Last day in Sicilia

My last day in Palermo, Sicilia today and I was determined to make sure it was a good one.

Woke up after not sleeping very well, had my breakfast -if you have ever been camping without power, without much food and had to make do, that has been my breakfast in Palermo, but I am being very resourceful and am sucking it up!!

Walked to the cafe, had cappucino (I noticed today, there are never other women at the bar - not just here in Sicilia, everywhere I have been - maybe I am supposed to be sitting at a table????) and walked to the main street to wait for the bus. I decided to play Russian Roulette with the buses today. Whichever came first, the bus to the train station for the Valley of Temples or the tourist on-off bus - was the bus I was going to get on.

While I was waiting, you guessed it, a dirty stinking revolting old creep starts leering - I turned around and there was noone else there so it was me he was leering at, but when he grinned at me that was the straw that broke this camel's back! When I turned around I noticed the carabinieri. Lucky for me, not for him. I walked over to the carabinieri, salve'd them (they 'salve' in the south, not buon giorno) and told them uomino vecchio e' (the old man is) following me. They took one look at him and he shit himself and hands up and was saying something to them. They let him speak then said something to him and he took off. Molto molto mille grazie carabinieri! I hung around them until the bus came, it was the on-off bus so that's the one I got on.

Lady at the bus stop - at first I thought her heels were hideously cracked and was feeing really sorry for her, then noticed they are henna drawings

Went for tour for an hour and decided to get off at some botanical gardens that had some old plants in it. When I get to the gate they wanted 18 euro for me to go in so I said 'No, I will check it out on the internet for free grazie" and went for a walk along the water front. Lots of people there today, even a nun meditating out to sea.

The water edge pathway ran out so I crossed the road in search of a cold drink (Italy is turning me into a soak!). As I was walking along I saw three boys and one girl playing with big boxes, smashing them with a stick. They were about 6 or 7. As I walked up to them the girl held her pointing finger up at me, and I said to her 'che e'?" - I wanted to ask her what does that mean.  She smiled at me and said 'bella', I smiled back and said 'tu bella!! No scuola oggi?" 'Si' she said, I asked "scuola finito?" 'si' "fortunito" I said, and she gave me the biggest smile. Four little ragamuffins!

I eventually found a cafe that had heaps of tourists sitting at it. There was only one free table and it was in the sun so I sat there, ordered a bicciere di vino bianco per favoure and a couple at a shaded table invited me to sit with them.
Turns out they were English and were on a cruise ship that I had noticed in the harbour this morning. I chatted to them for a while and then asked for my bill. 6 euro. I don't think so!!! (Here we go again!). I said to the girl, what is the 1 euro cover charge for? She went away and the manager came out pregoing me, I said again, what is the 1 euro cover charge for? She said it was for servicing the table. I shook my head and said I have had wine all over Italy and never paid 6 euro for a glass, I will pay 5 euro (still too much) but I am not paying the cover charge. She spluttered, I handed her 5 euro and said 'finito!". She walked off and the couple I was with wanted me to stay with them until they got their bill in case they got ripped off too. I said they would be because the cafe knew there was a ship in and they know a tourist when they see one. Ciao English tourists and good luck with your bill!

I walked past this monument, it is a monument to those ...

 "Fallen in the fight against the Marfia"

I walked and walked and walked until I got to the pizzeria I had lunch at yesterday. On the way, I told the taxi driver who called out to me 'hey baby come for a ride in my taxi, come on baby' to get f****. Passed a guy laying on top of some cardboard asleep with a Marlee dog curled up in his legs, so I threw a handful of coins in the dogs bowl and said HEY!! and woke him up, I pointed to the money and said 'per tu cane'. I got the biggest smile and "grazie signore, cane mia familia" - I like to believe those people take care of their dogs because they are usually all they have, and the dogs look very loyal to their people so I figure they are well loved. I know, I am a sucker.

Then I had the yummiest pumpkin, buffalo mozzarella and parmesan cheese pizza ever, got on another tourist on-off bus and got off at the market at the end of my street. I found a smelly cheese shop, bought some yum cheese, a bottigia di vino, then bought a pear to go with it, the spunk at the fruit stall I got the pear from wanted 1 euro for the pear, I just looked at him and laughed and said ONE EURO!! Ohhhh, Va bene (he had beautiful blue eyes!!).  I walked off and we were both laughing!  We both knew he had ripped me off and we both knew I had let him.

He had had a long day!

I love the sights and sounds of the markets - but not the smells!

Then I went to my pane shop, got some panini to make some apertifi con la formaggia e pomodori ho, and wanted to thank the two young girls who have served me every day and helped me pronounce what I wanted so off the cuff and without practising in my head, I said to the signorita - "molto grazie per tu e other signorita per assistance me,vado mia casa australia domani, so molto grazie".
I wanted to say - thank you to you and the other young lady for helping me, I am going to my home in Australia tomorrow, so many thanks! (easier to say I am going home to Australia than saying I am going to Amalfi blah blah blah). I hope that is what I said - she smiled and said 'Prego signora, prego !" so I think she knew I was trying to thank them.

I have an early get up in the morning. I am getting the ferry to Salerno on the Amalfi coast tomorrow, the ferry leaves at 10.30 and I have to be there two freaking hours before the ferry leaves, so have asked the guy here to book me a taxi for 8am. The ferry gets in to Salerno at 8pm, big day on the seas tomorrow!  Looking forward to it! 

My neighbour across the road who stares over at me but looks away when I smile at her.

Across the bay this morning