Sicily's Singing Salesman

Palermo, Sicily's main city and historic capital, comes with a whiff of Arabia. With the 9th century Arab conquests, Palermo soon had 200,000 people, 300 mosques, and several busy markets. Today, the beat of bootleg CDs at the Ballaro market competes with singing salesmen. Whether you understand the lyrics or not, this slice of life Sicilian market action is some of the best in Europe. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.