06/09/11 : September 6th 2011 : A general strike by the CGIL union will bring Italy to a stand still today. Best to avoid flying in/out of Italy. Travel trains/buses/flights also cancelled /cancellations. Main italian airport disturbance scheduled from 10:00 – 18:00. The strike is all to do with Italian austerity measures to cut national debt, which is having consequential affects on employee rights, to name 1 of many issues.

Check your airline prior to leaving to the airport to check if  your flight to/from Italy has a cancellation or is cancelled or delayed.

Italy Air transport sector is on strike today 06/05/11 causing delays cancellations and disruption across the italian airports.

Check your airline prior to leaving to ensure your flight to/from Italy is not cancelled or delayed.

Ryanair flight info can be found here Ryanair. Italy.

Trapani TPS airport closed to civil aviation this afternoon Sunday 20/3/11 until further notice,   in preparation for international military action towards Libya. If  you are flying with Ryanair to Trapani TPS you will probably be diverted to Palermo PMO, (Trapani airport is also a military airport hence its closure). Not that you should panic visiting Sicily, but it is a strategic base in the current war with Libya along with the NATO base Sigonella. There has been increased military air action over the last 24 hours, quite strange actually for such a peacful area.

UPDATE : TPS Closed till 31st March inclusive. Airport opens as from 1st April….and no its not an Aprils Fools joke !! But not all flights will arrive and take off from Trapani, that is some will still operate from/into Palermo until 10/4/11.

You need to check the day and flight number here on the Ryanair website to be sure where you will land/take off.

ps: there is a shuttle bus operating between both airports for transfers.

Italy 150 years : Today Italy is celebrating 150 years as a united country. A national holiday was agreed at the last minute. Celebrations are taking place across the country. Turino (Turin) is the official 1^st capital of Italy, some say it was Salemi in Sicily (if only for 1 day), where Garibaldi declared the unification of Italy.  The official celebrations website is here at Italy.

Italy is celebrating 150 years of unification.

A short history lesson:

The process of the unification of Italy is known as the Italian Risorgimento. Back in 1860 in Italy there 4 states namely the Austrians in Venetia, the Papal States, the new expanded Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In April 1860, separate insurrections began in Messina and Palermo in Sicily, both of which demonstrated a history of opposing Neapolitan rule. On May 6, 1860, Garibaldi and his cadre of about a thousand Italian “red shirts” volunteers (called I Mille), steamed from Quarto near Genoa, and after a stop in Talamone on May 11 landed near Marsala on the west coast of Sicily to “liberate” southern Italy and Sicily from the centuries old rule of the Bourbon kings from Spain.  Near Salemi, Garibaldi’s army attracted scattered bands of rebels, and the combined forces defeated the opposing army at Calatafimi on May 13. Within three days, the invading force had swelled to 4,000 men. On May 14, Garibaldi proclaimed himself dictator of Sicily, in the name of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy. In less than a month, and against all odds, they had seized Palermo. The defeat of the 20,000-strong Bourbon army in Palermo sent a shiver up the spine of Italy and through the Bourbon monarchy in Naples, setting the stage for the unification of Italy and ultimately leading to the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy (March 17, 1861) in Turin, Piedmonte.

The 150 year celebrations started this May 6th and will conclude next year 2011 with 150 years of the Kingdom of Italy. Even Ferrari has created a special logo which appears as from today on the F10s of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso: the three stripes of the Italian flag placed over the dates 1861>2011 are the symbol of the inter-ministerial committee to celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Italian Unity.

The head of State, President Giorgio Napolitano, was on the defensive when he travelled to Genoa this week to honour the Thousand. “To celebrate the unity of Italy is not a waste of time or money,” he declared. He urged Italians to show “a stronger sense of Italy and of being Italian”, following the leader of the The Northern League, Umberto Bossi’s comments calling the celebrations “useless things.” The party’s newspaper demanded rhetorically, “The unity of Italy – what’s there to celebrate?” and described the birth of the unitary state as “contrary to nature and history.”

The celebrations will follow the route of Garibaldi. Here in Sicily of particular interest was the THE GARIBALDI TALL SHIPS REGATTA 2010 from Genoa to Trapani.

In Salemi, Napolitano will be visiting on Tuesday 11th May to open the new town hall and new mafia museum which is planned to attract new mafia tourism to Salemi the town of the 1 euro house regeneration project.

BEckham during last nights game for AC Milan against Chievo in the seria A in Italy first got kicked in the face and suffered heavy bleeding and then unchallenged broke his Achilles tendon. David rumured to be buying George Clooneys italian villa on the italian Lakes rested in a Milan hospital overnight before heading off to FInland for surgery. Beckhams chances of playing in the world cup finals for England are now very slim.

BEckham is on transfer from LA Galaxy in his second season in the italian premiership. Milan beating CHievo 1-0 are now 1 point behind the leaders. After his return to Manchester last week this is probably the start of a sad end to David’s football career…well at least he can rest and enjoy the italian lakes in his house in Italy….auguri.

David Beckham returns AC Milan

After a successful return to Italian football, Beckam stated on italian TV interviews that he is happy to be back in Milan and looking forward to a Milan visit to Old Trafford this season. Victoria’s absense was noted but i’m sure she will be here for Milan fashion week 24 Feb – 3 Mar 2010.

David Beckham enjoyed a winning return to the AC Milan side as they outclassed Genoa 5-2 at the San Siro.

Watched by England coach Fabio Capello, Beckham impressed on the right side of a three-man attack in his first game since beginning a second loan spell.

After Ronaldinho had an early penalty saved, Genoa went ahead on 25 minutes but Milan were 2-1 up at half-time.

Leonardo’s side ran riot in the second half to keep the gap between them and leaders Inter Milan at eight points.

It could hardly have gone better for 34-year-old Beckham, who is spending a second spell at Milan from LA Galaxy in a bid to prove to Capello that he is worth a place in England’s squad for the World Cup.

He almost set up a goal inside five minutes, whipping in a cross from the right for Marco Borriello, who forced a superb save from Genoa keeper Marco Amelia.

And it was a trademark sweeping pass from Beckham which led to Milan’s second penalty of the game, allowing Ronaldinho to make up for his earlier weak effort with an emphatic spot-kick to make it 1-1.

Italian Domestic Flights

www.Ryanair.com have suspended Italian domestic internal flights in Italy as from 23^rd January 2010 due to ENAC lowering the identity requirements for travellers. (click to see Ryanair press release). Some say it is Ryanair taking advantage to cut flights during the low season and in a loss period others agree further to recent international terrorism alerts. Its not clear the date when their Italian domestic flight service will start again so in the short term so what are your alternatives ??

Update 7/01/10: Ryanair italian domestic flights restored

Goto http://www.skyscanner.net/flights/it/it/cheapest-flights-to-italy-from-italy.html

And there is a list of Italian airports, click your departure airport and there appears a list of potential direct destinations with the associated airline.

Or else see below info about the airlines operating in Italian domestic flights.

OF course there is Alitalia now partnering with AirOne goto www.alitalia.com

www.blu-express.com

Mainly from/to Rome(Roma)  connecting Turin (Torino) / Nice (Nizza) France/ Genoa (Genova) / Palermo / Catania / Lamezia Terme / Brindisi / Istanbul (Turkey).

See destinations map at

http://www.blu-express.com/cgi-bin/airkiosk/I7/191003?100104104535.87.1.167.17.18618+/blueexpress/I7/IT/static/destinazioni.html

www.meridiana.it

http://www.easyjet.com

Manily connecting Rome and Milan Malpensa with southern Italy.

http://w3.volawindjet.it/

Use Forli as their main base connecting Italy and mainly connect Sicily with mainland Italy.

http://www.airalps.com/index.html

Connect Rome with Bolzano and Parma.

http://www.blueairweb.com/

see destinations at http://www.blueairweb.com/Destinazioni/Mappa-Destinazioni

Only Italian domestic flight is Naples (Napoli) to Milan

www.italiweb.it

destinations at http://www.italiweb.it/destinazioni.aspx?lang=it

www.airvalle.com connecting Turin (torino) with Naples (Napoli) and Pescara.

http://www.airvallee.com/destinazioni.htm

sicily beach

Sicily weather 31/12/09. Yesterday a heat wave hit Sicily. Winds coming from Africa locally known as the scirocco raised temperatures to 25’C. Arriving from England i was happy to take off my scarf, coat and gloves. People were seen on the beach sunbathing in Mondello, Palermo and for tonight’s New Year’s Eve celebrations in Sicily locals are planning their last 2009 and first swim of the new year 2010 with several parties on the beach. Makes a fresh change to all that snow and ice in northern Europe !! Happy New Year !!! Now you know why people buy a holiday property in Sicily.

Berlusconi had been signing autographs and shaking hands with the public minutes after addressing crowds at a rally for his People of Freedom party in front of the Duomo in Milan when he was hit in the mouth this evening.

ouch

ouch

Immaculate “Immacolata” Bank holiday Italy today.

Tuesday, December. 8, is the Feast of Immaculate Conception, a national holiday her in Italy and for many Italians it triggers the festive period. All Catholics are expected to attend Mass today. Many towns have a procession carry the statue of Mary to the church.

When national holidays fall on a Tuesday or Thursday many Italians take the intervening day as a holiday to make a long weekend. Interstingly in italy this is called “doing the bridge” or as said in Italian fare il ponte.

When you are on holiday in Italy, please be aware of Italian national holidays as basically all business &shops close.

Read more about the Immaculate Conception