Itinerary April 12-22, 2012 Day 1 Depart U.S. on individually scheduled flights Day 2 Welcome to Palermo Individual and group transfers from Airport to Hotel Afternoon escorted walking tour of the neighborhood surrounding our hotel. Welcome wine reception at the hotel followed by dinner in a typical neighborhood trattoria. Overnight: Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa Meals: Dinner Day 3 Tour Capo Food Market and cooking lesson with the Duchess of Palma This morning the group will tour the Capo Market with the Duchess of Palma (Nicoletta Polo) in a fascinating exploration of Sicilian culture and cuisine. The itinerary begins with a morning visit to the Capo market, the oldest in Palermo, where we will purchase fresh seasonal ingredients, chosen from the colorful stalls featuring an abundance of fruit, vegetables, seafood and meats as the sellers cries bid for our attention. Following the market tour, half the group will go with the Duchess to her seaside Palazzo (Palace) for a hands on cooking lesson. The rest of the group will have a city tour. In the afternoon the groups will trade places. The group who cooked with the Duchess will have the city tour and the group that did the tour will cook with the Duchess at her Palazzo kitchen. See: http://www.cookingwiththeduchess.com/home.html Palermo City Tour Palermo, stretches along a beautiful bay on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 7 th and 8 th centuries B.C., it was conquered by Arabs in 831, and a period of immense prosperity commenced. The city s wide boulevards, traditional Sicilian Old Quarter, and baroque palaces ll enchant you. We will visit the city's main sights, including the Norman section, Quattro Canti di Citta'
(the Four Corners of the City), Palermo's extravagant baroque square and the twelfth-century Duomo (Cathedral) of Palermo. Finally, all will return to the Palazzo for a gala Sicilian dinner to be enjoyed in the magnificent dining room, together with the Duchess and her family. Prior to dinner, the Duchess and her husband (the Duke of Palma) will take us through the splendor of the exquisite and beautifully restored 18th century palazzo by the sea. This was the last home of Prince Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, author of the world-famous novel The Leopard. Our day will conclude with a glass of Prosecco on the luxuriant terrace facing the sea, fragrant with jasmine, wisteria, hibiscus and bougainvillea. Overnight: Palermo Meals: Breakfast & Dinner Day 4 The Salt Road This morning we ll drive out to the Salt Pans located on the coastline between the cities of Trapani and Marsala. Locals extract the salt from the seawater following the same procedure used by the ancient Greeks and Phoenicians who once colonized this part of the Sicily. We ll visit the windmills used to move the salt through the pans. During the morning we will visit the Florio Winery (www.cantineflorio.com) to taste Marsala Wine. This afternoon, we ll visit Erice, a wonderful and mysterious medieval town made famous in ancient times as the birthplace of Venus. Walking through the cobble - stoned streets of the town, smelling a variety of aromas emanating from the numerous pastry shops for which Erice is famous. Stopping at the famous pastry shop by Maria Grammatico, (book: Bitter Almonds, by Mary Simeti) to taste her almond sweets, genovesi and nougat while toasting with a glass of Marsala wine. Overnight: Palermo Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Day 5 Cooking and wine experience at the Anna Tasca Lanza School This beautiful cooking school (www.annatascalanza.com) is located about 75 minutes from Palermo in the direction of Agrigento. Named for it s originator Anna Tasca Lanza, the lessons are now conducted by her daughter Fabrizia Lanza. Fabrizia s warm and friendly approach will make you feel right at home in her kitchen. Guided by Fabrizia, participants will learn how to prepare delicious Sicilian
recipes, simple in execution but never bland. The results of the lesson will be paired with the appropriate wines of the award winning wines of Regaleali Winery. Late this evening we will drive to Agrigento and the Mandranova Estate (www.mandranova.it/en) The farm stands out among the colors and fragrances of the immense olive groves which surround it. Overnight: Mandranova Estate**** Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 6 Extra virgin Olive Oil and Cooking class Today we will again divide in two groups. The first group will enjoy a tour of the farm, the olive tree groves, the oil press and finally have a professional Extra virgin Olive Oil Tasting with Giuseppe. Followed by a visit to the nearby Bagliesi Wine Estate (www.bagliesi.it) The second will have a cooking lesson with Silvia. During the cooking lesson you will learn how to prepare anelletti al forno with eggplant, sauce, and fresh basil. We will also learn to prepare typical Sicilian vegetables of the season. We ll also prepare the polpettone di carne (meatloaf) and a vegetable side dish with ingredients harvested from the estate garden. The lesson will result in lunch for all. The two groups will reverse their activities in the afternoon. With everyone enjoying dinner at the Estate. Overnight: Mandranova Estate Meals: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner Day 7 Sicilian Cheeses and the Valley of the Temples Breakfast at farm. The day will be devoted to Sicilian cheeses. We ll drive up to the dramatic hill town of Sant Angelo Muxaro, an enchanting village high above the surrounding vineyards and orchards that surround Agrigento. We ll start with an archeological walk through the biggest Tholos tombs in Sicily. We will visit a shepherd to see how ricotta cheese is made. Surrounded on all sides by the genuine Sicilian atmosphere, we will be able to taste the still warm ricotta cheese as it is
finished. Our next stop will be the village piazza for a tasting of the various artisnal pecorino cheeses that are produced locally with other local delicacies for lunch. Following lunch, we will descend the slopes to the coastal city of Agrigento to visit the famous Greek era, Valley of the Temples, where we will meet the Dean of Guides, Dr. Claudio Castiglione. This well-preserved antiquity will come to life for us as Dr. Castiglione walks us Along the Sacred Way. We will visit the Temple of Hercules, the Temple of Concord, and the Temple of Juno. Finally, we will visit the wonderful Garden of Kolymbetra, an old water reservoir of the Greeks. Dinner options: Those wishing to remain in Agrigento for dinner will have a return shuttle provided. For those wishing to return to the Mandranova Estate, dinner will be available on location. Those desiring a special dinning treat will be escorted to the highly acclaimed Ristorante La Madia, a Michelin seaside restaurant. See: www.ristorantelamadia.it Overnight: Mandranova Estate Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Day 8 Organic herbs and unique Chocolate with a Baroque Flair This morning we will head for Baroque area of Sicily, whose heritage, both for importance and for beauty, has been declared World Heritage by UNESCO. Our first stop will be in the village of Scicli to visit the GLI AROMI Farm. We will meet with the farm owner Enrico. This farm is the leader in production and marketing of native plants and aromatic herbs, focusing on endemic species of the Sicilian coast and in particular of the Iblean region. The firm produces more than 120 different varieties of plants and herbs using age-old traditional methods of manual cultivation. We will sample the different varieties of herbs and enjoy their use in a lunch including other local produce. Following lunch we will head for the picturesque town of Modica, to enjoy this Jewel from the Spanish Baroque era. This charming town is full of picturesque lanes and narrow streets with shops and cafes. After settling into our boutique hotel we will have a walking tour of the town, including a visit to the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, (www.bonajuto.it/en) the oldest confectionary shop of Sicily and taste the very famous chocolate of Modica. The owner Pierpaolo Ruta will explain the
secrets of Modican Chocolate that is produced with just two ingredients, cacao and sugar. Overnight: Modica Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Day 9 Noto, Sicilian Sweets and Siracusa (Syracuse) In the early morning we ll set off for Noto, once destroyed by earthquake and rebuilt as one of Sicily s most beautiful baroque cities. We will meet with confectioner Corrado Assenza (www.gustiamo.com/cgi-bin/front_end/prodotto?id=195), a true master of his craft. He will dazzle us with a tasting of his many products (ice creams, jams, sauces) and serve us lunch combining all of these in an exciting combination of flavors. Don t worry; lunch will include a balance of local dishes alongside the tempting sweets! Following lunch we will head for Siracusa, the most important of all the Greek cities of antiquity that flourished on the coast of Sicily. Siracusa was the most important, a formidable seafaring power nearly equal to Athens. At the height of its power, it dared to take on both Carthage and Rome. At one time, its wealth and size were unmatched by any other city in the ancient world, and today it is one of the richest historical sites in Europe. We'll see remarkable Greek and Roman ruins, including the cave called "The Ear of Dionysius," because of its unusual shape, resembling a human ear. Finally we will enjoy the elegant island of Ortigya, where we will admire the architectural splendor of ancient medieval streets, baroque structures, and classic churches as the Duomo, built upon the old temple of Athena. We will be back in Modica in time for you to refresh yourself before dinner. Overnight: Modica Meals: Breakfast, lunch Day 10 Caltagirone Caltagiorne, takes its name from the Arabic phrase, Castle of Vases. The city that has been producing ceramics since pre-historic times. We will visit one of the finest producers and you will have the opportunity to shop for a treasures that can be sent home by UPS and insured for safe delivery. We will next visit the COS Winery (www.cosvittoria.it/english) to enjoy a lunch featuring their wines and local specialties. This estate is among the most unique in
all of Italy in combining Spanish wine making methods with locally produced organic grapes. We will finish our tour with an afternoon with a tasting of the famous Ragusano Cheese (www.siciliana.it/pagine/tradizione.html), commonly referred to as Cheese on horseback. While most Sicilian Cheese is Pecorino (Sheep s milk), Ragusano is made from fresh Cow s milk. We will enjoy a visit with a small producer of this specialty item. Tonight we will celebrate our time together with a Farewell Dinner in Modica. Overnight: Modica Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Day 11 Depart Catania We ll depart Modica this morning for Catania and our homeward flights. Those wishing to participate in a tour extension will be escorted to their next adventure.