Day 1 - New York to Milan to Palermo

This was already going to be a super long day and it started poorly. The 2.5 hour drive to JFK turned into 3.5, but fortunately we left extra early so no complications. I just have to keep reminding myself that the tickets were half-price to balance out the hassle of leaving from JFK on a discount airline - bad traffic, expensive parking (more that 2x Newark), no TSA-Pre, etc. At least the flight is on time!

The flight on AirItaly to Milan was actually quite pleasant. We had a new Airbus 330 with plenty of legroom and the food was decent. Lasagna for dinner and an omelette for breakfast. The plane was mostly Italians and they all applauded for a very routine landing. On the second AirItaly flight, again loud applause from the Italians when we landed in Palermo. Must be a cultural thing.

Speaking of cultural things, things at the airport in Palermo are pretty much chaos. The baggage monitor tells us our baggage in on carousel number six until someone comes out and tells us Americans are on number 1 (because you have to clear customs). Go to pick up our rental car. Long line because the one agent is taking 20 minutes per person and looking like he is totally perplexed by what he is seeing on the monitor each time. He checks me in within 5 minutes. Maybe it was because I did it in Italian or maybe because my reservation is more complete. I don't know. We have a red Fiat 500. The quintessential Italian car since the 50s. Think VW beetle in the US. About the same size.

Falcone Monument near Palermo

We drive to the hotel and the streets in Palermo are like chaos too, but it just reminds me of driving in New York so it isn't a concern. Motorcycles passing from every directions, three lanes turning right into one, people stepping out if front of you everywhere. Been there, done that. Although I'm pretty sure I broke a couple of laws along the way.

No photos today, but I borrowed a shot of the Judge Giovanni Falcone monument which we drove by. Falcone was a main anti-mafia judge investigating the mafia until the mafia killed him by blowing up the main road to the airport in 1992. It was the equivalent of blowing up I-95 in Philadelphia. The monument is alongside the rebuilt road today and the airport in Palermo is named after him. The mafia still exists but I think they are much scaled back since the 90s.

Pizza Margherita and bruschetta for dinner.