Satisfying your curiosity and being always on the move, getting to know new countries and cities but at the same time staying and eating well and spending little is possible, just arm yourself with patience and "comb through" the network, which had the undoubted advantage of making travel very democratic and affordable for all budgets. Or you can resort to good old "word of mouth", and it is with this last method that my partner and I, in our stay in Palermo, we were able to live in a beautiful apartment with Art Nouveau decorated ceilings.
Il B&B L'Olivella is managed by Elena, a very nice and nice girl who delights in cooking delicious cakes with which to pamper her guests during breakfast: orange juice, coffee, milk, tea, chocolate and hazelnut cakes, muffins and jams all prepared at home, and obviously the "reginelle" could not be missing typical Sicilian biscuits. A riot of flavors and colors, a joy for the palate and also for the eyes, because Elena also has a very refined taste in preparing the table. Breakfast is also served in a room whose ceiling is finely decorated with frescoes from the early twentieth century. The beautiful photos of Elena's breakfast can also be seen on her FB page.
Our room was large, bright, with the wrought iron bed, wardrobes, bedside tables and mirror in dark wood. The bathroom is also spacious and bright with a fully functional hairdryer. The room was also equipped with a small minibar which we used to keep the strawberries and cream we bought at the ballarò market cool.
The area where the Olivella B&B is located is one of the most beautiful in Palermo: via Bara all'Olivella overlooks the Massimo Opera House and it is a street full of artisan shops. It is here that you can find Massimo Cuticchio's puppet theater. Unfortunately when we visited Palermo he was on tour and we didn't have the pleasure of attending one of his shows.
In via bara all'Olivella you can also find some of the more original shops of flat caps. There are for all types, for all tastes, and for all seasons. Finally, in the street there are also several restaurants - Italian-Tunisian-run places where you can spend the evening eating traditional Arab and Sicilian dishes.
I prices? In the period in which we visited Palermo, or in March, the single room was 35 Euros, the double € 70. For our dinners at the Italian-Tunisian restaurants we spent about 10-15 Euros each, eating very well and with very generous portions, the cous cous was delicious, both vegetarian and with meat.
