Sat one early morning, drinking my second cup of coffee, overlooking the English Garden. Prepared…read moremyself for a visit to the Villa Trabia, a few minutes away, having some expectations, as always. Went out, crossed the street, walked up to the gate of the villa. Not so much to expect, so far. No tourists, just a few locals having their morning run. Birds, though, plenty of them, singing and opening their wings in the breeze. Just a few steps and you experience a unique atmosphere. Once this garden had 2700 species. Today only 150 remains. But past and present can´t be separated - it´s all there. The grandeur, the greatness, is still present. Nothing is perfect, the decline can be seen everywhere, but beauty remains and the romantic impression is without sentimentality. The Villa Trabia holds an art library. A sweet lady showed me around. The house filled with students reading, listening to music, watching film videos - studying art, right in the eye of art itself. Sat down on a bench underneath a very big tree, talked to an engaged gardener, telling me the names of the trees. Flowers from one of them covered the ground. Left the Villa Trabia through another gate? Yes, I did. But not really. Still inside.

They have a slide and swings and monkey bars. Tons of green space. Romantic benches. People playing…read moresoccer. Watch out for some broken parts of the playground.

Great place. One part (park) is free and it is divided by great gates from this Botanic Garden…read more Both are nice and should be visited. Free park first and then paid. In free park you'll see the old entrance to Botanical Gardens with great statues. It was too many plants for me. Way too much, but some of them left me with an open jaw. The tree with spikes all over it! I call it three hedgehog. There are toilets. Great place for romantic walkaround. Ticket €5! This is oldest botanic garden in Europe! 200 years old.

I dropped by here almost by accident when I was exploring the city, it was only €5 for entrance so…read moreI thought heck why not take some time to explore it and try out my new macro lens I bought for my digital camera. The gardens history can be traced back to 1779 making it the oldest garden in Europe and now covers 10 hectares, the gardens has certainly been run down which is a shame. The garden has a number of Australian plants which always makes you a little homesick such as the Moreton Bay Fig. There is also a free garden next door that you can also explore, if the weather is good or far too hot I would suggest dropping by the gardens to cool down as there is plenty of cover to escape the heat and plenty of paths to explore.

This lovely park is located not far from the Cattedrale di Palermo and the Norman Palace along Via…read moreVittorio Emanuele. Paved paths, a fountain at the center and lots of greenery. Many of the trees are palm trees because of course, Palermo is on the Mediterranean Sea and even in January there will be green. In the Summer, I would imagine that this would be quite the spot to hang out and get out of the bright sun. But for us in winter, it was just a pleasant spot to pass through on our way to lunch. [Review 12823 overall, 138 of 2020.]

Via Vittorio Emanuele is the oldest road in the city of Palermo, running from the seaside up to the…read morecathedral. At the cathedral, Porta Nuova protects the city from one end. At the water, Porta Felice protects the city from invasion from the water. This monumental gate is in the part of the city known as the Foro Italico. In 1581, the Viceroy of Sicily decided to build a monumental gate at the (then) new water-side entrance of the Cassaro. The gate was named after the wife of Colonna, Felice Orsini. Groundbreaking took place in 1582 and complete in 1637. It was later damaged by bombing during World War II but has been restored. From one gate to the other, it's a wonderful walk and then you have the beach and the park at the Tyrrhenian Sea to enjoy! [Review 12836 overall, 151 of 2020.]

This large park is surrounded by a number of really important Palermo sites, including the Norman…read morePalace, Villa Bonanno, the Palazzo d'Orleans, Porta Nuova. At the center of the plaza, a tall marble obelisk stands to memorialize the victims of the struggle for Italian independence. Another shady spot, much like the Villa Bonanno. A bit louder as it outside the walls of the Porta Nuova that protects the historic district from the traffic that is passing around here. The Palazzo Reale-Orleans underground railway station is also nearby but I did not ride the subway in Palermo. [Review 12825 overall, 140 of 2020.]