September 14
hi folks
Well, looks like this will be my last letter before we meet in Trapani.
First: some reminders:
1) get your trip insurance? If not check out www.insuremytrip.com
2) Have euros to bring along? Nice idea to have some in your pocket when you arrive in Italy.
3) Bring your meds on board - not in your check-in luggage
4) At the Palermo airport you will look for some with a placard: "Levine Group"..
5) This article has some really good info for you: a checklist for handling air traffic woes https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/24/technology/personaltech/air-travel-apps.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
7) my cell phone is 917-273-7768. If a flight is delayed or whatever, let me know as soon as you do. Need to make sure that the people picking us up at the airport are kept current.
That's about it. Remember we have a meet and greet on the 22nd at 6 PM on the rooftop lounge with Prosecco and Bruschette. Group dinner on the 23rd and the day to Erice on the 25th.
September 6
Hi Folks
I'm still missing quite a few cell phone numbers so would appreciate getting then toute de suite. Speaking of foreign languages, my French is good but my Italian is non-existent. So I downloaded Google Translate onto my phone. If you have a better one let us know.
We will have a meet and greet on the rooftop of La Gancia on September 22. I will let you know the time when I can confirm it.
Here's a timely article from the New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/travel/flight-attendant-questions.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Want to know what the weather will look like when we get to Trapani? This is a link to the 10 day forecast. It only goes up to the 16th so have another look in a couple of days and pack accordingly.
I will be doing my best to assign rooms with the help of the people at La Gancia. Obviously those folks who are rooming with someone will be getting larger rooms but they’re all gonna be just great!
There is a gym, sort of. It has a coupled of machines and some hand weights as best I can tell from the photos.
September 2
You may have noticed the mistake in my last letter. Our day to Erice is Sunday the 25th, not the 23rd.
The most critical information I need is written here in bold: 1) your cell phone numbers, 2) emergency contact information. 3) arrival time in Palermo so I can arrange to have you picked up. So please take the time to look this stuff up and send it to me - even if you already have.
My cell phone is 917-273-7768 - put that into your phone.
Check out this Google Map link to Trapani. You can scroll in and see as much detail as you like. La Gancia is close to Punto Panoramico and UniCredit Bank
https://www.google.com/maps/search/atms+near+Trapani,+Free+municipal+consortium+of+Trapani,+Italy/@38.0159858,12.5071365,169m/data=!3m1!1e3
There is an ATM in the UniCredit bank, but disclaimer - reviews are pretty bad. So this goes back to my recommendation to bring some euros with you until you find a better bank. And don't forget to tell your bank and credit card company of your travel plans.
I do have dinner included. It will probably be the evening of the 23rd. After that, I won't be organizing any group dinners. There are 18 of us and if you ever tried paying a bill at the end of a dinner with 18 people (I have too many times) you will know the definition of hell!
Your extra night is billed at 110 €-130€ depending on your room, and you will be billed by the hotel.
I mentioned that there are 18 of us. A nice number, but not all are coming to paint. 11 are painters and the other 7 will be the critics!
Some of us might have a medication or 10 to bring with us. I strongly recommend that you carry the most important ones on board the plane. This is a precaution in case your baggage is delayed.
August 29
1) All the letters I've sent and will send will appear here on one page
2) Remember that the dates of the workshop are September 22-30. The 22nd is the official arrival day with painting beginning on the 23rd. Last day of painting is September 29 with departure date being September 30. Many of you are coming a day early on the 21st. This was a good idea to get you (and me) some time to get through jet lag.
3) Our out-of-town day to Erice is on the 23rd, as is our group dinner.
4) It is exceedingly important that I have everyone's cell phone number and emergency contact information. You never know when and where we will need to stay in touch.
5) We no longer needed to show the Green pass (i.e. Anti-COVID 19 vaccination certificate or recovery certificate, or a negative swab test) to enter Italy and are not subject to quarantine upon arrival to Italy if they do not possess the Green pass. Also passengers will not need to get tested and show a negative COVID-19 test result or show documentation of recovery from COVID-19 prior to boarding a flight to the United States regardless of vaccination status or citizenship.
6) There is a full-service laundry behind our lodging. Reasonable prices, same-day service. However, they don't speak any English. There's a calendar on the wall at the right end of the counter that you can point at to indicate when you need your garments back. They deliver to La Gancia for no additional charge. The self-service laundry is a 15-minute walk.
hi folks
Well, looks like this will be my last letter before we meet in Trapani.
First: some reminders:
1) get your trip insurance? If not check out www.insuremytrip.com
2) Have euros to bring along? Nice idea to have some in your pocket when you arrive in Italy.
3) Bring your meds on board - not in your check-in luggage
4) At the Palermo airport you will look for some with a placard: "Levine Group"..
5) This article has some really good info for you: a checklist for handling air traffic woes https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/24/technology/personaltech/air-travel-apps.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
7) my cell phone is 917-273-7768. If a flight is delayed or whatever, let me know as soon as you do. Need to make sure that the people picking us up at the airport are kept current.
That's about it. Remember we have a meet and greet on the 22nd at 6 PM on the rooftop lounge with Prosecco and Bruschette. Group dinner on the 23rd and the day to Erice on the 25th.
September 6
Hi Folks
I'm still missing quite a few cell phone numbers so would appreciate getting then toute de suite. Speaking of foreign languages, my French is good but my Italian is non-existent. So I downloaded Google Translate onto my phone. If you have a better one let us know.
We will have a meet and greet on the rooftop of La Gancia on September 22. I will let you know the time when I can confirm it.
Here's a timely article from the New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/travel/flight-attendant-questions.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Want to know what the weather will look like when we get to Trapani? This is a link to the 10 day forecast. It only goes up to the 16th so have another look in a couple of days and pack accordingly.
I will be doing my best to assign rooms with the help of the people at La Gancia. Obviously those folks who are rooming with someone will be getting larger rooms but they’re all gonna be just great!
There is a gym, sort of. It has a coupled of machines and some hand weights as best I can tell from the photos.
September 2
You may have noticed the mistake in my last letter. Our day to Erice is Sunday the 25th, not the 23rd.
The most critical information I need is written here in bold: 1) your cell phone numbers, 2) emergency contact information. 3) arrival time in Palermo so I can arrange to have you picked up. So please take the time to look this stuff up and send it to me - even if you already have.
My cell phone is 917-273-7768 - put that into your phone.
Check out this Google Map link to Trapani. You can scroll in and see as much detail as you like. La Gancia is close to Punto Panoramico and UniCredit Bank
https://www.google.com/maps/search/atms+near+Trapani,+Free+municipal+consortium+of+Trapani,+Italy/@38.0159858,12.5071365,169m/data=!3m1!1e3
There is an ATM in the UniCredit bank, but disclaimer - reviews are pretty bad. So this goes back to my recommendation to bring some euros with you until you find a better bank. And don't forget to tell your bank and credit card company of your travel plans.
I do have dinner included. It will probably be the evening of the 23rd. After that, I won't be organizing any group dinners. There are 18 of us and if you ever tried paying a bill at the end of a dinner with 18 people (I have too many times) you will know the definition of hell!
Your extra night is billed at 110 €-130€ depending on your room, and you will be billed by the hotel.
I mentioned that there are 18 of us. A nice number, but not all are coming to paint. 11 are painters and the other 7 will be the critics!
Some of us might have a medication or 10 to bring with us. I strongly recommend that you carry the most important ones on board the plane. This is a precaution in case your baggage is delayed.
August 29
1) All the letters I've sent and will send will appear here on one page
2) Remember that the dates of the workshop are September 22-30. The 22nd is the official arrival day with painting beginning on the 23rd. Last day of painting is September 29 with departure date being September 30. Many of you are coming a day early on the 21st. This was a good idea to get you (and me) some time to get through jet lag.
3) Our out-of-town day to Erice is on the 23rd, as is our group dinner.
4) It is exceedingly important that I have everyone's cell phone number and emergency contact information. You never know when and where we will need to stay in touch.
5) We no longer needed to show the Green pass (i.e. Anti-COVID 19 vaccination certificate or recovery certificate, or a negative swab test) to enter Italy and are not subject to quarantine upon arrival to Italy if they do not possess the Green pass. Also passengers will not need to get tested and show a negative COVID-19 test result or show documentation of recovery from COVID-19 prior to boarding a flight to the United States regardless of vaccination status or citizenship.
6) There is a full-service laundry behind our lodging. Reasonable prices, same-day service. However, they don't speak any English. There's a calendar on the wall at the right end of the counter that you can point at to indicate when you need your garments back. They deliver to La Gancia for no additional charge. The self-service laundry is a 15-minute walk.
August 21
Hi folks
Your electronics (iPad, iPhone, Android, laptops) are dual voltage so they work in Italy and in Europe without a converter that converts 220V to our 120V.
There aren’t many electrical outlets in each room. Certainly not as many as we’re used to. If you have more than one device to charge you might want to consider a power strip to bring along. Amazon sells them. This is one possibility: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=travel+power+strip+for+italy&crid=1VBLORU6PMZUC&sprefix=travel+power+strip+for+italy%2Caps%2C146&ref=nb_sb_noss These are the kinds of plugs that are used in the Italian electrical receptacles.
Hi folks
Your electronics (iPad, iPhone, Android, laptops) are dual voltage so they work in Italy and in Europe without a converter that converts 220V to our 120V.
There aren’t many electrical outlets in each room. Certainly not as many as we’re used to. If you have more than one device to charge you might want to consider a power strip to bring along. Amazon sells them. This is one possibility: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=travel+power+strip+for+italy&crid=1VBLORU6PMZUC&sprefix=travel+power+strip+for+italy%2Caps%2C146&ref=nb_sb_noss These are the kinds of plugs that are used in the Italian electrical receptacles.
Virtually all modern smartphones (iPhone 7 and newer and Android) can be used easily in Europe and every major US carrier has international data plans — so your smartphone should automatically work once you arrive in Europe because the major US carriers have partnerships with local European carriers. But it wouldn’t hurt to contact your provider and ask them.
Always a good idea to make a copy of your passport and keep it with you, but of course separate from your passport. That got me out of Mexico some years ago when I misplaced my passport.
I am putting together a list of everyone's emergency contact information: names, phone numbers and email addresses. Please send me yours - and while you're at it send me your travel itinerary too. If you've already sent me yours ignore this request. It only applies to those delinquents among you.
Antonio will be taking you to the port and dockside areas of Trapani to paint. We do have one day out of town: Wednesday the 25th and we'll be going to Erice.
Always a good idea to make a copy of your passport and keep it with you, but of course separate from your passport. That got me out of Mexico some years ago when I misplaced my passport.
I am putting together a list of everyone's emergency contact information: names, phone numbers and email addresses. Please send me yours - and while you're at it send me your travel itinerary too. If you've already sent me yours ignore this request. It only applies to those delinquents among you.
Antonio will be taking you to the port and dockside areas of Trapani to paint. We do have one day out of town: Wednesday the 25th and we'll be going to Erice.
August 15, 2022
I sent invoices out about a week ago and have received some of the payments. If you've misplaced the emailed invoice please let me know and I can resend it. If you can find it remember that you can go here https://www.1worldarttravel.com/sicily-with-antonio-masi.html. Scroll down until you see the Buy Now button and then follow the directions. Important to remember not to include the $ sign when you enter the amount in the Price Per Item. You don't need a paypal account to do this - as you will see you can use any credit card. If you prefer to send a check that's fine. Address it to me at 69 Bank Street #102 NY, NY 10014 and make it payable to 1WorldArtTravel.
I also need your full flight and travel itineraries.
The really good news is that the exchange rate between the dollar and the euro is better for us than it’s been in decades.
There are several ways to deal with foreign currency – euros. You can bring just enough to provide you with a cushion until you get to Europe and use their ATM machines. But please note that ATM’s are not as ubiquitous as they are here in the states and the ones in the airports usually cost more. I like to bring at least enough for the first 3-4 days. I don’t like the idea of taking time out of my days there to deal with that.
Call your bank and see if they can sell you euros. You can also buy euros online and have them delivered to you. https://order.ceifx.com/ is one such place.
Debit and credit cars are widely accepted so you may want to count on them as much as you can for purchases.
My goal is to have the Palermo airport pick-up and check-in at La Gancia go as smoothly as possible. For this reason you might receive the same request for information several times over the next month.
Future emails will include: requests for emergency contact information, how to contact me if your flights are delayed or rescheduled, more detailed information about rooms at La Gancia, a release form for you to sign and details about their electrical outlets and what you need to know about charging your devices.
I sent invoices out about a week ago and have received some of the payments. If you've misplaced the emailed invoice please let me know and I can resend it. If you can find it remember that you can go here https://www.1worldarttravel.com/sicily-with-antonio-masi.html. Scroll down until you see the Buy Now button and then follow the directions. Important to remember not to include the $ sign when you enter the amount in the Price Per Item. You don't need a paypal account to do this - as you will see you can use any credit card. If you prefer to send a check that's fine. Address it to me at 69 Bank Street #102 NY, NY 10014 and make it payable to 1WorldArtTravel.
I also need your full flight and travel itineraries.
The really good news is that the exchange rate between the dollar and the euro is better for us than it’s been in decades.
There are several ways to deal with foreign currency – euros. You can bring just enough to provide you with a cushion until you get to Europe and use their ATM machines. But please note that ATM’s are not as ubiquitous as they are here in the states and the ones in the airports usually cost more. I like to bring at least enough for the first 3-4 days. I don’t like the idea of taking time out of my days there to deal with that.
Call your bank and see if they can sell you euros. You can also buy euros online and have them delivered to you. https://order.ceifx.com/ is one such place.
Debit and credit cars are widely accepted so you may want to count on them as much as you can for purchases.
My goal is to have the Palermo airport pick-up and check-in at La Gancia go as smoothly as possible. For this reason you might receive the same request for information several times over the next month.
Future emails will include: requests for emergency contact information, how to contact me if your flights are delayed or rescheduled, more detailed information about rooms at La Gancia, a release form for you to sign and details about their electrical outlets and what you need to know about charging your devices.
July 28
We are officially full - all 12 rooms are spoken for as of this writing.
I will be sending invoices out to you early next week. And to remind you of costs this is copied from my website.
single rooms $3300
double rooms shared by painters are $2450 each person
double rooms shared by 2 non painters are $1850 each person
double rooms shared by one painter and one non painter $3900
5% reduction for past clients!
After receiving the invoice payments can be easily made by going here https://www.1worldarttravel.com/sicily-with-antonio-masi.html scrolling down until you see the Buy Now button and then following the directions. You don't need a paypal account to do this - as you will see you can use any credit card. If you prefer to send a check that's fine. Address it to me at 69 Bank Street #102 NY, NY 10014 and make it payable to Phil Levine Workshops.
I need to remind you to send me your full travel itinerary if you haven't already done so. The ones who sent me theirs already get the red carpet treatment.
More information will be coming your way in the weeks ahead. Call me if you'd like to chat. I always enjoy that!
We are officially full - all 12 rooms are spoken for as of this writing.
I will be sending invoices out to you early next week. And to remind you of costs this is copied from my website.
single rooms $3300
double rooms shared by painters are $2450 each person
double rooms shared by 2 non painters are $1850 each person
double rooms shared by one painter and one non painter $3900
5% reduction for past clients!
After receiving the invoice payments can be easily made by going here https://www.1worldarttravel.com/sicily-with-antonio-masi.html scrolling down until you see the Buy Now button and then following the directions. You don't need a paypal account to do this - as you will see you can use any credit card. If you prefer to send a check that's fine. Address it to me at 69 Bank Street #102 NY, NY 10014 and make it payable to Phil Levine Workshops.
I need to remind you to send me your full travel itinerary if you haven't already done so. The ones who sent me theirs already get the red carpet treatment.
More information will be coming your way in the weeks ahead. Call me if you'd like to chat. I always enjoy that!
July 18
I also recommend travel insurance for every trip I do. This is a good site to get comparison quotes www.insuremytrip.com Enter the information they ask for and see what comes back to you. You can enter any date when they ask for when you paid a deposit - that doesn't matter. They insure the non-refundable parts of the trip like airfare and the cost of the workshop.
Some facts:
1) In September the average high temperatures are in the upper 70’s to low 80’s and the average low temperatures are in the mid to upper 60’s.
2) Sunrise is 6:45 AM and sunsets around 7:30 PM.
I also recommend travel insurance for every trip I do. This is a good site to get comparison quotes www.insuremytrip.com Enter the information they ask for and see what comes back to you. You can enter any date when they ask for when you paid a deposit - that doesn't matter. They insure the non-refundable parts of the trip like airfare and the cost of the workshop.
Some facts:
1) In September the average high temperatures are in the upper 70’s to low 80’s and the average low temperatures are in the mid to upper 60’s.
2) Sunrise is 6:45 AM and sunsets around 7:30 PM.
July 8
Hi folks
Time to check back in with everyone with a couple of points.
1) If you haven’t sent me your travel itinerary please do so. I need all the relevant information about your flights including your connecting flights. If you haven’t yet obtained your tickets and want some help give me a call.
2) If you want to arrive a day early and/or stay later please let me know if you haven’t already done so.
3) This is my itinerary:
Departing JFK Tuesday September 20 on Delta #182 leaving 4:40 PM arriving in Rome at 7:30 AM the next day.
Departing Rome 10 AM on Delta #6637 operated by ATI Airways arriving in Palermo 11:10 AM
Departing Palermo Friday September 30 10:55 AM on Air France #9836 operated by ITA Airways arriving in Milan 12:30 PM
Departing Milan 3:30 PM on Air France 1013 arriving in Paris CDG 5:20 PM
Departing Paris CDG 6:30 PM on Air France #16 arriving JFK 9:00 PM
4) Attached is Antonio’s materials list for watercolors. For you oil painters it is suggested that you bring the materials and colors you’ve been using. If anyone has any questions about portable easels or anything else regarding materials let me know.
Hi folks
Time to check back in with everyone with a couple of points.
1) If you haven’t sent me your travel itinerary please do so. I need all the relevant information about your flights including your connecting flights. If you haven’t yet obtained your tickets and want some help give me a call.
2) If you want to arrive a day early and/or stay later please let me know if you haven’t already done so.
3) This is my itinerary:
Departing JFK Tuesday September 20 on Delta #182 leaving 4:40 PM arriving in Rome at 7:30 AM the next day.
Departing Rome 10 AM on Delta #6637 operated by ATI Airways arriving in Palermo 11:10 AM
Departing Palermo Friday September 30 10:55 AM on Air France #9836 operated by ITA Airways arriving in Milan 12:30 PM
Departing Milan 3:30 PM on Air France 1013 arriving in Paris CDG 5:20 PM
Departing Paris CDG 6:30 PM on Air France #16 arriving JFK 9:00 PM
4) Attached is Antonio’s materials list for watercolors. For you oil painters it is suggested that you bring the materials and colors you’ve been using. If anyone has any questions about portable easels or anything else regarding materials let me know.