Palermo was our first option to get to know Sicily. We flew here in the spring and enjoyed it to the fullest. When we chose this city, we had no idea what to expect from it. Whether we will be able to spend 5 days there and not even whether it will be worth it. Palermo is a city where different cultures come together and it's up to you how you decide to accept it.

Palermo bola naša prvá možnosť, ako spoznať Sicíliu. Leteli sme sem v jari a užili si ho naplno. Keď sme si toto mesto vybrali, netušili sme čo od neho čakať, či tam budeme mať ako stráviť 5 dní a ani to, či to bude stáť za to. Palermo je totiž mesto, kde sa spájajú rôzne kultúry a je na vás, ako sa to rozhodnete prijať. 

What to do in Palermo?

A city that hides not only a lot of churches and architecture, but also parks and places to relax. We had the opportunity to stay near the Teatro Massimo, so we were right in the center. We had no idea that we would be only a few steps away from this main street. Our street was full of restaurants and came alive during the afternoon. So what to do in Palermo besides walking around the city center?

Visit the churches - there are many and we've gone through some that may not be popular. We found churches that looked tiny from the outside and took our breath away inside, or ones that looked like they see tourists there maybe once a week. From the churches, we recommend: Chiesa di Santa Caterina with a view and the monastery (try the fresh desserts baked by the nuns here), Palermo Cathedral, Cappella di San Giuseppe Dei Falegnami and one small hidden church Church of Santa Ninfa del Crociferi

Čo robiť v Palerme?

Mesto ktoré ukrýva nie len množstvo kostolov a architekúry, ale aj parky, či miesta na oddych. My sme mali možnosť ubytovať sa blízko Teatro Massimo a teda sme boli priamo v centre. Ani sme netušili, že od tejto hlavnej ulice, nás bude deliť len pár krokov. Naša ulička bola plná reštaurácií a počas poobedia doslova ožívala. Tak teda čo robiť v Palerme okrem prechádzky centrom mesta?

Navštívte kostoly - je ich tu mnoho a my sme prešli aj také, ktoré možno nepatria k tým populárnym. Našli sme kostoly, ktoré zvonku vyzerali maličké a vnútri nám vyrazili dych, či také, ktoré vyzerali že tam turistov vidia možno raz za týždeň. Z kostolov odporúčame: Chiesa di Santa Caterina s výhľadom aj kláštorom (ochutnajte tu aj čerstvé dezerty, ktoré pečú mníšky), Palermskú katedrálu, Cappella di San Giuseppe Dei Falegnami a jeden malý skrytý kostolík Church of Santa Ninfa del Crociferi

A walk in the Villa Giulia Park next to the Botanical Garden. We originally wanted to visit that one as well, but after reading the reviews, we decided to skip it and spend the entrance money on other monuments.

Prejdite sa po parku Villa Giulia vedľa Botanickej záhrady. My sme pôvodne chceli navštíviť aj tú, no po prečítaní recenzií sme sa rozhodli ju vynechať a peniaze na vstup minúť na iné pamiatky.

Taste Palermo - the most famous here are the arancini, which look like fried balls. Inside filled with rice and whatever you choose. We tasted cheese, ham, but also vegetable, for example with eggplant. In 2022, these arancini cost an average of €2.5 wherever we went. In addition to them, it is worth trying Cannoli, which you can choose according to your taste, we tried these cannoli in the above-mentioned bakery of the nuns.

Palermo is also very famous for its fast food, so the various fast foods you can find here are often worth it. But if you're not a fan of fast food, you can certainly enjoy pasta here in various ways, or pizza, as everywhere in Italy. Alternatively, for a bit of a change, you can choose fish dishes, since we are located near the sea, they are really fresh-

Like true Italians, you can complement these dishes with wine or the famous aperol and enjoy lunch or dinner to the fullest. And when you're already tasting and find some time, don't forget the Italian gelato.

Ochutnajte Palermo - najznámejšie sú tu arancini, ktoré vyzerajú ako vyprážané guličky. Vnútri naplnené ryžou a tým, čo si vyberiete. My sme ochutnali syrové, šunkové ale tiež zeleninové napríklad s baklažánom. V roku 2022 tieto arancini stáli v priemere 2,5€ kdekoľvek sme zašli. Okrem nich sa oplatí vyskúšať Cannoli, ktoré si môžete vyskladať podľa svojej chuti, my sme tieto cannoli vyskúšali práve vo vyššie spomínanej pekárni mníšok. 

Palermo je tiež veľmi známe svojim fast foodom a teda rôzne rýchle jedlá, ktoré tu nájdete stoja často za to. Ak ale nie ste milovník fast foodu, určite ako všade v taliansku si tu môžete vychutnať cestoviny na rôzne spôsoby, alebo pizzu. Prípadne pre trošku zmeny si môžete vybrať jedla z rýb, keďže sa nachádzame blízko mora, ich čerstvosť je značná.

Ako praví taliani tieto jedlá môžete zapíjať vínom, alebo slávnym aperolom a užiť si obed či večeru naplno. A keď už ochutnávate a nájdete si chvíľku času, tak nezabudnite ani na Talianske gelato.

Why visit in the off season?

In May, Palermo was around 20-25 degrees during the day, which was fine for us to explore the city. Besides, there weren't many tourists here at this time (Saturday is an exception) and we had some sights literally to ourselves. At this time, various light festivals and marathons were also held here, and we saw this city in a different atmosphere in 5 days. I also see it as an advantage that the entrance fee to some monuments is cheaper in the off-season.

Prečo ho navštíviť mimo sezóny?

V Máji bolo v Palerme okolo 20-25 stupňov počas dňa, čo nám vyhovovalo na objavovanie mesta. Okrem toho, tu v tomto čase nebolo množstvo turistov (sobota je výnimkou) a my sme mali niektoré pamiatky doslova pre seba. V tomto čase sa tu konali aj rôzne festivaly svetiel, či maratón a videli sme za 5 dní toto mesto v rozličnej atmosfére. Ako výhodu tiež vnímam, že mimo sezóny je lacnejšie vstupné v niektorých pamiatkach.

Where to take a trip?

Our only trip during these 5 days was Cefalu. A town that lives in Italian style and air. In this city, we felt like it was the summer season, because the city was literally alive with tourism even during May. I can't imagine what we would experience here during the summer time. :D

Kam si spraviť výlet?

Našim jediným výletom počas týchto 5. dní bolo Cefalu. Mestečko, ktoré žije talianskym štýlom i vzduchom. V tomto meste sme mali pocit, akoby bola letná sezóna, pretože mesto doslova žilo turistikou aj počas mája. Nedokážem si predstaviť, čo by sme tu zažili počas leta. :D 

You may know Cefalu because of the photos from the beach, but apart from that, it has a nice smaller center and very nice views of the sea. We decided to visit the main church not only inside, but to explore it a bit more. We got to the view, to the hidden parts near the roof and admired Cefalu from this perspective as well. Then we walked through the streets of the city, stopped for Italian pasta and rested on the beach. 

On the way to the train, we went to a place that is easy to miss, but has an interesting history. It is a laundry "Lavatoio Medievale Fiume Cefalino", which was created in the Middle Ages and, in addition to washing, people also went here to cool off on hot days. In some "tubs" the water is ice cold, in others it maintains a higher temperature. It is caused by the Cefalino River, which is the main source of water for this laundry, and even though it doesn't say much on the place, we looked for these curiosities on the web.

Cefalu možno poznáte kvôli fotkám z pláže, ale okrem toho ukrýva milé menšie centrum a veľmi pekné výhľady na more. My sme sa rozhodli navštíviť hlavný kostol nie len vnútri, ale preskúmať ho o čosi viac. Dostali sme sa na výhľad, do skrytých častí pri streche a poobdivovali Cefalu aj z tejto perspektívy. Potom sme sa prechádzali uličkami mesta, zastavili sa na talianske cestoviny a oddychli na pláži. 

Po ceste na vlak sme zašli na miesto, ktoré ľahko obídete, no má zaujímavú históriu. Je to práčovňa " Lavatoio Medievale Fiume Cefalino", ktorá bola vytvorená v stredoveku a okrem prania sa tu chodili ľudia aj ochladzovať počas horúcich dní. V niektorých "vaničkách" je voda ľadová, v iných si udržuje vyšiu teplotu. Spôsobuje to rieka Cefalino, ktorá je hlavným zdrojom vody pre túto práčovňu a aj keď na mieste toho veľa nepíše, my sme si tieto zaujimavosti vyhľadali.

Sicily was unique for us and Palermo and Cefalu were a great experience. Maybe that's why we decided to return to this island in the summer and enjoy it in full sunlight. But you will find out about where we are headed in the summer soon.

Sicília si nás doslova získala a Palermo a Cefalu boli veľkým zážitkom. Možno aj preto sme sa v lete rozhodli na tento ostrov vrátiť a užiť si ho v plných slnečných lúčoch. Ale o tom, kam sme zamierili v lete sa dozviete už čoskoro.

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We bought tickets to Athens before the pandemic began. Until the last moment, we hoped that we would go, but a week before departure, our tickets were canceled. This time we gave Athens a chance again at the beginning of the year in February. Athens is a famous city all year round, but out of season there is a smaller number of tourists, you also get lower prices for admission.

Do Atén sme mali kúpené letenky ešte pred tým, než začala pandémia. Do poslednej chvíle sme dúfali, že pôjdeme, no týždeň pred odletom nám letenky zrušili. Tento krát sme dali Aténam znova šancu a to hneď začiatko roka vo Februári. Atény sú známym mestom po celý rok, no mimo sezóny tam okrem menšieho množstva turistov, získate tiež nižšie ceny za vstupy.

Archaeological Museum

This is where our steps led the first day. This museum is located in the newer part of Athens and was a surprise to us. Inside, it hides beautiful artifacts, various excavations, or very well-preserved things. We spent about an hour and a half here and the entrance fee was € 8 out of season.

Archeologické múzeum

Tu naše kroky viedli hneď prvý deň. Toto múzeum sa nachádza v novšej časti Atén a pre nás bolo prekvapením. Vnútri skrýva krásne artefakty, rôzne vykopávky, či veľmi zachovalé veci. Strávili sme tu približne hodinu a pol a vstupné stálo mimo sezóny 8€.

National Garden

We headed to this park from the museum and it was the place where we hide from the rain that started along the way. We had high hopes for this place that it should surprise or interest us, but the opposite happened. The park is entered near the Presidential Palace and is a place where you can enjoy beautiful trees, gazebos, a pond and also a few historic buildings. Out of season, it didn't look as beautiful here as when everything blooms, but I think you can find some nice spots here all year round.

Národné záhrady

Do tohto parku sme zamierili od múzea a bol naším útočiskom pred dažďom, ktorý sa po ceste spustil. Tomuto miestu sme nadávali veľké nádeje, že by nás malo čím prekvapiť, alebo zaujať, no stal sa opak. Do parku sa vstupuje neďaleko Prezidentského paláca a je miestom, kde si môžete vychutnať krásne stromy, altánky, jazierko a tiež o čosi ďalej aj pár historických budov. Mimo sezóny to tu nevyzeralo tak krásne, ako keď všetko kvitne, no myslím, že po celý rok sa tu dá nájsť pár pekných spotov.

Ancient Agora

I had no idea of this place when we went to Athens. This is probably because in Athens you will find outdoor museums at almost every step, which are made of a few columns, stones or other remains. This museum was different because of "Stoa", which you will find near the entrance. It is a renovated building that contains probably the most columns I have ever seen. In the Antic century there was a first shopping center. In this Stoa, you will also find a smaller museum with various useful things or busts. This museum is long and you can spend a few hours here if you are a lover of antiquity. Well, if you don't need to look at it in detail, on the other side of this place you will also find a very well-preserved tomb, which will attract you from afar.

Ancient Agora

O tomto mieste som ani netušila keď sme do Atén išli. Je to zrejme preto, že v Aténach nájdete skoro na každom kroku vonkajšie múzea, ktoré sú vytvorené z pár stĺpov, kameňov či iných zostatkov. Toto múzeum bolo iné vďaka "Stoa", ktorú nájdeš neďaleko vstupu. Je to zrekonštruovaná budova, ktorá obsahuje asi najviac stĺpov, ktoré som kedy videla. V Antických časoch slúžila ako prvé obchodné centrum. V tejto Stoa nájdeš aj menšie múzeum s rôznymi úžitkovými vecami, či bustami. Toto múzeum je tiahle a môžeš tu stráviť aj niekoľko hodín, ak si milovníkom Antiky. No ak si to nepotrebuješ pozrieť detailne, tak na druhej strane tohto miesta nájdeš aj veľmi zachovalú hrobku, ktorá ťa už zdiaľky upúta.

Pittaki street

I read a lot about this alley. We were unlucky and reworked some of it during February. Nevertheless, the end of the alley was very beautiful and also contained a nice idea. For me, this street was a small disappointment, but I believe that as soon as it is completed or during the high season, it may look completely different. There are also a few beautiful streets, houses, and interesting spots close to it.

O tejto uličke som toho prečítala veľa. My sme nemali šťastie a počas Februára časť z nej prerábali. No napriek tomu bol koniec uličky veľmi krásny a obsahoval aj peknú myšlienku. Pre mňa bola táto ulica menším sklamaním, ale verím, že hneď ako ju dokončia, alebo počas hlavnej sezóny môže vyzerať úplne inak. V jej blízkosti je tiež pár krásnych uličiek, domčekov či zaujímavých spotov.

Anafiotika

Did you hear about the village right in Athens? Anafiotika is just this interesting village. There are older people who want silent all day, so we didn't have time to get through it. We went there on the way to the airport so we had a big suitcase with us, which caused quite a lot of noise, so we finally left after crossing 2 alleys. We definitely recommend going here during your stay in Athens if you want to find a piece of classical Greek architecture that you know from the islands. Keep quiet, enjoy the beauties of these alleys and enjoy it even more than we do. :)

Počul si o dedine priamo v Aténach? Anafiotika je práve touto zaujímavou dedinkou. Bývajú tu starší ľudia, ktorí si potrpia na ticho a preto sme si to tu poriadne nestihli prejsť. My sme sa sem vybrali s kufrom, ktorý spôsoboval dosť veľký hluk a tak sme nakoniec po prejdení 2 uličiek odišli. Určite sem odporúčame ísť ak chceš v Aténach nájsť kúsok klasickej gréckej architektúri, ktorú poznáš z ostrovov. Dodržuj ticho, kochaj sa krásov týchto uličiek a uži si to ešte viac ako my. :)

Flea Market

One of the gems of Monastiraki. Flea Market is a street full of antiques. From coins, through plates to large furniture. We turned here quite by accident, but it was worth it. If we were by car, we would definitely buy something. Unfortunately, the furniture didn't really fit on the plane: D.

Jeden zo skvostov Monastiraki. Flea Market je ulica plná starožistností. Od mincí, cez platne až po veľký nábytok. My sme sem odbočili celkom náhodne, ale stálo to za to. Ak by sme boli autom, určite by sme si niečo kúpili. No žiaľ nábytok sa nám do lietadla naozaj nevošiel :D.

For more inspiration from Athens check our YouTube video.

Pre viac inšpirácie z Atén si pozri naše video.

At the end of December, we bought return flight tickets to Nice for 4 €, we didn´t hesitate for a moment and hoped that we could go. Since we have been to Nice twice, we were looking for other options that showed us something new. I think right about Menton. I have seen many photos from there and I believe that this place will be just as beautiful live.

Our next day in Milan was as busy with plans and unexpected moments as during the first days.

We started our day in Starbucks. You may now say that who would have coffee in Starbucks in Italy if there are cafes everywhere with great Italian coffee. But this Starbucks is not typical and that's why our steps led there. Starbucks Reserve is a place located in a beautiful historic building and you also have the opportunity to see how the coffee is roasted. If you have a moment, they will be happy to explain the whole process and tell you more about how the coffee you get in the cup is made.

Náš ďalší deň v Miláne bol rovnako nabitý udalosťami a nečakanými chvíľami ako počas prvých dní.

Náš deň sme začali v Starbuckse. Možno si teraz poviete, že kto by si dával v Taliansku kávu v Starbuckse, ak je všade plno kaviarní so skvelou Talianskou kávou. No tento Starbucks nie je typický a aj preto naše kroky viedli práve tam. Starbucks Rezerva je miesto, ktoré sa nachádza v krásnej historickej budove a taktiež tu máte možnosť vidieť, ako sa káva praží. Ak máte chvíľku času, tak vám radi vysvetlia celý proces a povedia viac o tom, ako vzniká káva, ktorú dostanete do šálky.

 

Then we go by metro towards Castello Sforzesco, which is beautiful not only for its architecture but also for the museums, grounds, and park it offers. After crossing the Castello Sforzesco atrium, we headed to the park just behind it. This park also hides a famous bridge, which many people compare to that from the film Alone at Home.

Potom sa odviezli smerom ku Castello Sforzesco, ktorý je krásny nie len architektúrou, ale aj múzeom, areálom a parkom, ktorý ponúka. Po tom, čo sme prešli átrium Castello Sforzesco zamierili sme do parku hneď za ním. Tento park ukrýva aj známy most, ktorý mnoho ľudí prirovnáva k tomu z filmu Sám Doma. 

In this park, you can also see the locals who go to practice here and a few stalls with souvenirs or fast food. At the end of this park, you will also find the Arco della Place, where various artists are used to playing instruments or painting. Behind this arch, we boarded a historic tram, which we passed a few stops.

Tiež môžete v tomto parku vidieť domácich, ktorý tu chodia cvičiť a pár stánkov so suvenírmi či rýchlym občerstvením. Na konci tohto parku nájdete aj oblúk Arco della Place, kde zvyknú rôzny umelci hrať na nástrojoch či maľovať obrazy. Za týmto oblúkom sme nastúpili do historickej električky, ktorou sme prešli pár zastávok.

We get off near the part of Brera that is considered to be Milan's old town. From this neighborhood, I expected more pedestrian streets that would strengthen the atmosphere of the old town, as well as shops that would offer various trifles. Instead, there is a long street where you will find restaurants, and part of this street is formed by a pedestrian zone. If you pass it, you will reach the square at Garibaldi station. It was in this part that we enjoyed lunch, which was delicious again. We chose spaghetti carbonara and bolognese and paid about 20 €.

Vystúpili sme blízko časti Brera, tá sa považuje za Milánske staré mesto. Od tejto štvrti som čakala viac uličiek s pešou zónou, ktoré by posilnili atmosféru starého mesta a taktiež obchodíky, ktoré by ponúkali rôzne drobnosti. Namiesto toho sa tu nachádza dlhá ulica, kde nájdete reštaurácie a časť tejto ulice je tvorená aj pešou zónou. Ak ju prejdete dostanete sa až ku námestiu pri stanici Garibaldi. Práve v tejto časti sme si vychutnali obed, ktorý bol opäť vynikajúci. My sme si zvolili špagety carbonara a bolognese a zaplatili približne 20€.

After lunch, we headed to the Vintage shop and since we were close to our hotel, we decided to relax for a while in the room.

 

After a short break, we headed to Chinatown, which was about a 5-minute walk from our hotel. Did you know that there is such a district in Milan as well? I had no idea until we settled near her. According to the photos, there are also typical Chinese lanterns in this district, but we were not so lucky and at the moment this district was not decorated in any way.

Po obede sme zamierili ešte do Vintage shopu a keďže sme sa nachádzali blízko nášho hotela, rozhodli sme sa oddýchnuť si na chvíľku na izbe.

Po krátkom oddychu sme sa vybrali do Čínskej štvrte, ktorá bola asi 5minút chôdze od nášho hotela. Vedeli ste, že aj v Miláne sa nachádza takáto štvrť? Ja som to netušila, až kým sme sa blízko nej neubytovali. Podľa fotiek sa v tejto štvrti zvyknú nachádzať aj typické čínske lampióny, no my sme nemali takéto šťastie a momentálne táto štvrť nebola nijak vyzdobená. 

 

From there we walked slowly back to Castello Sforzesco, where we were surprised by a big crowd. I'm glad we were here in the morning and could enjoy this place in peace. To our surprise, the crowd stretched from this Castello to the Duomo itself. It was unreal and we experienced a crowd in the square in front of the Duomo like I've never seen before. We, therefore, decided to take to the alleys and get rid of many people.

Odtiaľ sme sa pomaly prešli opäť ku Castello Sforzesco, kde nás prekvapil neskutočný dav ľudí. Som rada, že sme tu boli ráno a mohli si vychutnať toto miesto v kľude. Čo nás prekvapilo ešte viac, dav ľudí sa tiahol od tohto Castello až ku samotnému Duomo. Bolo to neskutočné a my sme na námestí pred Duomo zažili taký dav, aký som ešte nikdy nevidela. Rozhodli sme sa preto vybrať do uličiek a trošku sa zbaviť neskutočného množstva ľudí.

We returned here in the evening and there were fewer people here again. Therefore, if you want to see these sights, we do not recommend the time between 15-18 pm when it really was not possible to move here.

In the evening we enjoyed a panini in an inconspicuous business near the Duomo. These paninis were great, freshly prepared and despite the long wait, we would return here at any time.

The last day we walked around Milan in the morning, had breakfast at the Central Station Centrale, from where we boarded a bus to Bergamo Airport.

Večer sme sa sem vrátili a opäť tu bolo ľudí pomenej. Preto ak chcete vidieť tieto pamiatky, neodporúčame čas medzi 15-18:00 kedy sa tu naozaj nedalo pohnúť.

Ako večeru sme si vychutnali panini v nenápadnom podniku, ktorý bol neďaleko Duomo. Tieto panini boli skvelé, čerstvo pripravené a aj napriek dlhému čakaniu by sme sa sem kedykoľvek vrátili.

Posledný deň sme sa doobedu ešte poprechádzali po Miláne, dali si raňajky na hlavnej stanici Centrale, odkiaľ sme nastúpili na autobus smerom na letisko Bergamo.

You can find some interesting places in Milan HERE.

For more inspiration check our travel Instagram.