Palermo

I just want to start by saying I am writing this to use in a lesson in one of my classes so the more colorful and incriminating events have been edited out, jaja! We are talking about our last trip and I had to write an update on my trip so two birds, one stone.

We left Zaragoza on Friday night and got to Barcelona to have dinner and we took a little walk around the train station. The hotel was very nice and there were a lot of English speakers in town for the Formula 1 race that was on the weekend. We had to get up early to get a taxi to the airport since our flight was at 9:30. 

The flight was very short only 1 1/2 hours without any delays so we arrived in Palermo just after 11.  The Italian boss came to pick us up and then we went to the hotel to drop off our bags. Afterwards we went to one of the Italian teacher's homes where we ate authentic Sicilian food which was both delicious and plentiful!

Since we were tired from our travel the Spanish group took a short siesta after lunch and then we decided to explore the city a bit on our own before meeting a different group of Italian teachers for dinner.

While on our short walk we saw a woman shouting to someone above. At first I thought she was shouting to someone on a balcony above but as we got closer we saw she was actually shouting to a man who is in the jail that is in downtown Palermo. It was a very interesting and funny experience to see, I wanted to take a photo but then I thought better and decided I didn't want to get cursed at in Italian.

We got back to the hotel and met a big group of Italian teachers who were taking us to dinner. We went walking to a different part of the city and had dinner at a pizzeria while we waited for the Belgian group to arrive. We finished before they arrived so later we went to a different pizzeria so they could eat something. I had a great time talking and I think I did an ok job as interpreter/translator for the 2 other teachers whose English was not so good. Between my Spanglish, and their Spanish, Italian and English we were able to communicate effectively and have a lot of laughs too. I was laughing so much I thought they might think I have problems, but we were all having a good time. After that pizzeria some people wanted to go to a bar but when we got there they were closing so after chatting a bit more outside the bar we went back to the hotel.

Sunday morning two more Italian teachers met us to take us on a walking tour of the city and explained many of the historical monuments. 

The biggest theater in Italy

A carriage for a bride

One of the seasons (summer I think) displayed in the most important intersection in Palermo.

Famous Plaza in Palermo

Extremely old church

Inside above church

Mosaic floor

Then the Bulgarians joined us for lunch at a delicious outdoor seafood restaurant. Of course being authentic we had the whole fish with the head and tail. I think people were impressed when I knew how to eat the filets without making a mess of the dish (which is thanks to Tía Maria who taught me on one of my visits). Best fish I have ever had!

We then went back to the hotel to get ready to go to the beach. The last group, the Germans joined us at the beach. I was glad I had my 30 SPF sunscreen because it was very hot and sunny! People thought I was crazy for putting 30 on but then at the end of the afternoon I was a little red and they were asking how it happened. After a cold water compress I was morena by dinner time.

That night we went to a beautiful tented terrace with a fountain inside and beautiful plants to decorate the inside. After we went to a cool bar to chat more.

Monday morning we went to the primary and infant schools. We looked at all the classrooms and learned about the Italian education system and what they were doing to incorporate the ideas of the Comenius. We had lunch at the school, homemade by one of the teachers which was again, delicious. Later we again toured more of the school which is much bigger than the one in Pedrola and talked to some of the teachers and students.

All the members of this meeting after we danced with the kids!

For dinner we went to a beautiful outdoor terrace which overlooks the whole city. We had a kind of tapas style buffet and later we went dancing. We also saw an old theater where artists work and live.

On the terrace before nightfall. View of Palermo.

Palermo at night

Tonterías in the theater

Tuesday was a day to go to a town an hour away from Palermo which had a famous church and historical museum. I saw the most important painting from Sicily which was a very small portrait similar to the size of the Mona Lisa. We had a hilarious lunch and then went to catch some more sun on the beach.

Since it was our last night most of the group came out with us after dinner for drinks and then back to the hotel.

Wednesday morning was our formal meeting to discuss the future plans of Comenius projects and to give feedback up to that point.

Overall a wonderful trip and I met lots of great people. I didn't take many pics because there were a lot of other cameras and I should be able to get the photos.