With two very long posts into this rumination, it is about time that I actually get to trip to Sicily, and more specifically about Troina. Which I will do, eventually (it's my blog, so I get to do what I want). But first a word about travel planning:
Trying to plan a vacation as a lawyer is tricky because so much of an attorney's schedule is determined by other people. Judges will calendar events based on what works for them, as do other lawyers, etc. So, when a lawyer wants to take a vacation, they have to pick a time when not a lot is on calendar, and then send out a Notice to everyone that, yes, they are on vacation. However, once the tickets are purchased, etc., vacation plans are practically sacrosanct. Judges will move things around if you have a prescheduled vacation. Also, flying from Southern California to Sicily is Europe is tricky because it takes as long to get from Southern California to New York as it takes someone to fly from New York to Europe. And lastly, a lot of European airlines are absolutely scammy bastards. Almost as bad as Frontier or Spirit.
In that context, my next decision was whether I would go alone, or bring a member of my family with me. Ultimately, and after much lobbying by her, I ended up bringing my oldest daughter with me. Of my three daughters, she is the one who is the most Italian looking - olive skin, long, dark wavy hair, and dark eyes. This will be ironic shortly. Now, why I would have preferred to take the entire family, the trip was scheduled during the school year, and it made no sense to take everyone (a point my wife made clear).
Now, as far as flying goes, the airport that I flew in and out was Catania International Airport. As it turns out, Catania is the big city for eastern Sicily. I could have flown into Palermo, but that would have added an hour or so to my drive time to Troina, which, as I think about it, would not have been difficult at all. Anyway, if you are flying in from Southern California, try to cut up the flights as best as possible. Flying from San Diego to Europe is hideously expensive. But flying from Chicago or New York to Europe isn't that terrible - only slightly longer than a flight from San Diego to New York. Also, and I wasn't able to pull this off because of the days I was flying, but it looks like Turkish Airlines is the best carrier.
Also, once you get to Sicily, the hotels and restaurants are well-priced. Granted, I didn't stay in Taormina during the height of tourism, but I was typically paying less than 100 euros a night for a hotel, and the meals would easily cost three times as much in the States. Also, I used booking.com to great effect in finding hotels. The first place I stayed was within tripping distance of five different restaurants, and maybe two blocks from the cathedral in Catania. The last place I stayed was within walking distance of the airport (we had an early flight).
One other point to be made - if you rent a car, get the supplemental insurance. I had numerous harrowing experiences while driving in Sicily - caused by the poor infrastructure and urban planning. I sort of wish my cousin and her husband could have made it to Sicily just to see what a modern urban planner would have thought of these cities. At the same time, I feel like I can face anything because I drove in Catania.
No comments:
Post a Comment