The only breathing lung on the southeastern quarter of historical Palermo, Giardino Garibaldi is a two-acre plot of greenery in an otherwise drab locality of old alleyways, crammed as they are with derelict houses and ruined palaces. This garden may be too small to allow for trekking or any other outdoor activities but it is an ideal spot for sheer relaxation after a day in the chaotic city centre. Despite its location, only a stone’s throw away from the easternmost end of the traffic-jammed Corso Vittorio Emanuele and the noisy yacht marina of La Cala, it is quiet and secluded enough to offer a dose of natural richness that soothes the soul and revitalizes the body. Giardino Garibaldi is a treasure-trove of old trees, some of which are rare species, others have already surpassed their 200th birthday with new growth. The oldest tree in Europe is reckoned to be here: an evergreen ficus macropylla, an enormous perennial with shiny red-veined foliage on which age has not yet left its painful vestiges of decline. I have mellowed out for hours in the shade of the old ficus, sheltered as it is amidst a profusion of chestnut trees, their leaves, dry and withered falling regularly with each breeze. Don’t expect to track down any monumental statue of Garibaldi while roaming along the pathways; there are none, but... surprisingly there is a statue of Nicolae Balcescu, a former leader of Romania whose connection with the garden is obscure and maybe shrouded in mystery. Stepping out of the garden from its east gateway puts you on Piazza Marina, a graceful space flanked on one side by an imposing Neo-Gothic building that despite its recent restoration still retains the full flavour of its early 19th-century architecture. The true draw is the row of symmetrical windows whose elegant design is a superb exercise in meticulous ornamentation rather than functionalism. Further south of Piazza Marina is the long but narrow passageway (Palermitani somehow drive their cars along here in both directions) of Via Alloro cut across by several tiny streets and alleyways that lead to neglected piazzas and ruined buildings. Every Sunday morning, the streets around Giardino Garibaldi host a huge raucous flea market, in the most part dedicated to antiquities, collector’s items and paintings. Most articles for sale are kitschy and valueless but amidst the hotchpotch, one may easily detect a piece one was looking for to complete the collection.