We did a little “research” (Googling 🤣) to find a special place for Easter in Sicily and what came up was both surprising and wonderful.
Piana degli Albanesi was founded in the late 15th century by a large group of Albanian refugees coming from the Balkans during the conquest of the latter by the Ottomans.
We headed off into the hills behind Palermo to find the village – even though it meant giving up our coveted parking spot in Palermo!
The village is known at Easter for their Byzantine mass and processions in traditional costumes and red-dyed eggs the children distribute.
The mass was beautiful and very moving – sung in Albanian and Italian. After the ceremony we wandered in the main piazza enjoying the children’s costumes and decorations.
When the town was ready for the procession, the band started and everyone lined up and just when they were about to parade through town – the heavens opened and the rain splashed down and everyone scattered to run inside cafés or the church to wait out the weather. We decided to err for safe driving and return to Palermo before the predicted storm. It was a wonderful Easter morning!
Easter lunch at Locale
We luckily found parking again by our apartment and headed out for a meal. We have been eating incredible food in Sicily and lunch of seafood risotto for Ellen and lamb for Chris, didn’t disappoint! To top it off, our waiter suggested a typical Sicilian dessert for Easter of cassata – a cream and sponge cake with candied fruit. Delicious!!
Later that evening, after the rain, we took a walk through the rain-washed, mostly deserted streets of Palermo. It had been a good Easter.
Chris and Ellen’s 2022 European Adventure 