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All attempts to speak Italian will endear you to the locals. Say ‘Pronto’ to start a phone call, then try with these:

Buon giorno (Buona sera). Cerco una camera matrimoniale (singola)con (senza) bagno per una notte (due notti) da oggi (domani).

Good morning (evening). I’m looking for a double (single) room with (without) bathroom for one night (two nights) as from today (tomorrow).

Avete un lettino per un bambino?

Do you have a small bed for a child?

Avete qualcosa di più grande (economico)?

Do you have anything larger (cheaper)?

To familiarise themselves with the raw materials, visitors can do no better than wander around a fresh-produce market. The strictly regional nature of Sicilian food, and its relative lack of sophistication compared to what is usually expected of Italian cuisine, means delicious surprises can be expected by adventurous eaters.

The snack front is dominated by the arancino, a luscious ball of moist rice around an inner core of meat and tomato sauce (ragù), crumbed, fried and eaten warm. Those served on board the ferries that cross the Strait of Messina are legendary! Another snack found prevalently around Palermo is panelle, squares of chick pea pastry, battered and fried and served on its own or as a roll filling, preferably accompanied by fried eggplant. Schiacciata and focaccia, types of pizza-like bread, are good lunch fare and found in all bakeries. A modest restaurant or trattoria may not always have a menu, however by asking ‘Che cosa avete oggi?’ (What’s on today?) or ‘Quale sono le vostre specialità?’ (What are your specialities?) something unfailingly interesting is guaranteed.