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CATANIA – BRONTE – MT ETNA – MILAZZO – LIPARI – VULCANO – CASTELBUONO MONREALE – PALERMO – TRAPANI – PACECO – MARSALA – AGRIGENTO – PIAZZA ARMERINA CALTAGIRONE – MARZAMEMI – SYRACUSE – MODICA – SCICLI – NOTO – VITTORIA – RAGUSA An exciting and unique opportunity to combine your love of good food and wine with your passion for travel - a fully-escorted 15-day holiday-with-a- difference in the beautiful Mediterranean island of Sicily. This exclusive small-group tour is fully escorted by Rosa Mitchell – renowned for her successful Sicilian-inspired Rosa’s Canteen restaurant in Melbourne - and her husband Colin. Rosa’s passion for Sicily - its rich history, spectacular scenery, welcoming people, delicious food and tantalising wines - is the foundation and inspiration for this specially crafted tour. It’s packed full of features and highlights, many of which are unique to this tour. And, all included in the price! Fully escorted by Rosa and Colin, with additional Ristorante Cin Cin, wine tastings at 4 different services in Sicily from a professional Tour Manager wineries, a visit to a pistachio producer, and a and additional expert commentary by local guides chocolate tasting in Modica during tours and visits while in Palermo, Monreale, Spend 2 nights in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Agrigento (Valley of the Temples), Piazza Armerina the Aeolian Islands with the added highlight of a cruise (Villa Romana del Casale) and Syracuse to the island of Vulcano A limit on tour numbers to a maximum of 18 guests All the other must-see UNESCO World Heritage Sites ensures a greater level of comfort and individual are included: The Arab-Norman Palermo, Cathedral attention Churh of Monreale, the Archaeological Area of Start each day with a delicious buffet breakfast (B) Agrigento, the Villa Romana del Casale, Syracuse and On 8 special days savour pre-arranged highlight the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (Catania, lunches, two particularly special ones being a ‘Cooking Modica, Noto, Ragusa and Scicli) Class’ lunch at the Ristorante Cin Cin in Palermo and a Stay in quality accommodation, in boutique-style, long lunch at the exclusive Tenuta Manca di Geracello premium city hotels or intimate family-run near Piazza Armerina (L) establishments with a special highlight of a 2-night stay 8 evening meals are provided, with wine, including a at an ‘Agriturismo’ property in the Caltagirone area welcome dinner in Catania, a very special farewell Travel in comfort and style in deluxe air-conditioned dinner in Ragusa and a dinner in each of Rosa’s vehicles throughout, with private group transfers on favourite restaurants in Lipari, Palermo, Marsala, arrival and departure Caltagirone Area (2), Syracuse and Noto (D) And, you won’t have to tip on this tour. The Sicily with The carefully-crafted itinerary provides for a Rosa’s tour has a unique ‘No Tipping’ policy which comprehensive but leisurely-paced programme of means we take care of hotel porterage, hotel and sightseeing, daily excursions, scenic drives and restaurant service charges (for meals included in the privately guided tours, many being exclusive to this programme) plus taxes and gratuities, including tour, such as: a Cooking Class with Vincenzo gratuities for local guides and the end-of-tour gratuities Clemente and Rosa at the well-known traditionally given to the Tour Manager and Driver HOW TO- Contact Rosa at [email protected] - or phone Colin on 0428 177915 BOOK.. or contact Paul at EuroVista Holidays. Phone 1300 780 586, Email: [email protected] Day 01 – Thu 19 September changing as we Arrival Catania (3 nights) ascend the On arrival at Catania Airport, we’ll be mountain. At met and transferred to our hotel. This 1,900 metres the evening we’ll join Rosa, Colin and our scenic situation Tour Manager for a welcome dinner at is dominated by one of Rosa’s favourite restaurants, the black lava and it delightful Ristorante Antica Marina, is here we’ll stop located in a characteristic quarter of Catania near the at Rifugio Sapienza to view the now dormant Crateri Piazza Duomo and the Wall of Carlo V in the historic heart Silvestri. If the weather and volcanic activity allows it’s of the city. (D) possible to take a cable-car and an off-road vehicle (accompanied by experienced mountain guides) up to Day 02 – Fri 20 September 2,800 metres. (As we won’t know the conditions until we’re Catania – Excursion to Bronte & Castiglione di Sicilia on the mountain this option is not included in the tour price The pistachios of Bronte, known as ‘green gold’, are world but can be purchased on the day). We’ll descend from the famous. This morning we’ll drive on the slopes of Mt Etna mountain in the late afternoon and this evening perhaps to visit Bronte town and a producer of pistachio products. take a light meal in our hotel or stroll into the surrounding We’ll spend time neighbourhood to discover a nearby trattoria for dinner. (B) learning about the growing of the nuts Day 04 – Sun 22 September and tasting some of Catania – Milazzo – Lipari (2 nights) the many products This morning we’ll which are made take a coastal from them. Next drive to the port of we’ll have a Milazzo where comprehensive introduction to the wines of Sicily. First we’ll embark on we’ll visit Planeta Sciaranuova vineyards (pictured) where our hydrofoil to the we’ll taste wines from five regions of Sicily. The Aeolian Islands, a passopisciaro wine of Etna, a recently revived wine made group of eight from an ancient local grape variety grown on the slopes of volcanic islands off the north coast of Sicily. Lipari is the Mt. Etna, a wine from Menfi, a wine from Noto, a wine from largest of the group and is famous for its ancient export of Capo Milazzo and a wine from Vittoria. This will be obsidian. We’ll arrive at the port of Lipari in the early followed by a lunch of traditional Sicilian cuisine, each afternoon and after settling into our hotel we’ll drive to the course paired with a Planeta wine, before a short drive Tenuta Castellaro where we’ll enjoy brings us to the Planeta Feudo di a sampling of their island wine Mezzo winery in Castiglione di accompanied by tasty Aeolian Sicilia where we’ll learn more of the specialties and stirring local music. process of wine-making, visit their Tonight the time is yours to perhaps barrique and take a walk through a eat in the hotel or wander into town vineyard of 120 year-old vines. We’ll and choose a waterfront eatery for return to Catania in the late your evening meal. (BL) afternoon for a relaxing evening in our hotel. (BL) Day 05 – Mon 23 September Day 03 – Sat 21 September Lipari – Excursion to Vulcano Island Catania – Sightseeing & Excursion to Mt Etna The island of Vulcano is the southernmost island of the Today we’ll explore Catania, also known as the ‘Black group. It has three volcanoes and is a land of lava, black Pearl’ of the Mediterranean Sea because of its baroque sands and yellow sulphur rocks. A short private boat trip palaces constructed from the black lava stone of the area. will get us there and we can choose to circumnavigate the Our morning visit will include the very famous, very island and perhaps swim in one of its beautiful grottoes, or colourful and bustling fish market and the Piazza Duomo remain in the town and enjoy the beaches, take a mineral- where we’ll view the Cathedral dedicated to St Agata. rich mud bath, walk to one of the volcano craters or linger Mount Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe and a over a lunch of locally caught sword-fish washed down with definite must for all visitors to Sicily. This afternoon our local wine! Dinner tonight is at another of Rosa’s notable circuitous drive takes us through many villages typically local restaurants, the Kasbah. (BD) built almost entirely of lava. The landscape is constantly Day 06 – Tue 24 September Fontana della Vergogna, or the ‘Fountain of Shame’. This Lipari – Milazzo – Castelbuono – Monreale – Palermo evening there’s an opportunity to pursue our own interests (2 nights) or, if more food is needed, dine in one of the many eating This morning we take the ferry back to the port of Milazzo places close to our hotel. (BL) where we join our coach for the coastal drive which takes Day 08 – Thu 26 September us to Palermo. En route we’ll stop for lunch in the small Palermo – Trapani – Paceco – Marsala (1 night) town of Castelbuono in the Madonie Mountains. After lunch This morning we’ll drive to Trapani, an ancient Phoenician at Ristorante Nangalarruni we’ll also have the opportunity trading port and a very to visit the Pasticceria Fiasconara to sample the sweet important town during pastries of the region made from manna. Our next stop is the Middle Ages. We’ll at Monreale, the Norman ‘Mons view the Castello del Regalis’, which is situated at the Mare before we head foot of Monte Caputo. The to Paceco via the majestic dome of its Cathedral area’s famous salt was built in the 12th century by pans and a visit to the the Norman King, William II and Salt Museum is 6,340 square meters of (pictured) along with a tasting of the local product. We’ll polychrome and gold mosaics. share a light lunch at the Fontanasalsa (Olive Oil Mill) in This gives rise to its local name Paceco before we continue to our vineyard hotel close to of the golden bible, referring to Marsala.