Culinary & Wine Tours> Italy> Sicilian Flavours

Italy: Sicilian Flavours
Sicily, Italy - 6 nights

Experience seven days of magical travel through the stunning Sicilian landscape, meeting a famous Chef and people who love good food and good wine. Discover the most traditional Sicilian dishes in Palermo, Agrigento, Catania, Siracusa, Taormina and Etna Volcano area. You will learn how prepare the "pasta con le sarde", the "arancine", the "cassata Siciliana"and "cannoli" with rricotta cheese. Taste the best wines. You will visit the outdoor market to find the freshest of fruits, fish and vegetables, the wineries nestled in the amazing countryside and you will stay in beautiful accommodations including Anna Tasca Lanza's Regaleali Wine Estate.

Day One

Arrival at Palermo airport. You will be free to visit the city, the city’s main sights, including Quattro Canti, the twelfth-century Cathedral of Palermo, and the food market of “Capo”, typical par excellence, full of colour and folkloric. Here you will taste typical street food such as “pani ca meusa”, “panelled”, “arancini”... Transfer to  Regaleali, Tasca D’Almerita Wine Estate, Anna Tasca Lanza’s home.

Tasca d'Almerita is one of the most important wine-producing estates in Sicily and here Anna Tasca Lanza, the cooking teacher and cookbook author, conducts cooking classes, as she has for more than 15 years, at Casa Vecchie, in the middle of the vineyards. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day Two

Breakfast in the kitchen. Today Anna Tasca will hold an interesting lesson about local cuisine and its history and you will learn how to prepare the caponata, arancini and cannoli with ricotta cheese. Lunch with Anna. In the afternoon you will explore the countryside and enjoy the vineyards.  A look at the wine cellars of Regaleali with her immense barrels and tasting of the various wines will accompany the dinner. Overnight stay.

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Day Three

Breakfast and departure for 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, the wonderful Temple of Concord and finally the beautiful Garden of Kolymbetra. Lunch on your own and transfer to Siracusa accommodation in a typical Sicilian Farmhouse that produces organic lemons.  We suggest to dinner at the farm. Overnight stay.

Day Four

Breakfast and visit of the city. Until the Arab conquest of 878, the Siracusa was the capital of Sicily. It was by far the most important city on the island. You will visit the Ear of Dyonisus, the Greek Theatre, the Altare di Ierone. Walk through the historical centre on the Ortigia Island to admire the Cathedral, constructed over the ancient Temple of Athena, the Aretusa fountain and the ancient streets. After you will admire the historical centre of Noto, the capital of Baroque in Sicily. A very beautiful town with amazing palaces in baroque style. In 1693 age earthquake totally destroyed the town. The current town was rebuilt by famous architect. They made the new Noto a masterpiece of Sicilian Baroque, It is currently listed among UNESCO's World Heritage Sites

Lunch on your own and come back to the agriturismo where the owner organize a funny cooking class and you will learn how to prepare typical Sicilian dishes. Dinner and overnight stay.

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Day Five

Breakfast at hotel and departure for Catania, this city is dramatically situated between the Ionian Sea and the Mount Etna. The town was rebuilt in the Baroque style, and it was during this era that many of the town’s finest buildings were constructed. You will visit its impressive Duomo and experience the city’s strong personality during a visit to its ebullient Pescheria, the daily fish and vegetable market. Lunch on your own. After you will drive to the famous Cyclops Coast through Acireale, its most important town, and Acicastello, with its Medieval Norman Castle built in 1076 on a prehistoric basalt lava terrace. As you gaze out over the Ionian Sea, you’ll admire the Rocks of the Cyclops, imposing, spiky shards of black lava that rises up from the water. Accommodation in a beautiful agriturismo on Mount Etna, dinner and overnight stay.

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Day Six

Breakfast and free time to explore Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, there is hardly a more fascinating mountain with its unique combination of nature and the uncontrollable essence of fire. Your walk options are weather dependent and may include the excursion with the cobble car and jeep.  Transfer to Tenuta San Michele, an ancient estate located on the slopes of the volcano Etna. You will meet with the owner Pietro Scammacca to  visit the winery and taste their best wines as Etna Rosso, Etna Bianco and the Murgo Brut. In the afternoon you will visit Taormina is Sicily’s most famous city. Dating from the fourth and third centuries B.C., Taormina is perched dramatically high on a rocky promontory overlooking the Ionian Sea. It’s a charming medieval town with typical cobblestoned streets leading into spacious squares. You can admire the extraordinary classical Greco-Roman theatre and the historical centre. Dinner on your own. Come back to your agriturimo and overnight stay.

Day Seven
Breakfast and departure to the airport or choose to extend your stay by one night with a cooking class with Eleonora Consoli.

HOW TO ARRIVE

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If operator cancels the package holiday, operator will refund the double amount of what has been paid by the client, unless the withdrawal of the operator is due to the reason of force major, to pure chance or not reaching the minimum number of the taking parties, and/or to the non-acceptance on behalf of the client of the possible alternative package holiday offered by the organizer.



CLIENT REMARKS
Furnished upon request.