"Allegramenti si sta a li cunviti"
It's a great pleasure to be at a banquet—Sicilian proverb
ITINERARY
DAY 0—SUNDAY
Departure for Palermo, Italy.
DAY 1—MONDAY
MORNING: Arrival at Palermo's Falcone Borsellino airport. Transfer to the Hotel Moderno in Erice, Sicily's most enchanting medieval town.
AFTERNOON: Lunch featuring local delicacies (included). Walking tour of Erice with guide to see the Chiesa Matrice, the town's main church, the massive Elimo-Punic Walls, the lovely public gardens of the Giardino del Balio, and the Castello di Venere, with a spectacular view of the sea and the plain below. Dinner at a restaurant featuring local specialties (included).
HOTEL: Hotel Moderno / Erice
DAY 2—TUESDAY
MORNING: Visit Pasticceria Grammatico, Maria Grammatico's world-famous pastry shop where she sells frutta di martorana (marzipan candies), cudduredde (fig biscuits), crostate di marmellata (jam tarts), mostaccioli di Erice (Erice cinnamon biscuits) and other delicacies. Maria was the subject of Bitter Almonds: Recollections and Recipes from a Sicilian Girlhood by Mary Taylor Simeti. The book recounts the story of how, as a child, Grammatico lived in a cloistered orphanage in Erice and learned how to make the beautifully handcrafted pastries that were sold to customers from behind a grille in the convent wall.
AFTERNOON: Lunch in Erice (not included). Tour and tasting at the nearby Firriato winery. Afterwards, visit the majestic Doric temple in the abandoned ancient city of Segesta. Set on a peaceful site where, according to legend, the ancient capital of the Elimi was founded, the temple was built in the 5th-century BC by one of Sicily's native peoples (the Elymians), rather than the Greeks. The temple stands in an idyllic setting, completely isolated from modern structures.
Late afternoon drive to the historic fishing village of Bonagia to the Tonnara di Bonagia, a former 17th-century Sicilian tuna fishery that has been carefully restored to a 4-star hotel complex. Guided tour of the Museo della Tonnara, a museum dedicated to "la mattanza," the ancient ritual connected with tuna fishing. The museum, part of the Tonnara di Bonagia, is housed in a Saracen sighting tower and contains work tools and objects connected with the mattanza. Dinner at "La Muciara," which features local specialties (included).
HOTEL: Hotel Moderno / Erice
DAY 3—WEDNESDAY
MORNING: Depart Erice to travel to the Via del Sale, the road between Trapani and Marsala, to tour the historic Saline Ettore e Infersa saltworks, where the ancient tradition of harvesting salt from the sea is still practiced. The Via del Sale passes through a landscape of windmills and salt flats, with the island of Mozia visible offshore. Late morning visit the historic Cantine Florio for a tasting and tour the historical onsite museum. Lunch at a restaurant nearby (included).
AFTERNOON: Departure for Menfi to visit the Villa Ravidý estate. Olive oil tasting and tour of the olive groves and vineyards. Late afternoon arrival in Agrigento. Dinner in Agrigento (not included).
HOTEL: Foresteria Baglio della Luna / Agrigento
DAY 4—THURSDAY
MORNING: Visit Agrigento, whose history dates back to 580 BC. Tour the Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples), a magnificent cluster of Greek ruins overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The temples are the magnificent remains of the city of Akragas, and were built in sandstone tufa, which takes on an amber golden hue in the light of the setting sun. Agrigento is also the birthplace of Luigi Pirandello, the great dramatist and novelist.
AFTERNOON: Lunch at a local restaurant specializing in fresh seafood (included). Afternoon at leisure in Agrigento. Guests can make use of the hotel amenities, which include a nearby private beach, tennis court, and a splendid garden facing the Valley of the Temples. Dinner at the restaurant "Il Dehors," considered one of the top restaurants in Sicily (included).
HOTEL: Foresteria Baglio della Luna / Agrigento
DAY 5—FRIDAY
MORNING: Depart Agrigento, stopping in the late morning to visit the Abbazia di Santo Spirito in the hill town of Caltanissetta. One of the major Norman churches in Sicily, the abbey was commissioned by Roger 1 and his wife Adelasia in the late 11th-century and consecrated in 1153. Lunch at a local restaurant (included).
AFTERNOON: Late afternoon arrival at Relais Santa Anastasia. Dinner in Castelbuono (not included).
HOTEL: Relais Santa Anastasia / Castelbuono
| Buon Appetito |
| Lunch in Palermo at a focacceria to sample sfinciuni, a classic Sicilian thick-crust pizza topped with onions and anchovies, and vastedde, crisp rolls filled with ricotta and spleen. Other piatti tipici palermitani (typical dishes of Palermo) include panelle (fried chickpea fritters), sarde a beccafico (baked sardines with pine nuts and raisins), and batter–fried cardoons and cauliflower. Cuscus alla trapanese, a seafood couscous, is the traditional dish of Trapani and surrounding towns. Originating from northwest Africa, Sicilian cooks have adapted the dish with the addition of locally caught fish. The pastry shops in Taormina are known for delicious orange specialties such as orange honey and pignolata cookies. Other Sicilian dessert specialties include scorzette di arance candite, candied orange peels. Sicily vies with Puglia as Italy's number one wine production region. Sweet dessert wines such as Moscato di Noto, Moscato Passito di Pantelleria, Marsala, and Malvasia delle Lipari are a specialty of the island. |
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DAY 6—SATURDAY
MORNING: At leisure to explore the amenities at Relais Santa Anastasia-there are reading and music rooms, a swimming pool with whirlpool, panoramic terrace, and gardens. Lunch at Relais Santa Anastasia (not included).
AFTERNOON: Late afternoon wine tasting and cantina visit at Relais Santa Anastasia. Dinner at the hotel's gourmet restaurant La Corte dell'Abbate (included).
HOTEL: Relais Santa Anastasia / Castelbuono
DAY 7—SUNDAY
MORNING: Depart Castelbuono. Excursion to the splendid medieval town of Cefal˜, built on the site of an ancient Sicanian and Greek settlement. Visit the striking Porta Marina, see the recently restored medieval fountain, stop for a caffË in Piazza del Duomo, and tour the Norman cathedral built by King Roger II. Towering above the town is La Rocca, an outcrop with the ruins of a castle. Late morning visit and tasting at the Duca di Salaparuta winery in Casteldaccia. Tour the visitors' center, museum, and tasting room at the 19th-century winery in the hills above Palermo.
AFTERNOON: Lunch at a local restaurant (not included). Afternoon at leisure to explore Palermo-shop on Via della Libertý, a boulevard that offers a mix of elegant stores, boutiques, and chic cafÈs; stroll amid the greenery of the city's many parks; or sightsee in the historic center. Dinner at a local restaurant (not included).
HOTEL: Excelsior Palace Hotel / Palermo
DAY 8—MONDAY
MORNING: See the ornately decorated Cappella Palatina, part of the Palazzo Normanni. Guided tour of the Quattro Canti, which marks the center of town, the elaborate fountain in Piazza Pretoria, the Arab-Norman church of San Cataldo, and the church of La Martorana (from which the name of marzipan candy is derived).
AFTERNOON: Lunch at a local pizzeria (included). Visit the cathedral of Monreale, famous for its Byzantine mosaics, and the splendid cloister of the Benedictine abbey. Dinner at a private home in Palermo, part of the Home Food network of families that host meals featuring local specialties (included).
HOTEL: Excelsior Palace Hotel / Palermo
DAY 9—TUESDAY
MORNING: Visit the characteristic Mercato della Vucceria, Palermo's most famous food market. Lunch at Antica Focacceria San Francesco, an old-style cafÈ with marble tables and an original counter made from a cast-iron stove (included).
AFTERNOON: At leisure to explore Palermo—visit one of the many famous museums, shop for souvenirs, or take a leisurely walk in the historic center. Savor a farewell dinner at a local restaurant (included).
HOTEL: Excelsior Palace Hotel / Palermo
DAY 10—WEDNESDAY
MORNING: Early morning group transfer to Palermo's Falcone Borsellino airport and departure. Arrivederci!
