Shopping

Palermo is like a grand shopping bazaar. You'll find a little bit of everything here, including boutiques of high fashion. Many shoppers seek out the expert craftspeople known for their skill in producing any number of goods, especially beautiful coral jewelry. Embroidered fabrics are another specialty item. Some visitors come to Palermo just to purchase ceramics.

Palermo markets are the most colorful in southern Italy. At these markets, all the bounty of Sicily -- fruits, vegetables, fish -- is elegantly displayed. Since it is unlikely you will be staying in accommodations with kitchen facilities, the markets are mainly for sightseeing, although they do offer an array of clothing and crafts as well.

For the best shopping, head for Via della Libertà, north of the city's medieval core within a 19th-century residential neighborhood of town houses and mid-20th-century apartment buildings that evoke some of the more upscale residential sections of Barcelona.

Within this same neighborhood, Via Principe di Belmonte is an all-pedestrian thoroughfare with many hip and elegant shops, as well as fashionable cafes such as Spinnato.

The two other principal shopping streets in the old town are Via Roma and Via Maqueda.

Monday morning is the worst time to shop, as nearly all stores are closed. Otherwise, general shopping hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm and from 4 to 7 or 7:30pm, Saturday from 4 to 8pm.

Sugar Shock

You'll find traditional fruit-filled tarts as well as cassata Siciliana (tarts with a ricotta-based filling) at Fratelli Magrì, Via Isidoro Carini 42 (tel. 091-584788). The shop also makes other types of sweets, as well as gelato in the summer, but come here for the authentic high-calorie pastries. I Peccatucci di Mamma Andrea, Via Principe di Scordia 67 (tel. 091-334835), a celebration of local confections, will tempt you with the bounty of Sicily's traditional desserts. The best examples are pralines, torrone, panetoni, segments of fruit dripping with Sicilian honey, marzipan, and an age-old specialty known as ghirlande di croccantini (hazelnut torte). Get ready for sugar shock and lots of local color. Bus: 122 or 124.

Sampling the Local Vino

Sicily's hot climate and volcanic soil nurture a wealth of vineyards, many of which produce simple table wines. Of the better vintages, the best known is Marsala, a sweet dessert wine produced in both amber and ruby tones. One name that evokes years of winemaking traditions, thanks to the winery's skill at producing Cerasucio di Vittoria and Moscato di Pantelleria, is Corvo Duca di Salaparuta, a 19th-century winery in the hills above Palermo. For information, contact the Casa Vinicola Duca di Salaparuta, Via Nazionale, SS113, Casteldaccia, 90014 Palermo (tel. 091-953988). If you'd like to visit, call ahead to make an appointment and get directions. Note: This winery produces the Moscato di Pantelleria wine but not Marsala, which is produced only in Marsala.