Pre-Trip Planning

The planning for this trip has been totally different than any other we have taken to date. Those who know us know that planning our movement and being in control of our destiny is priority one!

Tom will spend hours creating a book containing details of cost, times, maps, contact numbers, location of public transportation stops, etc. He will walk the streets using google maps that surround our hotel or Airbnb. If we have a vehicle, he is going to drive the routes virtually and know how many toll booths will be encountered along the way. And of course… which restaurants of note or wineries we may pass on our journey.

Danilo & the Easy Button

In tandem, Janet will investigate the calendars for cultural events, the phase of the moon, what markets are open on what day, and if any plant life may be in bloom. If there is something that is off the beaten trail that one should see, she is going to find it. Then she stores all that information in a small notebook for quick reference.

No stone will go unturned in our pre-planning, and if something does go wrong alternative options will  have already been investigated. However, on this trip the only task that required our attention was to book airfare to Palermo. The rest of the details we are putting our faith in Danilo.  We must admit it has made the planning pretty easy with Danilo and his wife Alona handling all the details!

We are travelling with friends on this Sicily adventure which we have travelled with many times before.

Our traveling crew of Tom, Janet, Richard, Sally, Andy, and Karen started in 2004. Since then, we have enjoyed each other’s company in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a Rhine River Cruise, St John, USVI, Charleston, SC, and a Transatlantic Crossing just to name a few. It is good to have friends you enjoy travelling with and we look forward to meeting new friends on this trip.

We decided to fly into Sicily a few days early before Danilo and the group rendezvous at the Tonic Hotel in Palermo. Sally and Richard have been travelling in Portugal and Spain and will meet the rest of us at the airport. Our destination will be an Airbnb outside of Palermo in the town of Isola delle Femmine where we will enjoy the sea and once again traveling together. That’s the Plan!