Gourmet Tour of Sicily

GUARANTEED Departure dates

March 24 – March 31, 2006

Easter : April 14 – April 21 , 2006

May 27 – Jun 3, 2006

Jun 23 – Jun 30, 2006

Jul 13- Jul 20, 2006

Aug 10- Aug 17, 2006

Sep 01 – Sep 08 ,2006

Oct 20– Oct 27 2006

Nov 10 - Nov 17 2006

Christmas : Dec 22 – Dec 29 2006

NEW YEAR : Dec 29 ’06 – Jan 05 ‘07

Enliven your senses and enlighten your fancy with our gastronomic tour of the amazing island of Sicily! 
Explore extraordinary ruins and enchantingly beautiful scenery, while visiting some of Sicily's most precious towns and select attractions. Our tour lets you uncover the gems of the "largest island in the Mediterranean", while treating you to a variety of pre-arranged and all-inclusive cooking classes, gourmet meals, wine tastings, and guided excursions. During the tour, you will learn to prepare traditional Sicilian dishes, sample vintages at local canteens and wine vineyards, relax each evening in idyllic accommodations—and even have the opportunity to climb Mt. Etna! There is no better way to experience the splendour of Sicily…and on this trip you will savour every moment!

Day 1. Palermo.

Arrival in Palermo airport and welcome by our driver. Transfer to Palermo city and check in at a charming four star hotel. Dinner in hotel. After dinner, sightseeing tour of "Palermo By Night". Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 2. Segesta/Erice/Wine Tasting/Cooking Lesson

Morning: breakfast in hotel. Departure for Segesta, ancient village in the Western part of Sicily, and visit to its magnificent Greek Theatre and Doric Temple, masterpieces of Greek architecture in Sicily. Transfer to Erice, a nearby medieval town, located at the top of the homonymous mountain set 751 meters above the sea level and overlooking the whole Western region, the Mediterranean Sea and the Egadi Islands. Walking visit of its characteristic historical centre. Lunch on your own.

Afternoon: transfer to Marsala, a town on the Western coast famous for its wine production. Check in at the hotel. Visit to a famous winery, Cantine Pellegrino, where guests will enjoy a wine tasting and will learn about local production. Marsala Wine is the great sweet wine of Sicily, and is bottled exclusively in this unique landscape of Western Sicily. Then, transfer to a Baglio for a cooking lesson. Baglio is an 18th century country villa recently restored and converted into a charming and exclusive little hotel surrounded by palm trees, olive trees and vineyards. The chef at Baglio will teach guests how to prepare some of the most representative recipes of the culinary tradition of the province of Trapani such us "cous cous alla trapanese" and "sarde baccaficu". All participants will help prepare the dishes for the dinner. At the end of the cooking lesson dinner in the baglio. Back to the hotel and overnight.

Day 3. Agrigento / Piazza Armerina

Morning: breakfast in the hotel. Departure to Agrigento to visit the beautiful Valley of the Temples, one of the most representative sites of Greek civilization in the Mediterranean area. Visit to the Temple of Hercules, the Temple of Juno, the Temple of Castor and Pollux and the wonderful Temple of Concord. Lunch on your own in Agrigento.

Afternoon: travel to Piazza Armerina, a small town in the south-central part of the island, and visit to the Villa Romana del Casale, a Roman country villa of the 3rd century, famous for its precious mosaics. Transfer to a charming Farmhouse between Piazza Armerina and Caltagirone. In the still working farm, they produce oranges and lemons. Check in at the farmhouse. Time for rest. Typical dinner in the characteristic restaurant room of the farm. The cuisine is based on authentic food such as pasta, ricotta, salsiccia, local meat and vegetables. Overnight at the farm.

Day 4. Siracusa/The Wines of Mt. Etna/Cooking Lesson

Morning: breakfast in hotel. Visit of Siracusa, which during the Greek Age was one of the more powerful cities on the island. Visit to the archaeological zone: the Greek Theatre, the Roman Amphitheatre, the Ear of Dyonisus and the Latomie. Walk through the historical center on the Ortigia Island to admire the Cathedral, the Aretusa fountain and the ancient streets. Time for shopping. Lunch on your own in Siracusa.

Afternoon: transfer to Tenuta San Michele, an ancient estate located on the slopes of the volcano Etna. The farm, which belongs to the noble family of the Baron Scammacca del Murgo, is surrounded by extensive vineyards and has a panoramic view of both Mt. Etna and the sea. Mt. Etna is the highest volcano in Europe. The climate and the volcanic soil help give wines a unique mineral taste typical of the region around Mt. Etna. In Tenuta San Michele they produce some of the best wines of the area: Etna Rosso, Etna Bianco and the extraordinary Murgo Brut. Wine tasting and guided visit to the wine cellar with a member of the family. Check in at the hotel/charming farmhouse in the area. Time for rest. Cooking lesson with a famous chef-teacher of traditional regional cuisine. Dinner in the farm, including the dishes prepared during the lesson. Overnight

Day 5. Mt. Etna/Taormina

Morning: breakfast in hotel. Excursion to Mt. Etna. Departure to Rifugio Sapienza, located 1.900 m. above sea level, where it will be possible to visit the small, inactive Silvestri craters. From Rifugio Sapienza, proceed by jeep up to 2.500 m. under the main active craters for an optional walking excursion accompanied by a volcanologic conductor. There visit the site of the last big eruption of 2002. Back to Rifugio Sapienza. Lunch on your own. Afternoon: transfer to Taormina for a walk through the historical center of this beautiful town, famous for its Greek-Roman Amphitheatre and its enchanting view of the Ionic Sea and Mt. Etna. Taormina has been an exclusive Sicilian hotspot, since the beginning of the 19th century, and is where many noble and rich families of Northern Europe spent winter due to its mild climate. Nowadays, Taormina is famous for its "dolce vita" life style, its beautiful beach, and its shops. Back to the hotel. Time for rest. Dinner in hotel. Overnight.

Day 6. Cooking Lesson: The Cuisine of the Country/The Madonie Park

Morning: breakfast in hotel. Transfer to Castellana Sicula, a small village 70 kilometres away from Palermo, surrounded by cheerful countryside and green pastures. Castellana lies in the Madonie Mountains' Natural Park. This internal region between the Northern Coast and Central Sicily has a wealth of ancient small villages, where many people still live according to the Sicilian traditions. In Castellana guests will have a half-day cooking lesson in a Farmhouse. The owner of the farm will teach them to prepare some of the most popular and essential recipes according to the local tradition. Lunch at the Farm. Afternoon: visit to Polizzi Generosa, an ancient village rich in historical and artistic attractions. Visit to the Park's Museum. During the walk through the town's medieval streets, guests will have a break for a sampling of typical sweetmeats. Check in at the hotel. Time for rest. Dinner in hotel. Overnight.

Day 7. Arab-Norman and Baroque Palermo/Food Market/Monreale

Morning: breakfast in hotel. Transfer to Palermo for a full-day visit to this ancient town that has been a crossroads for civilization in the Mediterranean for ages and ages. Here, visit and seek out signs of its ancient "grandeur": the Norman Palace and the Palatine Chapel, the church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, the Cathedral, Quattro Canti square, etc. Walk through the streets of the historical center, and visit to the town's popular Vucciria market. Lunch on your own in town. Afternoon: transfer to Monreale, ancient village near Palermo, famous for its wonderful Norman Cathedral and the adjoining cloister, architectural masterpieces of King Roger II. Return to Palermo, with time for a stroll through the city. Back to the hotel. Farewell dinner at Baglio Conca d'Oro Restaurant, a 16th century paper mill built by the Spanish noble family De Spuches. The building was recently restored and reconverted into a charm hotel-restaurant. Dinner in the elegant restaurant room "Le Absidi", where guests will enjoy superb and refined dishes based on typical recipes from local culinary traditions. Back to the hotel and overnight.

Day 8. Departure

Breakfast in hotel. Transfer to the airport in Palermo, assistance with check-in and departure to the USA.

From 01 March to 20 dec

Price x person: € 1.727 ( + € 300,00 supp. Single room)

Supp. + 10 % Christmas and Easter Departure *

Supp. + 30% New Years Departure **

Tour Includes:

• English speaking driver-courier for the whole tour

• Transportation by private car or minibus for the whole tour

• Accommodations: 4*/3*sup. hotel and charming reconverted farmhouses (agriturismo) in rooms with private bathroom with shower

• Half-board (breakfast + dinner): meals in hotel or in typical restaurants and farmhouses as per program

• Lunch on day 7

• Visits and excursions as listed in the program, with helpful information about locations provided by our driver

• 3 cooking lessons as listed in the program

• 2 guided visits to wine cellar + wine tastings

• *Special dinner x Christmas

• ** Gala dinner x New Year

• All taxes

Tour Does Not Include:

• Airfare

• Drinks during meals

• Entrance fees to archaeological sites and museums

• Tips and extras of any personal nature

HOTELS and FARM HOUSES :

Palermo : H. Residenza d’Aragona 4* or similar :www.sicily-hotels.com/siti/ragona

Marsala : Hotel / farm House BAGLIO BASILE 4* or similar : www.delfinobeach.com

Piazza Armerina : Farm House VALLE dei MARGI or similar :www.valledeimargi.com

Etna : Farm House : TENUTA SAN MICHELE : www. Murgo.it

Madonie Park : Farm House DONALEGGE : www.donalegge.com