Sicily trip: Palermo, Jan 3 afternoon

After I Tesori della Loggia, we walked to the Ballaro' street market, bought some stuff for the ship and had lunch at Il Bersagliere a small eatery on a side street, recommended by a fish vendor: "Si paga molto o si paga poco?"' -- "Poco" -- " "A centro metri, sempre dritto, si mangia bene, si paga poco."

The lunch turned into a real "slow food" affair. First we waited for 20 minutes outside for a table, because the place was packed. Then they put us at a table with perfect strangers, actually a nice couple from Palermo, Eugenia and Pietro. They apparently came to Ballaro' for the same reason we did: to try something different or "authentic." Then we waited at the table for half an hour to get served. Eugenia and Pietro were starving and, while waiting, finished their liter of white (we only ordered "un quartino" for me). So a conversation started, then pictures...



We did ask for caponata, and thus followed the first of Isabella's directions. (Caponata is sort of like Russian eggplant caviar, only much better, with olive oil, and added anciovi and pine nuts. M made some after our return to Viterbo -- came out pretty good.) The second part of Isabella's advice was to eat arancini, stuffed fried rice balls. Eugenia at our table got very enthusiastic about them and sent us to Bar Touring, which is famous for its arancini bomba. This small bar is located on Via Lincoln, near the Villa Giulia park. Each bomba is a dinner in itself:



After our big lunch we only managed to split one (we chose one stuffed with cheese). Very good!

Then it was time to go back to our apartment, pack quickly, and head for the ship.