Chloe McDaniel, a senior majoring in Exercise Science wrote today’s post.
Because we had arrived at our new hotel in San Guiseppe Jato late last night, it was too dark to see much of it. This morning, we all emerged from our rooms and were delighted to see a gorgeous view of green hills blanketed by the glowing orange sun. After being awoken by the blindingly beautiful view, we made our way into the dining room for warm croissants and cappuccinos for breakfast. On the agenda today, was a day trip to the nearby city of Palermo. We were all excited, as it was our last day to visit a big city and just be tourists for the day.
The bus ride to Palermo was about 40 minutes. For tonight, we had planned to do a big group antipasti dinner in true Italian style. Each person volunteered to contribute something. For this to happen, our first priority in Palermo was to go to a market.
We went to Mercato di Ballaro, one of the two famous markets in the city. “Ballaro” was likely named after the city “Ballhara,”where Arab merchants lived when they occupied Sicily. The merchants would go to what is now called Palermo to sell their goods, similar to what Mercato di Ballaro is known for today. It was overwhelmingly loud, with stand owners shouting bargains at you. It was lively, crowded, and especially colorful. Fruits and vegetables were the star of the show, but there was also bread, clothing, flowers, street food, and more. After a stroll through the market and purchasing things for dinner, we split up into smaller groups to explore the city of Palermo.
My group and I walked just under a mile to a street with lots of cute shops and cafes. Many of us purchased some souvenirs, clothing, and jewelry to take home. The city was gorgeous, with colorful buildings and cobblestone streets. It seemed that each new street we walked had a different feel than the previous. We sat down for lunch and, before we knew it, it was time to head back to the bus. I was sad to leave Palermo, as it seemed there was so much of the city I didn’t get to see.
After returning to the hotel, we all met up again for our group dinner with foods we gathered from the market. We feasted on bread, crackers, an assortment of meats and cheeses, olives, fruit salad, and sauteed vegetables. The market food did not disappoint. We all enjoyed trying the array of yummy foods, and then finished with a small pastry. I can’t believe our trip is nearing the end!
