The city of Palermo, capital of Sicily, is considered the pivot, both cultural and economic, between the Mediterranean Sea and Europe. And for this reason the island has been conquered in the past by the Greeks, the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Normans and the Swabians, the Angevins, the Aragons, the Spaniards and the Austrians. All of these peoples have left remarkable monuments and archaeological remains. With the Arabs, the city described as "heaven on earth" gained much splendour. However swimming and access to the sea are not always easy on account of the steep cliffs. An exception to this is Porticella (a village near to Santa Flavia) with its lively fishing port, where you can buy fresh fish from the market square or on the quay, and another interesting sight is the carpenters at work in the naval dockyards along the harbour. Other beaches that you can easily reach are at: Sferracavallo, Mondello, Vergine Maria, Arenella and Acquasanta. The apartment lies on the top floor of a building in the centre of the city, and has large terraces full of flowers and plants and with dining area and barbecue, and consists of a large living area with sofas, easy-chairs and antique furniture, and is equipped with satellite-TV, video tape-recorder, stereo with CD player, internet connection, telephone and washing-machine.
