"Nun c'è megghiu sarsa di la fami"
There is no better sauce than hunger—Sicilian proverb
ITINERARY
DAY 0—SUNDAY
Departure for Catania, Italy.
DAY 1—MONDAY
MORNING: Arrival at Catania's Fontanarossa airport. Transfer to the Grand Hotel Ortigia in Siracusa, a dynamic, modern town with many visible signs of its grand and noble past.
AFTERNOON: Lunch featuring local delicacies (included). Walking tour of Ortigia with guide to explore the narrow streets, fine shops, and cafÈs of the lovely island. The ancient Greek colony founded on Ortigia was as important as Athens or Rome in the Mediterranean. Today it's a bustling mix of temples, churches, seaside bars, and shops. Dinner at a restaurant featuring local specialties (included).
HOTEL: Grand Hotel Ortigia / Siracusa
DAY 2—TUESDAY
MORNING: Visit Ortigia's colorful food market. Guided walking tour of Siracusa, once the wealthy and powerful heart of ancient Greek civilization (Magna Graecia). See the outstanding Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, which includes the massive Paradise Quarry, the Greek Theatre (one of the most impressive to survive since antiquity), the Orecchio di Dioniso, and gardens. Lunch at a local restaurant specializing in fresh-caught fish (included).
AFTERNOON: Afternoon walking tour of the remarkable island of Ortigia, its three thousand years written in the narrow streets. See the Duomo, built in the 7th-century on the remains of the ancient Doric temple of Athena (5th-century BC), the Fonte Artusa, an ancient spring, and the Castello Maniace, built by Frederick II in 1239. Dinner at a restaurant in the historic center of Ortigia that features antica cucina dei Monti Iblei—traditional recipes from the Hyblean Mountains region of southeastern Sicily (included).
HOTEL: Grand Hotel Ortigia / Siracusa
DAY 3—WEDNESDAY
MORNING / AFTERNOON: Day at leisure to explore Siracusa: take an early morning walk to watch the sunrise over the water, shop in the unique stores in the historic center, or sightsee. Lunch at a local restaurant (not included). Dinner at a private home in Siracusa with a cooking demonstration (included).
HOTEL: Grand Hotel Ortigia / Siracusa
DAY 4—THURSDAY
MORNING: Departure from Siracusa stopping in mid-morning for a guided walking tour of the town of Noto, renowned for its splendid Sicilian Baroque architecture. Noto was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693, and has been recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage, along with several other towns in southeastern Sicily, as an "outstanding testimony to the exuberant genius of late Baroque art and architecture."
AFTERNOON: Lunch in Noto (not included). Travel west to Modica, the ancient capital of Contea. Stop at the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, which specializes in cioccolata modicana (Modican chocolate). Since 1880 the pastry shop has been producing such local treats as 'mpanatigghi (sweet pastries with an unusual filling of minced meat and chocolate), liccumie (aubergine and vanilla- and cinnamon-flavored chocolate made according the original Aztec recipe), riposti (delicately decorated almond sweets), and nucatoli (made with dried figs, almonds, quince, and honey).
Dinner at Ristorante La Gazza Ladra (included). Located in the Hotel Palazzo Failla, the restaurant is led by chef Accursio Craparo, recognized as one of the rising young stars of Sicilian cooking. He uses local, fresh ingredients in innovative ways to create a refined and elegant dining experience.
HOTEL: Palazzo Failla / Modica
DAY 5—FRIDAY
MORNING: Wine tasting at the Valle dell'Acate winery in Comiso. Lunch at the famous Ristorante Majore in Chiaramonte Gulfi (included). Established in 1896, the restaurant, which includes a butcher shop, specializes in l'arte di cucinare il maiale—the art of cooking pork.
AFTERNOON: At leisure to explore Modica. Take time to stroll down Corso Umberto I. There are many interesting churches and buildings along the city's main street including Teatro Garibaldi, Palazzo Tedeschi, Santa Maria del Soccorso, Palazzo Manenti, and the Church of San Pietro, which stands at the top of a monumental Baroque staircase flanked by statues of the Apostles. The church was built after the 1693 earthquake on the site of a 14th-century church. Dinner in Modica (not included).
HOTEL: Palazzo Failla / Modica
| Buon Appetito |
| Greeks and Romans used Mount Etna's snowfall to chill their wine, and the Arabs, bringing with them sugar and citrus, used it to make cold, sweet drinks. Sicilian chefs were long accustomed to combining ice with sugar and natural flavors (lemon, jasmine, cinnamon) to make granite and sorbet, but by the beginning of the 1700s, whether they invented the concept or borrowed it from their mainland neighbors, they had perfected the craft of ice cream-making, adding to their repertoire the chocolate brought by the Spanish from the New Worlds. Sicilian gelato is now famous the world over. |
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DAY 6—SATURDAY
MORNING / AFTERNOON: Full day excursion to Ragusa, the ancient city founded on the Hyblea Heraia when the Siculi moved into the interior to escape from the Greek colonists. The town is divided into two communities: new Baroque Ragusa, built on the plateau by the landowning nobility, and Ragusa Ibla, the lower part of the won, also rebuilt in the Baroque style after the terrible earthquake, but on the medieval town layout, with stairs and winding alleys.
Lunch in Ragusa (included). Dinner at a local restaurant (not included). For a real taste treat, try Gelati DiVini. The gelateria, located in Piazza San Giorgio, features gelati made from Sicilian wines.
HOTEL: Palazzo Failla / Modica
DAY 7—SUNDAY
MORNING: Winery tour and tasting at the Feudo Principi di Butera estate and lunch (included). The Feudo Principi di Butera estate once belonged to the noble Branciforte and Lanza di Scalea dynasties. Ambrogio Branciforte was, in 1543, the first Sicilian to be named a Prince. It was King Philip II of Spain who conferred upon him the rank of Prince of Butera, a title that remained the most important Sicilian feudal recognition until the 1800s.
AFTERNOON: Visit the well-preserved Villa Romana del Casale in the town of Piazza Armerina. The Imperial Roman villa is famous for its stunning floor mosaics in every room, including images of fishing scenes, ladies exercising, and African hunting scenes replete with lions, elephants, and leopards.
Late afternoon transfer to a characteristic Sicilian masseria (farmhouse) originally built in 1800 and now transformed into an agriturismo—a working farmhouse updated for travelers. Dinner in the elegant dining room to sample traditional Sicilian cuisine with a selection that includes local cheeses and sausages, grilled and roasted meats, and homemade pastas (included).
HOTEL: Agriturismo Vecchia Masseria / Caltagirone
DAY 8—MONDAY
MORNING: After breakfast see a cheese-making demonstration at a traditional family-run cheese farm. Midmorning stop at Caltagirone, the small Sicilian town famous for its ceramics. The town's name is derived from the Arab word qal'at al ghiran, which means fortress (or castle) of vases. Climb the Stairway of Santa Maria del Monte, the symbol of the city. Built in the 17th-century to link the higher part of the town, where the headquarters of religious power is located, with the lower, the seat of civil power, the staircase is composed of 142 steps that are decorated with splendid glazed majolica tiles. The history of majolica ware is told in the chronological order, in ten sections (one for each century), through the different styles of the peoples who have inhabited the area (the Arabs, the Normans and the Spaniards).
AFTERNOON: Guided tour of the vineyards, wine tasting and lunch at the Benanti winery, situated in the shadow of Mt. Etna in the village of Viagrande (included). The estate also produces olive oil and grappa. Late afternoon arrival in Taormina. Guided walking tour of Taormina, a mountaintop town of breathtaking beauty. The pedestrians-only center of the resort town includes stony piazzas with grand views interspersed with elegant shops and outdoor cafes. Dinner at a local restaurant (not included).
HOTEL: Hotel Villa Belvedere / Taormina
DAY 9—TUESDAY
MORNING / AFTERNOON: Day at leisure to explore Taormina: visit the artist colony of Castelmola, swim in the crystal blue waters, sightseeÖor just shop till you drop! Lunch at a local restaurant (not included). Farewell dinner at a terraced restaurant with wonderful views (included).
HOTEL: Hotel Villa Belvedere / Taormina
DAY 10—WEDNESDAY
MORNING: Early morning group transfer to Catania's Fontanarossa airport and departure. Arrivederci!
