Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
can do it yourself. There are only three rooms for rent here, each of which is
impeccably clean with large comfortable beds and luxurious bedding, so book as
soon as you know your dates. Prices are
29 per person for a double room for up
to 2 nights, and
€
26 a person for 3 nights or more. Giorgio will also organize
windsurfing courses, sailing courses, and wine tastings. Nothing you suggest is
beyond this Sicilian's reach. This is truly living like a local.
€
The
Casa Giuditta
(Via Savona, 10;
%
328-2250788; www.casagiuditta.
com)
is another dream spot in Palermo, where you'll feel as if you're staying with
relatives (ones you like!), or at least with good friends. The Casa Giuditta is, by
definition, a bed-and-breakfast, but it has the distinct feel of a private holiday
home. It has double rooms for
€€
78 and gives discounts for families and longer
stays. They also have six-person apartments in the center of Palermo for just over
€
€
100 a night. Rooms are comfortable and private. You'll feel as though everyone
at the front desk knows your business, but there's a wonderful intimacy about this
hotel that you'll remember long after you've left.
€€
You don't need to pay more than
€
100 for a hotel room in Palermo, so stay-
ing at the
Hotel Tonic
(Via Mariano Stabile, 126;
%
091-581754; www.hotel
tonic.com)
can be considered a splurge. I list it because it has a sense of style that
gives it a much more pricey feel. The rooms (
100 for a double) are elegantly
appointed with antique furniture, rich bed linens, velvet curtains, and ample pil-
lows. Unusual for Italy, the rooms are spacious, with enormous beds and lots of
floor space. All rooms come with phone, safe, and wet bar. You won't get the per-
sonal service offered at Giuditta or Giorgio's, but this is the best choice for those
who prefer a more anonymous hotel setting.
DINING FOR ALL TASTES
It's difficult to dine poorly in Palermo—even the street food is top quality. But
instead of eating on the main thoroughfares where restaurants tend to cater to
group tourists, try delving deep into the individual districts, where you'll find tiny
restaurants with uniquely Sicilian fare.
€
€
One of the most unique dining experiences you can have in Palermo is on the
balcony of the
Trattoria Shanghai
(Vicolo dei Mezzani, 34;
%
091-5897025).
Getting to the restaurant is half the adventure. You'll enter through the door of a
typical historical Palermo apartment building and follow the signs upstairs. There
you'll go into the tiny apartment-cum-restaurant. The owner and his children will
probably be sitting watching TV in the kitchen and will barely look up to greet you
before nodding or pointing to a table (it's a bit odd—and you may feel as though
you're crashing someone's mealtime rather than going to a restaurant—but the
cooking more than makes up for it). Choose a seat on the balcony overlooking the
Vucciria market; depending on the crowds and availability, what you order is often
lifted before your eyes in a tattered wicker basket from the vegetable stand below.
A simple and filling plate of sardine and tomato pasta costs just
€
4; other pastas
and vegetable dishes, just as fresh and delicious, range from
5
6. You'll want
to order multiple courses just to stay and enjoy the Palermo life below.
€
4 to
€