo are the Capuchin Catacombs. This is kind of "exhibition" of dead people. Mummified and embalmed bodies, skeletons are on display. The representatives of the clergy and nobility, as well as people of different professions - about eight thousand dead. In 1920, a little girl Rosalia Lombardo was the last one who was buried here. Nervous travelers should refrain from visiting the catacombs! The ticket costs 3,92euro.

Piazza Verdi is Massimo Opera House - one of the biggest in Europe. The auditorium in the style of the late Renaissance and is famous for its excellent acoustics. The tip from “Notebook of Travellers” visit Puccini opera “ Madam Butterfly”, however in order to see it you should have unlimited budget.  In the evening, the square in front of the theater begins a completely different life: a lot of street musicians and jugglers perform before an audience, and all this FOR FREE!

Palatine Chapel - personal chapel of Sicilian kings. Unique carved ceiling and Arabic mosaic of local and Byzantine masters are the main decoration of the monument of history, ant to see this beauty costs only 11,11euros!

This is it, we hope that we interested you, and you will love this island as we do! Go there, sit in the cozy restaurant, at sunny day have your fresh lemonchello, BUT be careful with those who offer you their company, because after all, it can be well known GODFATHER…

Always yours,

"Notebook of Travellers"