Greetings!
Looks like our (group of ca. 15 people) last days in Sicily will be in Palermo falling on Sunday and Monday in October. We'll check in at the hotel Saturday evening after a day traveling to Palermo and check out early Tuesday. So that gives us 2 full days for Palermo + Monreale. Now, my worry comes from the fact that in Sicily it seems on Sundays and Mondays many places are closed and so are the restaurants. We had a similar problem in Barcelona some years ago where many fine-dining restaurants were closed on weekends and Mondays.
I have to part question --- about restaurants open on Sun / Monday and about sightseeing ideas for 1.5 days.
For our last night in Palermo, I'd like to have dinner at a restaurant that feels grandeur and kind of old-world chick or a fancier modern place. preferably something that we can not find in Tokyo. Up to now we usually set aside about 60-100EUR/person for dinner and drinks (most people are not big drinkers ;)). I've been lucky in finding great places in Barcelona, Vienna, Madrid, St. Petersburg, Lisbon taht fall in that price range.
Any great places in Palermo that can be recommended especially the ones open on Mondays?
For sightseeing for Sunday and Monday, I'd like to do 1.5 days of organized sightseeing with a guide (still looking for a Japnese speaking guide in Sicily) and .5 day for shopping (souvenirs, gourmet gifts, window shopping). Is that doable on Sunday or Monday?
Places that I know we want to visit during these 1.5 days of sightseeing in Palermo;
● Monreale cathedral
● Palatine Chapel
● Oratory of Santa Cita (saw it in Sicily Unpacked BBC program and really want to see with my own eyes ;))
● Fontana Pretoria
● Palazzo Conte Federico (possibly private tour)
● one of the markets (maybe a couple)
● attend a puppet show
● 1-2 of the "over-the-top Baroque Churches" ;)) (The Church of the Gesù?)
● Massimo theater (exteriors)
● I'd like to climb to a rooftop (??) of a church/cathedral to get a better view of Palermo. We did that in Lisbon (Basilia de Estrela) which was so much fun and Cathedral in Sevilla! The ladies who didn't feel like climbing hung out a nearby garden.
● Souvenir shopping area?? Is there a specific place good for shopping and will the stores be open on Sunday?
Thank you,
Anna