12/02/11 Day One

Arrived in BA, met JG at the airport, took cab to apartment in Palermo. First apartment was awful, so we complained and ended up in a beautiful loft-style palace in Recoleta, next door to the Romanian Embassy. Recoleta is a very upscale, clean, safe area. One of the only areas I’ve seen so far within the city that does not have graffiti, a popular thrill-seeker around here among kids with too much time on their hands. JG thinks spray paint should be banned outright. After switching apartments, we showered and darted for the door. People eat later here, so 12 or 1 am is a perfectly acceptable time for a meal. We were ordering by 11pm at Il Gatto, a popular Italian chain drenched in red linens, walls, and chairs. I had the lasagna, which was heavenly.