Record of the 9-night, 11-day cruise in the Western Mediterranean: Palermo

Palermo Cathedral

Travel dates: 2023.09.08 – 2023.09.18

Places visited: (Norman) Monreale Cathedral, Porta Nuova, Palermo Cathedral, Palermo Market, Church of San Cataldo, Primo Canto Gelateria, Teatro Massimo

Western Mediterranean cruise 9 nights and 11 days, Day 7

Morning at the port. Arrived in Palermo!

Taking a photo before getting off at the new place..

Monreale Cathedral

On the way to Monreale Cathedral

Checked the meeting point before the cathedral tour

Remembered the food cart for pizza and set off!

Cattedrale di Monreale

Piazza Guglielmo II, 1, 90046 Monreale PA, Italy

Exterior view of Monreale Cathedral

I wanted to take a picture of the statue, but there were too many souvenirs piled around it

So it felt a bit strange..

I wanted to buy a magnet as a souvenir, but all of them were too big

It was hard to choose…

Should I live in Sicily or Palermo!

While on the way to take the city tour bus, I took a picture because the scenery was so beautiful

The steps were covered with souvenirs, and the colorful vibe was so pretty

Porta Nuova

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 58, 10121 Torino TO, Italy

On the way to the Norman Palace

This is a memorial that was built after winning a war against Tunisia

Palermo Cathedral

Via Vittorio Emanuele, 490, 90134 Palermo PA, Italy

After a bit of walking, I arrived at Palermo Cathedral!

I’ve been to so many cathedrals that I feel a bit indifferent now ㅎ

So I only took photos outside without going inside

And there were so many people on that street that it was kind of annoying ㅋ?

(I bought the red car as a gift pepper here ㅋ)

During my free time, I wandered around before snack time!

Is it a representative snack of Italy?

Arancini like rice balls and the dessert Cannoli,

Inside the arancini, there’s something like tomato meat sauce, and it’s crispy,

totally delicious, probably a full meal…

By the time I finished eating, it was a bit salty ㅎ

And the cannoli was too sweet, making it hard to eat ㅠ

But definitely, the first bite was heavenly… after that, it felt like my teeth were going to rot from the sweetness!

Lemon slushy and orange juice

Honestly delicious, like fresh fruit…

Palermo Market

If you go deep inside the alley, you’ll find Palermo Market

It’s so old that I’m not exactly sure of its location… ㅎ

There are many things to see, which is great

But I wonder if the food is okay since it’s so hot..?

The guide took us to a seafood shop in the market!

We ordered fried squid, fried shrimp, and boiled octopus as a base

Overall it was salty, so I couldn’t finish it ㅠ but it was still tasty

It was served hot right after frying!!

The boiled octopus was especially plump, and I polished it off myself ㅋ

I really wanted soy sauce ㅋㅋ

This is the mussels that my travel companion added.. stir-fried?

They recommended trying the Italian mussels if they’re different

It was indeed filling… but way too salty ㅠ

Church of San Cataldo

Piazza Bellini, 1, 90133 Palermo PA, Italy

This is the church I casually passed by on the way back

The pink dome on the roof is impressive

The entrance fee is 2.5 euros, and there’s only a small hall inside according to reviews

We didn’t go as it wasn’t part of our schedule, but it seems like you don’t really need to go even freely

Palermo

These are just some pictures I randomly took on the way back

I truly felt the vibe of overseas travel

Just taking random shots is breathtaking..

Primo Canto Gelateria

Via Maqueda, 215, 90133 Palermo PA, Italy

This is also on the way back ㅋㅋ

You can’t skip gelato after the market

The guide bought ice cream for us

I had the recommended pistachio and mango flavors, but I realized I’m not a fan of nuts

I had mango and devoured it… it was really hot that day..

Pedro’s Coffee & Food

P.za Castelnuovo, 31, 90141 Palermo PA, Italy

I went in here because the meeting time was ambiguous

I also needed to use the restroom (it was urgent ㅋ)

So I just walked into a café to have a cup of coffee, and the latte was super delicious

If you’re a latte lover visiting Palermo, I highly recommend it!

(There are two places with the same name, but the sign shows this address is correct)

Teatro Massimo

P.za Giuseppe Verdi, 90138 Palermo PA, Italy

This was the meeting point at Teatro Massimo

I was in a hurry to dress up, so I wore something I grabbed last minute

Maybe that’s why I look a bit lacking in confidence in my pose

And I felt a bit embarrassed with my ankle socks showing my ankles…

I could only take a full shot of the cruise at Palermo

My mom took this picture ㅎㅎ

I belatedly realized the joy of swimming and made it a point to check the pool every day

Before, I was exhausted from adjusting to the time difference ㅎ

Later, I found it so enjoyable that even when I was tired, I made sure to go ㅋㅋ

For the appetizer, seafood salad and vegan cheesecake

The salad was refreshing and light, it was sooo good

For the appetizer, it’s like japchae..

Main course 1: Pasta gratin

Main course 2: Beef roulade and vegan shakshuka

I love shakshuka (the tomato one..), so I ordered it, but

I didn’t understand the translated ingredients properly..

What came out was completely different from what I expected ㅋㅋ

I thought it would be similar since tomatoes are a vegetable, oh well…

Dessert: Sugar-free cake and Madam Shu

Both were so delicious

Costa Smeralda

Costa Smeralda

On the cruise, there’s actually a different dress code every day

This day was ‘white’

During the program, there’s a white party time, but you can have fun without following the dress code

However, if you don’t wear white inside, you’ll stand out too much, so I had to change into something else

And the old man who directed everything on stage was super funny ㅋㅋ

At midnight, there’s a lottery draw at the casino

Was it 2 euros for one line..?

If you get all five, it’s an astounding 154,000 euros! That’s over 200 million won ㅋ

Four matching numbers nets you 2,000 euros, and three gets you 100 euros

I actually did this every day, but I never won..🥺

This is a disco night at 1am ㅋ

I stayed up to watch it and ended up just passing out after only watching..