Palermo, Monreale, and Cefalù: 4 Days

May 24, 2026

Palermo, Monreale, and Cefalù: 4 Days

Four days ago, I took the train from Tropea to Palermo, Sicily. On the way, the train stopped at Villa San Giovanni, which is a town that’s right across from Sicily. Since my next train didn’t leave for another hour and half, I decided to grab lunch at a local restaurant called Pizzeria Del Corso.

After eating a mediocre plate of pasta and a chicken leg, along with a can of soda, I was shocked at the price I had to pay. A total of €18. The meal was probably only worth €12. The owner was going to charge me €20 if I was paying with a credit card. I guess it’s my fault for trusting locals and not seeing the price when ordering. I’ll never go to Pizzeria Del Corso again.

The most interesting part about the train ride was the train actually drove onto the ferry and parked there while the ferry made the crossing to Messina, Sicily. I never seen anything like it. A train on a ferry? Unthinkable! From Messina, the train took me to Palermo after many stops along the way.

I stayed in a hostel called Ostello Vucciria for four nights. I was surprised that the receptionist, Valentina, spoke Chinese even though she’s Italian. Valentina had studied Chinese for eight years and she was very sociable.

The hostel is above a very popular bar and I had trouble falling to sleep every night due to the music and the noise. But once I got to sleep I slept well.

During the first full day in Palermo, I had a cannoli that’s made by nuns at the popular I Segreti del Chiostro. The cannoli was huge, similar to the size of a burrito. Then I walked on the busy main street and stopped by Quattro Canti before going to the Palermo Cathedral. I paid to go on the roof of the cathedral since I can get a great view of the city.

I opted not to go into the Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel because they require a ticket and I was tired of walking. In fact, I was tired in general from traveling, so I didn’t do much for the rest of the afternoon.

At dinner time, I met Camila, whom I had met in Tropea, and her friend from the hostel who is named Camille, at the restaurant Osteria Mangia e Bevi. We had a great time chatting and eating. Camille is from France and knows six languages. She’s also an art historian specializing in 15th century art.

The next day, the three of us took the bus to Monreale since Camille wanted to see Cattedrale di Monreale, a Norman church that’s decorated in mosaics.

Monreale is situated on top of a hill and it offers a great view of the landscape surrounding Palermo. Of course, the church is at the top of the hill.

The most common buildings that I visit are religious buildings, such as churches and temples. I wonder why I choose to visit them so much since I’m an agnostic or an atheist. Maybe it’s because I’m attracted to the architecture more than anything else.

Camille played the part of a tour guide and explained to us about the history of the Normans and how this church was important. I had forgotten much of what she said since I’m not too big on history and religion.

Anyway, inside the church there are panels depicting scenes from the Bible, such as Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark, etc. They are all made of mosaics that are so well done that I thought they were paintings. Above the main altar is a giant mosaic of Jesus that is quite impressive. We were also granted access to the roof since we had bought full tickets.

The church was the only site that we visited in Monreale and there weren’t much else to see. When we arrived in Palermo, I bid farewell to Camila and Camille at their hostel since Camila will go to Rome the next day and Camille will visit some islands. I had a great time spending the day with them!

Yesterday, I decided to take the hour long train to the town of Cefalù that’s east of Palermo. I was surprised by the amount of tourists there. I visited yet another church, Duomo di Cefalù. It also has a Jesus mosaic above the altar that’s similar to the one in Cattedrale di Monreale.

After walking on Corso Ruggero, the main street in town, and seeing the beach, I decided to grab a sandwich to eat and get out of the town since the place was so touristy.

Back at my hostel, I didn’t do much since the people here tend to keep to themselves. Definitely not a social or a party hostel.

I ended up chatting with Atef, who is an engineer from Tunisia. Somehow, our conversation ended to the topic of religion. As it turns out, some of my personal beliefs are also documented in Islam, which I know very little about. Atef recommended me to read a book by Al-Ghazali so I can learn more about Islam. I will have to check him out.

Palermo feels a bit chaotic to me, though not as chaotic as Naples. Maybe it’s also because I’m staying in a hostel that’s above a bar. I’m glad to relax a little now since my train to Catania departs at 3:31 PM, about five hours away from now. Catania will be my last Italian destination before I take the plane to Malta in a few days.