Dusty-beautiful Palermo, surrounded by flowers, baroque, and Arab-Norman architecture.
Here, a Chinese restaurant is located next to 'Goods from Poland,' and 'Goods from Romania' is right across the street.
Around the corner, a family from Bangladesh will feed you Indian cuisine dishes (and even give poppadums as a gift! They will help to turn on the evening lights nearby just to make my photos look nice and shiny).
We were not allowed into the official Majolica museum; it appeared to be closed on Mondays.
But we didn't miss anything. Look at how Arabian ceramics brought here in the 12th century have found their roots again in the El Habib store: the hand of Fatima, delicate Islamic calligraphy, and Sicilian ethnic pots settled nearby in one showcase, ready to decorate the homes of locals and tourists.
Like an old junk dealer, I blissfully enjoyed not the baroque, but these sneakers exposed on a balcony to dry, cozy icons under the glass on every corner, flower pots in completely unexpected places, shop signs either luxurious or DIY but so authentic. You can clearly feel the vibe of the place and the owner!
Italian locals showed me pieces of their courtyards, holding guard dogs, explaining along the way what these yellow pipes are for (to drain heavy construction waste during reconstruction and repairs).
The Algerian guy didn't understand at first why I was interested in inconspicuous corners and kindly showed me where the main architectural landmarks are, so I saw them too.
Thank you, city. Multicultural, chaotic, but so lively, kind, and responsive. In my opinion, your main feature is not at all where the tour brochures and guides lead us ❤️.