Posts by Cupda

What a magnificent cow!

Thanks for your reply and for evoking the landscapes of your home—really makes me want to go there, honestly.

You know how much I love places like that. Where my beloved cow used to graze, back in 1851, there was something of that primal wildness: green grass, gray stone, russet moorland dotted with broom, the sea shifting from anthracite to turquoise as the clouds passed by, dizzying cliffs and gentle hills.

I went back last week, after 10 years—"a pilgrimage," one of my old friends teased. It’s still just as beautiful, and it breaks my heart every time. In my favorite bay, a pod of dolphins was playing just a stone’s throw from the shore.

🙂 Haha, Jean, your description of the apartment’s surroundings is exactly the kind of thing that draws me in!

I love that everyone’s chipping in like this, with little photos of graffiti—keep it coming, don’t hesitate...

Thanks for sharing! (I also struggled a bit with the format—I’d compressed the photos to save space, only to find out there was a minimum size requirement for uploading!) Like you, I feel I could’ve easily spent two or three times longer in this city.

Thanks for your feedback, and I’m glad I inspired you! You know, I didn’t do anything particularly special—I just stuck to the historic center, which is pretty small (in my opinion, most visitors only stay for 2 days max). Just by checking out the usual tourist spots, you’ll find some cool things if you keep your eyes open. Especially if you’re not the type to stare at your GPS to get from one point to another, but instead think, "Hmm, what’s down this sketchy street?"

So, have you seen any cool stuff to share with us?

Really great travel journal, well written, with memorable encounters, culture and history put into perspective, and lots of interesting reflections. The journey. And a real reading pleasure like I haven’t felt in a long time here (or at least that’s the impression I have—or maybe I’m just turning into a grumpy old man—or both?).

Thanks to you, Olivier, for sharing (and thanks to Pondy for sending me here) and for reminding us that what enriches us is other people.

Hey there Pondy, is it just me or have your recent posts had this mix of serenity (the kind that comes with enlightenment) and nostalgia? A sort of yin and yang thing. Just watch out with the nostalgia—don’t let it tip into melancholy, that’s no good.

Anyway, to touch on your second-to-last paragraph, I get the feeling the rungs of the well’s ladder are rusty and the stones of the mantle are smooth. Doesn’t exactly make you want to climb down, especially without the crew. It’s silly, but I really liked all the main galleries, especially the big one—we had our best enemies, we had a laugh, all that. But hey, there are other things in life, right? The clearing isn’t *just* virtual...

And sometimes, on the advice of an—*old*—comrade (I can say that, we’re well past 20 years now), you climb down anyway and stumble on a gem from the old world, the one where the service naps used to tell us wild stories (like that guy who decided to hitchhike to Vladivostok: 11,000 km in 10 days! I’ve forgotten his username, forgive me). Anyway. Thanks for sending me to read Olive842—it was great (I really should take the time to tell them and thank them too).

Always a pleasure to see you stop by, Pondy (even if every time we can’t escape *Homme*, but oh well).

Hi, Here are two small maps showing the two zones in Albergaria and Il Capo where there’s quite a bit to see. For the rest, it’s pretty spread out—you’ll need to wander through the streets a bit to find things. But the historic center isn’t too big, and I love poking around everywhere... plus I had plenty of time 🙂. Happy exploring!

Yeah, there’s travel... and then there’s travel.

Thanks Kate! 🙂

Yes! Three trompe-l'œil windows side by side, with charming Palermitan women. I didn’t take those ones. Thanks for the photo! 😊

Thanks so much for your interest, Bluequark! !

And I’ll wrap up with a few artists I unfortunately couldn’t identify (if anyone has the names, I’d love to know!), but who really caught my eye.

First, this little manga-style girl with green hair and a shower of petals following her, which you’ll spot here and there around the city.



Next, a stunning depiction of Franca Viola.

And finally, the art of elegantly highlighting a door.



That’s it!

Hope I’ve inspired you to poke around some of the less polished spots if you enjoy this kind of artistic expression (heads-up: if crack smokers from Albelgheria call you over with big smiles and wave you into a corner, maybe don’t take them up on it!).

Otherwise, well, still go to Palermo for the architecture, the food... and the Palermitans, right?

PS: Oh, and I almost forgot—all these artists have Facebook, Instagram, etc. So if they interest you and you’ve got an account on those platforms...

Another artist who’s quite present is TVBoy. I realize I don’t have many photos of his work, but I can’t resist sharing this stunning Santa Rosalia.

(you’ll notice, on her robe, the Palermo FC crest and, on the cross, "forza Palermo"—I love it!)

You can find Tutta Neuro’s gorgeous posters all over the city. Here’s one I’m sharing with you.

In a slightly more tortured style, Sid leaves his mark here and there.



And finally, in a more famous and now iconic style, you’ll find Igor Scalisi Palminteri’s giant murals in the Albergaria district. Below is San Benedetto Il Moro, the city’s second patron saint, a symbol of its multiculturalism. Not visible in the photo, at his feet, there’s an urban concrete soccer field he watches over, and to his right, an entire wall in Palermo FC colors, featuring a giant number 12—the 12th man, the tifosi.

Another artist, man or woman—I don’t know this time: B1.

B1 has a different style, leaning more toward the quirky, even hilarious. For example, below, in an alley near the mercato del Capo.



Or up high in Albergaria, with this triptych paying homage to the mercato di Ballarò.

(the scenes are normally in the same left-to-right order across three wall sections separated by a narrow strip of concrete—I didn’t know how to reproduce that here)

B1 also does something pretty cool: small square paintings hung on walls, wedged between two nails. You can find quite a few of them in La Kalsa.

One artist who’s really everywhere is Tutto e Niente. He uses a lot of different techniques, and visually, it really spoke to me. Lots of female representations, especially Santa Rosalia, the city’s patron saint (but not only her). There’s also a religious side, quite a bit of it. And messages, often. He celebrates the city’s history, its multiculturalism, and local figures in his work.

Highlights.



(told you about the Palermitan women, didn’t I?)

(this one’s really well integrated into the environment: at the bottom, a galley recalling the city’s Phoenician origins, paired with an ad for a tattoo artist)



(not sure if there’s a connection, but the eagle is the symbol of Palermo FC, and pink is their color)

(Santa Rosalia holding the bomb she painted herself with)

Okay, Palermo—we know it. We go there to marvel at the architectural wonders born from the Arab-Norman-Byzantine-Gothic mix. And rightly so. We also go to treat our taste buds to all kinds of delights, both savory and sweet. Again, rightly so. We go to succumb to the charms of Palermo’s women, their sun-kissed skin glowing with golden highlights. Still, rightly so. And all while fantasizing about a mafia we’ll never actually see. Anyway.

But you’ll also find street art everywhere, even in the historic center. Sometimes, you just need to step a few meters away from the main tourist highways like Cassaro, Via Maqueda, or the main arteries of the Ballarò, Capo, or Vucciria markets to stumble upon some amazing murals. Duck into one or two slightly grimy alleys, weaving past trash and crumbling walls, and you’ll find real gems.

For example, just 50 meters south of the main artery of the Mercato del Capo, there’s a great spot with dozens of murals in a tiny neighborhood of run-down mini-houses. You’ll find plenty more south of the Mercato di Ballarò, in the Albergheria (the grittier side, not the one near Cassaro). There’s some in Ballarò itself too, but it’s hard to spot when the market’s in full swing with stalls everywhere. La Kalsa isn’t left out either, nor is Vucciria—just step away from the restaurant-packed streets.

Here are a few examples that really caught my eye.

(In the heart of Albergheria, on a street every visitor walks down—lovely message from an unidentified artist)

It was such a genuine pleasure to see Cupda-gros on the Tajikistan (an old profile memory) pop up again—so essentially fitting.

😊 UnaMilanese with many names

I’m replying to Jojoone1 to "stay on topic": for my part, I wasn’t coming back because I was sulking since VF still hadn’t let me know it was back up.

Make sure the pleasure is shared! And that lightness and joy (punctuated by fierce sparring) are also missed... You’ve got a good memory—there was indeed a cow, but I think she succumbed to VF’s long Covid because I didn’t find her when I logged back in. An old neighbor, in a place akin to the moors and elements you describe so well: it’s sad.

Say, Pondy, that "salty taste on chapped lips" line is a bit bold—I shuddered. 🙂