1. Board the 101 bus in Palermo
There are many busses in Palermo, but only one can be queen. Bus 101. This bus line is as straight as it gets, connecting the central station with the stadium. The Southwest axis crosses the most import areas of the city. Heavily frequented, this bus guarantees an adventure, showcasing you a variety of local people. With some luck you’ll meet the village idiot and discover new dimensions of olfaction. Use it as a fairground attraction, without the purpose of going somewhere. Leave your wallet or purse home. And don’t eat heavily before boarding.
2. Rent a scooter
The best way, by far, to get through the traffic is by scooter. It may seem like a suicide mission, but don’t all the interesting fairground attractions look like that? Once mingled with the other mopeds and cars, it is pure joy. Make sure to have someone photographing or filming you. 15 minutes of fame guaranteed. Check if your travel insurance covers accidents and hospitalization.
3. Have a breakfast in a bar
At around eight in the morning in Palermo, go to a bar and have a cappuccino and a cornetto. Eat and drink standing by the bar and observe what is going on. Few populations are so efficient and fast in having a wonderful breakfast (standing on their hind legs). Although loud and turbulent, it suits a beautiful dawn.
4. Rush hour traffic performance
Traffic. Far better than cinema, top level theatre, pure delight for the audience. Watching the intensification of stress, the increase of density and the crescendo in volume. Humanity and its values disappear as the urban jungle stretches, only the strongest pass. Keep a safe distance.
5. Day at Palermo beach
The nearest beach to the city is called Mondello. A pearl covered in piece and serenity, with mountains on one side, the sea and the beach on the other. Only a twenty minute drive away from the centre, the contrast could not be any bigger. Except for the period going from June to September, when the opposite occurs: the city inflates and Mondello bulges. Ornithologists may want to avoid the summer period. Anthropologists on the other hand will be radiant in having so much study material concentrated in one place.
