Make a weekend dash to Sicily
By Nicole Swengley, Evening Standard
Last updated at 16:55 19 March 2003
Call it the new Istanbul/Marrakech/Cairo. Palermo is "a brilliant rush of a place for a weekend", says an expert at Magic of Italy (0870 888 0222, magictravelgroup.co.uk), which introduces the Sicilian capital as a short break in its 2003 brochure.
Palermo was honed by centuries of invaders: Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Arabs; under the Saracens, it evolved into a Muslim city second only to Baghdad in splendour.
Those influences linger in the food, which includes fresh fish, pasta alla Norma (heavy with aubergines/peppers) and cassata.
Cultural tastes are sated in its French-style boulevards, mediaeval quarters, Norman palaces and churches of Arab mosaics or baroque flourishes.
Europe's third-largest opera house - and arguably the most impressive looking - is Palazzo Massimo, where Zeffirelli made his name.
And there's something for footie fans to boot, when Palermo stadium's division-one team plays Catania or Messina. Three nights at Hotel Grand Villa Igiea from £500pp, half-board with flights/car hire.
Disgruntled drivers looking to recoup the cost of congestion charges should motor down (avoiding central London, of course) to Redfield in Buckinghamshire for a two-day course (12-14 May) to learn how to make their own biodiesel eco-fuel - using cooking oil and other readily available materials.
LILI (Low Impact Living Initiative) courses also include ecopaintmaking, green DIY and how to build your own solar-powered heating system. Courses: £150 plus materials on some. Call 01296 714184.
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