One of the main advantages that Palermo has in terms of sightseeing is that many of its attractions fall within a square mile or two and center on three main thoroughfares. These are the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the Via Marqueda/Viale Della Liberta, and the Via Roma. I'll summarise the attractions and distractions of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele in this journal.
The Corso Vittorio Emanuele from the Palazzo dei Normanni to the Marina
Staying at Giorgios House (see its own journal), puts you at the end of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele. In actual fact at that point (the end furthest from the sea), it's the Corso Calatafimi, which merges with the Corso Vittorio Emanuele at the Cattedrale. Anyway, starting at this end, the first attraction is the impressive Palazzo dei Normanni, initially a Norman construction, but looking much more modern due the fact that it has been constantly added to and tinkered with over the years. Nonetheless, it’s a fine building with an attractive courtyard and fountain out front. It has a guarded entrance due to the fact that it now houses the Palermitan Regional Assembly.
Crossing diagonally through the courtyard in front of the Palazzo dei Normanni, with its many palm trees, you find yourself immediately facing the Cattedrale. Again it’s a Norman conception that looks much younger as a result, again, of being tinkered with and added to over the years. Its domes, for example, are about as Norman as a bunch of bananas. It too has an attractive piazza out front, giving you the space to get some good external photographs without being run down by the ever-present onrushing traffic. Inside it’s pleasant enough, but pretty much as you would expect the inside of a cathedral to look once you've seen a few. Entry is free, but inside they have a very small museum of artifacts that you must pay (I think) €2 to view. We didn't.
Proceeding down the Corso Vittorio Emanuele from the Cattedrale, you'll be struck by the density of second hand book shops on the initial stretch. This gives a clue that the University is in the vicinity, and it is, just off the Via Marqueda to the right as you walk in the direction of the sea. The sidewalk is narrow, busy, and occasionally blocked in places by scaffolding, so you'll frequently find yourself stepping out onto the road to make progress. If you do this, please promise me that you'll be careful!!!
At Quatro Canti, a crossroads about 100m down from the Cattedrale where the road is crossed by the Via Marqueda, there is an interesting baroque architectural feature incorporating a fountain arrangement. At the time of writing, it was permanently occupied by a group of three large stray dogs (always sleeping, always together). Large stray dogs are a feature of the city, unlike other parts of the world where strays tend to have gravitated/evolved to knee height or less. Other oddities you may notice in Palermo are a higher than normal proportion of hairless people of both sexes, and men below 5 feet in height - obviously some genetic peculiarity of the region. Anyway, I digress, back to the street.
Following the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, you become increasingly aware that at the end there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The thoroughfare is narrow, the buildings are tall and, in many cases, quite run down, and it comes as quite a relief when it finally opens out a bit at the Piazza Marina. This is about as close as Palermo gets to offering an oasis of tranquility amid the din of the city. Hemmed in by iron railings with entry possible through its only open gate at the corner closest to the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, this is a lovely little square with a nice fountain, some ancient and odd looking banyan trees, and statues offering a bit of relative tranquility. It’s only about 50m by 75m, so you can still hear the traffic right enough, but it can't actually get to you. It gets used by lots of couples for wedding photos. There's a decent bar right next to the piazza with a great selection of ice cream (tiramisu recommended) enabling you to grab some and indulge in a rare and peaceful moment of pleasure in the piazza adjacent. Their coffee is good too. On most days, the outside perimeter of the Piazza is surrounded by the hap-hazard, but interesting stalls of a flea-market. The Palazzo Chiarmonte is right next door too.
Just opposite the piazza, the very busy Via Della Cala, is the Marina with its many moored yachts - a good photo opportunity and another popular spot for post-wedding photographs. You'll be put off from dwelling too long though, because the water is quite stinky.
The route is not that long and walking from the Palazzo dei Normanni to the Marina is easily achievable inside an hour at a leisurely stroll. Generally, you'll be looking to take in a broader range of sights on your foot tour by following the main thoroughfares that cross this road. The attractions of these are recounted in a separate journal, Walking Central Palermo #2.