2nd FoNE Workshop Spico-SPINTRA and SPINCURRENT, Palermo, Sicily, 15-18 December 2008

Abstract

Topics

Organizing Committee

Invited Speakers

Registration and Abstracts submission

Scientific Programme

The program will include talks and a poster session.  

List of Participants

Participants belong mainly to the three CRPs, SpiCo, SPINTRA and SPINCURRENT but also scientists from the other CRPs are allowed to take part.

The participation of women scientists is highly encouraged.

The list of participants can be found here

Practical Information

NEW!! Maps and itineraries

The itinerary from the Airport bus stop to the hotel can be found here
The itinerary from the hotel to the restaurant Antica Focacceria San Francesco can be found here
The itineray from the hotel to the restaurant Kursaal Kalhesa can be found here
The itineray from the hotel to the restaurant Ai Cascinari can be found here

Venue

The Venue of the Conference will be the Centrale Palace Hotel, located right in the Centre of Palermo, at the cross road between Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanule, called I Quattro Canti.

All participants will stay at this Hotel, where also the workshop will take place.

Click here for the exact location. You can download the pdf file here.

Please note that the FoNE budget covers only the nights from the 15 December to 18 December, for a total of 3 nights. Extra nights must be covered by the participants. The two science days are on the 16 and 17 December ONLY!

Project Leaders/Principal Investigators/Associated Partners only will be staying in Single Rooms.

Please download the FoNE leaflet for the List of PL/PI/AP to check that you are in this list.

Project Members (including PhD and PostDocs) will be required to share a room.

If you have any preference about a person you want to share the room with, please mention this in the Registration Form.

Agreed reduced hotel rates (breakfast included) for this meeting are:

Single Room:  137 €

Twin Room (or Double): 162 €

If you are coming accompanied you need to cover the difference between the Single and Double room.

PhD/PostDocs/Project Members who require to come accompanied need first to ask the ESF Office if there is room availability.

How to reach Palermo

By Plane

The Palermo International Airport 'Falcone and Borsellino' (locally known as Punta Raisi) is located 30 Km west of Palermo and it is connected to Palermo by the motorway A29 (Palermo-Trapani), by a railway and bus network.

Several airlines operate regular flights to Palermo "Falcone e Borsellino" airport

For the flight schedule and to buy your ticket, please refer to the following websites which offer tariffs starting from 20 Euros.

• Alitalia: from Roma, Napoli, Bologna, Milano Linate, Milano Malpensa, Torino
• Windjet: from Roma, Parma,  Forli', Torino,  Pisa, Verona, Venezia, Barcelona, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Paris, Bucarest, Zante.
• Tunisair: from Tunisi
• EasyJet: from Milano Malpensa and London Gatwick.
• Meridiana: from Milano Linate, Firenze, Pisa, Roma, Bologna, Verona, Torino and Parigi CDG
• Alpieagles: from Venezia and Napoli
• Air Malta: from Malta
• Air One: from Roma, Milano, Napoli, Pantelleria and Lampedusa (via Trapani)
• Air Mediterranee: from Paris CDG.
• Ryanair: from London (Stansted)
• Eurofly: from New York
• Hapag Lloyd: from Stuttgart, Hannover, Colonia- Bonn, Berlin , Munich
• MyAir: from Roma,  Milano and Bergamo

A train shuttle 'Trinacria Express' commuting between the airport and Palermo Central Station (Stazione Centrale) leaves every 20-40 minutes and takes about 50-60 minutes.

Another close airport is Trapani Birgi, located about 98 Km west of Palermo, along the motorway A29.

• Ryanair: Dublin, Stockholm, Birmingham, Bremen, Barcelona (Girona), Pisa, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt (Hahn), London (Luton) and Milan (Bergamo).

It is connected with Palermo (Piazza Politeama) with  Salemi Autolinee,  with the following hours:

From Trapani Birgi aereoporto to Palermo:

6.15, 7.15, 9.45 and 14.15 (weekdays)

6.15 and 14.15 (Saturdays)

9.45 and 18.15 (Sundays)

From Palermo (Via Paolo Balsamo) to Birgi:

10.00, 13.30, 14.30 and 16.00 (weekdays).

13.00 and 20.30 (Saturdays and Sundays)

It takes about 1.30 h.

The cost of a one-way ticket is €8.20. You can buy your ticket in the bus.

You can connect also to Palermo centre, by taking a local bus from Trapani Airport to Trapani centre, with AST, and then from Trapani centre to Palermo centre with  'Segesta' Autolinee bus. The exact timetable can be found here (Trapani-Palermo) and here (Palermo-Trapani).

From Trapani to Palermo runs from  5h30 to 21h every hour and from Palermo to Trapani runs from  6h to 21h every hour. The cost of a one-way ticket is 6 €80.

By Train

You can reach Palermo by Train from Mainland Italy. Check fares and timeschedules in the Ferrovie dello Stato webpages.

The trains coming from the North of Italy will all stop at the Central Station (Stazione Centrale). From there you can take a local bus AMAT n. 101- Get off at the Bus Stop 'Quattro Canti'. Cost of the ticket 1€ if bought in the local kiosk or tabacconist (Tabacchi) or ) 1.03€ if bought from the bus driver. You can find more information on Palermo public transport here.

Trains leave Punta Raisi daily from 05.54-22.05 every 20-60 mins. Trains leave Palermo Centrale  every 20-60 mins 0445-2110. Cost 5 € one-way. It takes 50-60  minutes to reach the Central Station. For the timetable of the Trinacria Express, click here.

You need to get off at Stazione Centrale and then get a local bus, N.107. Get off at 'Vittorio Emanuele' and walk from there or catch the N. 105 (the bus ticket is valid 120 min). The Palermo public transport information can be found here. 

By Bus

You can arrive by Bus from Mainland Italy. Journey from Rome takes about 12 hours.

You can catch the 'Prestia & Commande' Bus at the Airport, located just outside the Arrival Terminal. The timetable can be found here

Buses leave the airport every 30 mins 0630-2400. Buses leave the city every 30 mins 0500-2300. It takes about 45-60 minutes. The two major stops from where you can reach the hotel on foot (or by taking the local bus AMAT) are Piazza Politeama (Piazza Ruggero Settimo or Piazza Castelnuovo) or Stazione Centrale. The timetable can be found here.

Cost of bus ticket 5.30€ one-way. Please have small notes or the exact change.

From Palermo: from 4.00 - then  05.00 until 23.00 - every 30 min (except 22.30)

From Airport : from 5.00 - then 6.30 until 24.00 - every 30 min.

There are also some buses from and to Germany, France, and Switzerland, besides the lines from and to Rome, Catania-Messina, Trapani, Agrigento and Ragusa.

By Car

There are two ways to reach Palermo. After having crossed the Stretto of Messina, you can take the motorway A20, that connects Messina with Palermo.  Otherwise, you can arrive in Catania and, from there, you can take the A19 Catania-Palermo, always driving on the motorway.

By Ferry

You can arrive also  at the Palermo port, from the misr  important Italian ports (Napoli, Salerno, Genova, Livorno, Cagliari, Catania).

Ferries link also Palermo to other islands that surround Sicily (Eolie, Egadi, Pantelleria, Ustica, Linosa and Lampedusa) and to  Malta and Tunisia.

 By taxis

The cost of the taxi will be 45-50€. It takes about 30 minutes.

Please note: Cost of taxis won't be refunded.

Coffee breaks, Lunches and Dinners

Coffees, lunches and dinners will be provided during the two days workshop. You cannot claim extra costs of coffee, bevarages, lunches or dinners incurred during your stay in Palermo. 

Internet Access

Wi-Fi internet is available in the conference room.

High-speed internet is available also in the rooms, but the cost has to be paid by the participants.

Expenses reimbursement

You need to download the TCF here and read the rules and regulations for reimbursements on the back of the form.

You need to settle on the departure your extra expenses (bar, internet, pay-TV, laundry, double-room etc).

Please note: in order to reimburse you the flight cost (economy only) you need to include your electronic receipt and your boarding passes.

Things to do, Things to see

From Palermo, you will be able to visit its extraordinary province (Monreale, Cefalù famous for their Arabic-Normann Cathedrals, the Archaeological area of Mount Jato), reach out Sciacca or, you can go in 1 hour ferry to Ustica and there dive in the extraordinary Marine Reserve.

One hour of car driving, will bring you to Segesta and then to Selinunte for a visit to some of the nicest Greek ancient temples.  In the atop of Monte  San Giuliano, lies Erice, home of the Centro di Studi 'Ettore Majorana', the great physicist and one of the better preserved Mediaval towns.

For a longer stay, visit also Pantelleria and the Aeolian Islands and consider the opportunity to conduct a guided excursion on Mount Etna - Europe's highest active volcano.

Where to eat

Restaurants

AI CASCINARI
Via D'Ossuna 43-45 (00 39 091 651 9804 ). In the heart of Palermo's antiques-shop area, this friendly trattoria specialises in Sicilian dishes. The antipasti and fish are excellent.

AL GENIO
Piazza San Carlo 9 (00 39 091 616 6642 ). This trattoria is one of Palermo's best, with an excellent wine list. Try the black octopus pasta or the seafood risotto, followed by swordfish involtini (stuffed swordfish steaks). The wines are excellent.

ANTICA FOCACCERIA DI SAN FRANCESCO
Via Allesandro Paternostro 58 (00 39 091 320 264 ; www.anticafocacceriasanfrancesco.it). Focaccia is the very best of Palermo's traditional fast foods, a form of hot bread roll filled with meat, cheese or onions. In summer, eat alfresco in the square opposite San Francesco, one of Palermo's finest Gothic churches - good people-watching and a cheapish alternative to a restaurant meal. Open daily for lunch and dinner

CAPRICCI DI SICILIA
Via Istituto Pignatelli 6, piazza Sturzo (00 39 091 327 777 ). One of the city's most up-and-coming restaurants. Sample Sicily's finest meat and fish dishes, such as pasta with sardines and the grilled prawns, reputed to be the best on the island.

CASA DEL BRODO
Corso Vittorio Emanuele 175 (00 39 091 321 655 ). One of the city's oldest restaurants, specialising in marvellous antipasti and fish dishes.

KURSAAL KALHESA
Foro Umberto 1, 21 (00 39 091 616 2282 ; http://www.kursaalkalhesa.it). A bar/wineshop/bookshop/Internet café/travel agency/restaurant, the Kahlesa occupies a ruined palazzo built into Palermo's seawall fortifications. In the massive vaulted chamber that serves as the bar you can try cocktails served with great panache; upstairs on the terrace is served the city's finest, most flavourful and most imaginative cooking. Dishes such as pasta with sea urchins, ravioli stuffed with grouper and a salad of a local fish called sgombro, with cherry tomatoes and sweet onions, reflect Palermos sophisticated tastes. All served in a setting that includes a taste for drama: a ruined palazzo, given by a prince as a gift to his lover.

LO SCALINO DEL CARDINALE
Via Bottai 18 (00 39 091 331 124 ). This is a vivacious family restaurant in the centre of the old city. The swordfish Al Cardinale, which comes garnished with roast peppers, is particularly good.

SARIDDU
Piazza Mondello 48 (00 39 091 451 922 ). In the main square of Mondello, Palermo's most fashionable seaside resort area, this family trattoria serves some of the freshest and most delicious fish dishes in Sicily. It is celebrated for its roe of fresh, raw sea urchins.

SCUDERIA
Viale del Fante 9 (00 390 91 520 323 ). Elegant and exclusive, in a setting of plants, flowers and fountains, Scuderia offers fine, inventive Sicilian cooking. Wonderful Sicilian desserts and cakes include pasta frolla (shortbread) served with seasonal wild fruits and a delicious custard.

THE SHANGHAI
Vicolo Mezzani 34 (00 39 091 589 702 ). Despite the name, this is not a Chinese restaurant. Eat on a terrace overlooking La Vucciria (Palermo's main outdoor market which sprawls along a series of narrow alleys and squares) while eating beautifully cooked fresh fish (try a plate of mixed fried seafood) and sipping excellent house wine. Don't be put off by the back entrance, with its narrow, bordello-like staircase.

TRATTORIA PRIMAVERA
Piazza Bologni 4 (00 39 091 29408 ). Situated in one of Palermo's most dignified squares, this is a relaxed and informal family trattoria offering excellent Sicilian cooking, especially the antipasti.

VECCHIA TRATTORIA DA TOTO
Via Cortellieri 5 (00 39 333 438 3399 ). Totò - or Enzo, to give him his real name - warmed to his audience. A tall, red-eyed, heavy-drinking, Sicilian Basil Fawlty, he had a variety of ways of ensuring that no ones attention left him for long. The dishes came and went - antipasti, pasta con bottarga (dried tuna roe, which tastes better than it sounds), fresh swordfish; the local wine.

VERTICAL DINING IN THE VUCCIRIA
Those with strong stomachs should try the delicious food in the Vucciria and Ballaro street markets. Most of it is fried and comes in the form of hot potato patties sprinkled with herbs, and particularly delectable chickpea rissoles.

Cafes and Bars

BAR MAZZARA

Via Generale Magliocco 19, 90100 - PALERMO (PA), Tel. 091321443, E-mail: mazzara[at]ristorantiitaliani.it  (http://www.ristorantiitaliani.it/strutture/locale/12871/Palermo-(PA)/pasticceria-mazzara.html

Great for a quick bite, one of the best rosticceria in Palermo, you can find arancine, pizzette, anelletti alla siciliana, and the best pasticceria siciliana and ice-cream are on display in the bar-counter. Self-service.

CAFFE DEL KASSARO
Corso Vittorio Emanuele 390-394. Offers music in the evening, in the company of Palermo's young intellectuals.

ENOTECA PICONE
Via Marconi 40. Has the best wine list in Palermo, but closes at 6pm.

LA PREFERITA
Via Villareale 47. Some of the best Sicilian cakes and ice creams are served at this bar.

LA TERRAZZA
In the terraced gardens of the celebrated Grand Hotel Villa Igea (see Where to Stay). Overlooking the Mediterranean, this is one of Palermo's most magical nightspots.

RONEY
Via Libertà 13. Perhaps the most fashionable café and meeting place for the city's establishment. Its Sicilian cakes and pastries are delectable.

Both Antico Caffè Spinnato (via Principe di Belmonte 111) and Bar Aluia (via Libertà 27) are worth stopping at for ice cream, coffee or an aperitif.

Typical Food from Palermo