A little more Palermo

Another incident from Sicily.

One Sunday, the workers from Milan and I decided to do a little sightseeing along the North coast of Sicily. We rented a car, they rented it, and I paid, they drove.

We headed West along the coast, through small towns that had been there for centuries. The buildings were built mostly of stone. Many of these villages were fishing villages. The fishing boats are colorfully painted. And all have a pole on the back with a lantern for attracting the fish at night.

In one village there was a magnificent stone cathedral. It looked as if it had been there for centuries. We went inside. It was afternoon, but Mass was being served. The men from Milan all genuflected, and we stood in the back to not disturb anyone. There were beautiful paintings on the ceilings, marble statues along the Altar. We heard a commotion behind us, and looking around, saw it was a tour group, with a guide explaining in a subdued voice, yet loud enough to be heard by the group, in five subsequent languages, the points of interest of the church.

The tour group proceeded along the left aisle, with the guide pointing out the statues representing the stations of the cross. And to observe the paintings on the ceiling. When they got to the front of the church, they crossed along the communion rail, the guide genuflected as he crossed in front of the alter, which the tour group did not.

They then proceeded out the left wall, the guide keeping up his explanations, as they left the church.

When we got outside, the guys were all astounded at what we had just witnessed. Never having seen anything like this.