Destination: Sicily, Italy
By Erik Hastings
November, 2007
My trip to Sicily, Italy was a wild success! I had the opportunity to go for 5 days at the beginning of November in 2007 and I am so glad I did.
 We flew Al Italia airlines and this was the first time I had flown with them. They fly direct to both Rome and Milan from New York from JFK’s Terminal 4. My flight was to Milan. Check in was easy, and our Italian experience began the moment we got on board. The plane was a new Boeing 777 which meant the most room possible in both classes of service. The food was great, the flight attendants were exceptional and the in-flight (in seat) entertainment was perfect Fortunately, I was able to experience both classes of service on this trip. And, although I love a good economy seat just as much as the next guy, if you have a chance to fly business class, I highly recommend it. Yes, it’s more expensive, but they really roll out the red carpet (literally).
 The trip began with a quick stop in Palermo. What a beautiful city! We stayed at the Hotel Wagner and I found the accommodations to be very accommodating. The rooms were quaint but tidy. You definitely felt the romance of the atmosphere as well as the plush carpet under foot! We spent the limited amount of time we had strolling through this beautiful historic city. Our next stop was Agrigento. This is where you’ll discover the Valley of the Temples. Seeing these ancient landmarks took by breath away. We spent about an hour at these temples before escaping for a little lunch. If you have the chance, try to see the Temples at night, you can’t tour the grounds at night but seeing them in the orange glow of perfect lighting against the black star-filled sky really is magnificent. Our final stop on this trip was Taorimina. I think this was my favorite. We stayed at the legendary Mazzaro Sea Palace over looking the water and it was awesome.
 Because this was a press trip, we hade guides most of the time and a pretty regimented schedule. For those of us who do this for a living, this was not a vacation and so the structure was fine with me. On my radio show I often discuss with the listeners the importance of learning about your destination before you go and then booking the trip yourself. In this particular instance, on a trip this size (and added expense), I definitely recommend using a travel agent. These professionals will be able to find the right itinerary customized to your needs, tastes and budget.
In short, I found this part of Italy a bit more “authentic” then some of the other more well-known destinations like Rome,  Venice or Milan. I loved it. The residents were happy to see tourists and the weather was cool and perfect. Enjoy your trip to Sicily!
Erik Hastings
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