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Day 1 - Friday, May 6, 2011
Arrival day Catania, Murgo agriturismo and winery
Meeting of participants in the afternoon at the Catania International Airport. Group transfer to the Murgo agriturismo and winery at the foot of the Etna volcano and immersed in the vineyards.
This will be our headquarter for our next 3 days.
The tour kicks off with a welcome dinner and a ''brindisi al fresco'' in the terrace. Antonio will be giving an overview of the typical wines and foods of the area.
Day 2 - Saturday, May 7, 2011
Vini...vulcanici!
Today we will follow the wine route of Etna, beginning with a visit to the volcano itself! We will drive up to the mountain to an altitude of over 2,000 meters and get a close look to the lava canals and the craters.
Of course, no vineyards at that altitude, but breathtaking views!
Here, participants have two options:
A) walk among the small craters found at this altitude, relax at one of the restaurants or at a café or shop in one of the characteristic stores for souvenirs, honey, almonds or other local specialties
B) take a one-of-a-life-time excursion with the cable car up to 2,500 meters. and then with special 4x4 vehicles equipped with special tires, to go near the hot lava and the bigger craters up to a quote of 2,900 meters!
We will then descend where vineyards can be found, and, to better understand how a lava soil can make a difference in the taste of a wine, we will stop for a winery tour and tasting at: Vinicola Benanti on the SouthEast side of the volcano or Gambino Vini on the North side. In the late afternoon we return to Murgo for dinner.
NOTE: The option B), the Etna special excursion at 2,900 meters, is not included in the tour and there is an extra fee of 51 euro (about $75 in 2009).
To take part to the special excursion to the volcano, you need to wear good walking shoes, or trekking shoes, and a raincoat. The excursion is not recommended if you suffer of asthma, since there may be sulfur smokes columns at 3,000 meters.
The participation to this excursion must be communicated at booking time and paid with the balance of the tour.
Day 3 - Sunday, May 8, 2011
The pearl of the Mediterranean: Taormina
After breakfast we tour Murgo winery and taste their portfolio of DOC and IGT wines. They make wonderful products using many native grape varieties as well as blends, which are typical of the territory and match the local cuisine.
We then drive to Taormina, the pearl of the Mediterranean, the world-known ancient town embedded into the stones and the mountains. From that elevation, the view of the sea and the Etna is just spectacular.
You will have the time to tour the town and shop at your leasure in the many characteristic small ''botteghe''. Also make some time to visit the Greek amphitheater and archeological site (the entrance fee and the English audio-guide for this site is included in the tour).
Return to Murgo in the evening and dinner.
Day 4 - Monday, May 9, 2011
The Sicilian Baroque: Siracusa, Noto, Ragusa Ibla, Modica
Everyone should pack up, have breakfast, check out and be ready to leave by 09:00.
Today we move from the East of the island to the South of the island. We will drive through and stop for a short free walk at some beautiful towns representing among the best example of Baroque architecture in Italy. Ragusa and Modica, for example, have earned the UNESCO World Heritage status. Destroyed during the history by several heartquakes, they saw many reconstructions, the last being in the Baroque era, two centuries ago.
In the evening we arrive to our destination: a family owned ''casa vacanze'' in Modica, called Modicarte, where we will spend the next two nights in a peaceful country side atmosphere.
Tonight we will dine on the terrace overlooking the hill with the town of Modica. Our hosts, chef mamma Maria, sous-chef papa' Giovanni, and sommelier son Maurizio will take perfect care of us!
Feel free to tour their garden, full of fig trees, olive trees, rosemary and caper bushes and lot of other aromatic herbs.
Day 5 - Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Food discoveries, wine tasting, cooking activity
An early morning to start a day full of activities!
After breakfast on the terrace, we will go to a nearby small farm to assist to the making of cheese and ricotta, then go to Modica town centre for a demo of chocolate making at Bonajuto factory, the oldest chocolate factory in Sicily.
The Modican Chocolate is one of the best appreciated products of the Sicilian pastry. It is still made the same way the ancient Aztecs made chocolate in Mexico and its tradition dates back to the 16th century.
Too much food? Perhaps..... so, now, back to wine!
Today we will also visit the Azienda Agricola COS in the heart of the latest and only DOCG highest wine appellation in Sicily: Cerasuolo di Vittoria.
To finish the afternoon in beauty, let's go back to our ''casa vacanze'' and cook with mamma Maria! The Modicarte family team has prepared hands-on cooking stations where you can learn how to master the traditional and modern Sicilian cuisine! Prepare dishes like caponata, arancini, gelo di mellone, and much more! We will all sit down and enjoy the fruit of our efforts. All accompanied by the best of wines, selected for you by your ever-present guide Antonio and by Modicarte's in-house sommelier Maurizio!
Day 6 - Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The Greek Sicily: Agrigento and the Valle dei Templi
Everyone should pack up, have breakfast, check out and be ready to leave by 08:00. We will drive along the southern coast of the island, western direction.
A must-stop is in Agrigento, at the world famous ''Valle dei Templi'', a large sacred area where monumental Greek temples were erected in the fourth and fifth centuries BC. Here you will find the largest and best preserved Greek temples outside of Greece. The entrance fee and English audio-guide is included in the tour.
In the evening we will arrive at Marsala our western destination and homebase for the next two days. The charming hotel that Antonio selected here is the Hotel Carmine in an historical building in the town centre, at Piazza Carmine.
The sunsets, visible on the coast, in this part of Sicily are breathtaking!
Anybody for a walk on the beach at sunset?
Day 7 - Thursday, May 12, 2011
Wine and salt: a winning combination!
In this area of western Sicily, around the cities of Trapani and Marsala, there is the most densely land cultivated with vineyards in all Italy and Europe.
And there is also a unique site: the ''saline'', the sea salt production fields.
Why not experiencing both?
In fact today we will visit three or four wine producers in the area among the followings:
(final selection still has to be made by Antonio)
- Cantine Florio
- Cantine Rallo
- Donna Fugata
- Firriato
- Cantine Pellegrino
- Feudo Arancio
- Planeta.
Following, we will visit the ''saline Ettore Infersa'' and the typical wind mill used as pumps to transfer the sea water from pool to pool. The sea water is left to dry in the perennial sun (!) and the salts remains dry.
The entrance to the museum of salt is included in the tour.
Return to Marsala and dinner.
Day 8 - Friday, May 13, 2011
Monreale and Palermo
Everyone should pack up, have breakfast, check out and be ready to leave by 09:00.
Time to move North towards the capital of Sicily, Palermo, to complete our island tour. Palermo is a magic city which collects all the treasures from hundreds of civilizations that have conquered it for milleniums. Arab, Norman, Fenician, Greek, Spanish, Punic, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic and lot more! Although, before arriving in Palermo, we will spend the morning visiting Monreale, located on a hill overlooking Palermo.
The Duomo di Monreale is the reason (and a good one) to stop here! One of the world's largest and most interesting mosaic covered surfaces can be admired in this Cathedral!
We will then arrive to Palermo in the early afternoon and check in to our hotel, The Gallery House. The afternoon is then free to tour Palermo, or to participate in a walk on the beach at Mondello, the elegant summer resort, famous for its beautiful golden sand beach, the "Belle Epoque" architecture, and the seaside facilities.
We will get together again in the evening to celebrate the end of the tour with our ''cena di arrivederci'' , the goodbye dinner, made to cheer to all the fantastic time together and to cheer to our next tour of Italy together!
Day 9 - Saturday, May 14, 2011
Palermo - End tour
After breakfast everyone is free to choose among the following alternatives:
1) Stay extra days in Palermo in the same hotel. Please, notify us early if you decide for this option, so we can communicate the extension to the hotel and get the better rate that we get for groups.
2) Stay extra days in Palermo in a different hotel of your choice.
3) Depart from Palermo to return to Canada or to go elsewhere.
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