Circumnavigation of Sicily

Circumnavigation of Sicily September 26 - October 8, 2017 Wednesday & Thursday, September 27 & 28, 2017 Valletta, Malta / Embark Variety Voyager Welcome to Malta! The beautiful blue skies and sun-warmed streets of the honey-colored sandstone—for which the island was named—encouraged some of us to sip on a cappuccino in a sidewalk café, while more energetic souls explored the ramparts, monuments, and shops of Valletta. We assembled in the evening at the Grand Hotel Excelsior to meet our fellow adventurers and the Expedition Staff over cocktails and dinner. As night fell, we became acquainted with our new companions, compared notes on previous trips, and discussed each other’s anticipated highlights of the upcoming days. Our adventure began in earnest this morning as we started the day winding our way through a patchwork of small farms separated by dry stone walls. After a short stop at the azure waters of the Blue Grotto, with its photogenic stone arches, we reached the megalithic site of Hagar Qim perched on a bluff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Dated between 3000 and 2500 BC, this is the oldest structure on Malta and one of the oldest structures in the world, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Returning to the capital city of Valletta, we visited the National Museum of Archaeology to view, among other artifacts, the exquisite Sleeping Lady, the fertility figure from the third millennium BC. The Grand Master’s Palace of the Knights of Malta kept our heads turning, from its walls and ceilings painted with historic figures to the stone marquetry underfoot. Strolling the colorful streets, we reached our lunch venue, the well-known Palazzo Preca, before exploring St. John’s Co- Cathedral. Continuing to the Upper Barraka Garden overlooking the Saluting Battery of cannons, we were treated to a spectacular view of the multiple harbors within Valletta’s Grand Harbor. As beautiful as it was, it was soon time to board our ship, the Variety Voyager. Friday, September 29 Agrigento, Sicily / Licata We awoke in Sicily, “Island of the Sun,” and true to its name, the sun soon burned off the morning clouds and provided a glorious day. We set off for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Agrigento, Valley of the Temples. We started at the top with the Temple of Hera and descended with stops at the Temples of Concord, Hercules, and Olympian Zeus, the largest Doric temple of Greek Antiquity. Ornithologist Jim Wilson even got in the fun, when he noted a Bonnelli’s eagle soaring overhead. A short drive through the countryside brought us to the Mandranova Estate. The Palermo family that started this olive farm soon became enchanted by the area and left city life to produce exceptional olive oils and almonds. A relaxing lunch was followed by a tour of their small factory and the opportunity to purchase some of the tasty goods. Returning via Licata, we had the choice of walking to the ship from the town center or enjoying a windshield tour back to the port. Either choice provided the opportunity to see several buildings in the Art Nouveau style, here known as the Liberty style. The late afternoon saw us joining Allan Langdale, our art historian, for his presentation on Palermo’s Palatine Chapel: Jewel of Norman Sicily, as well as additional background information about Greek temple structure to enhance our site visit tomorrow. We then joined Captain Andreas Sifniotis for his welcome reception and dinner before we set sail. Saturday, September 30 Mazara del Vallo / Selinunte / Marsala Coming alongside in Mazara del Vallo, we passed pocket harbors of fishing boats and small market stalls on our way to the Greek colony of Selinunte; occupied during the 5th and 6th centuries BC by around 100,000 inhabitants, it was one of the largest, richest, and most powerful cities in the world. The remaining structures are impressive whether they’re still standing or in ruins; we first explored Temples E and G and drove to the former Acropolis to visit Temple C, accompanied by ubiquitous Eurasian magpies. Accenting the ruins were flowering oleander with striking pink and white blossoms and lovely Spanish sparrows with their pronounced stripes. Following lunch aboard, we headed off to Marsala, a Phoenician settlement. In 1860, Garibaldi landed here and planned his unification of Italy, a point of great local pride. Our first stop was the newly refurbished Museo Archeologico Regionale Baglio Anselmi, which houses a portion of the only known Carthaginian/Punic warship. After time spent exploring the old city, our next stop was at the Cantine Florio, a venerable producer of fine Marsala wines. All of the vats were made of wood, as were the casks, and after an edifying tour, we were led to a great stone hall where some of us proceeded to try to spoil our suppers with delicious Sicilian savory and sweet foods and red, white, and Marsala wines paired with each type of dish. As the Variety Voyager had repositioned to Trapani after we departed in the morning, we were able to stop near the famous salt pans and windmills of the region as we made our way along the coast. Rejoining the ship, those who wished could dine ashore, but most of us opted for an early night and some extra sleep for tomorrow’s explorations. Sunday, October 1 Trapani / Segesta / Erice / Monreale / Palermo Situated at the northwest corner of Sicily, Trapani sits at the juncture of the Tyrrhenian and Mediterranean Seas. Some of us opted to visit the ruins of Segesta on Monte Barbaro; a huge 5th-century BC temple complex, Segesta was in perpetual conflict with Selinunte. Those of us who elected to take the other option, headed to the medieval hilltop town of Erice via the roads less traveled. Our guides eschewed the highways, and we enjoyed traveling through small towns and villages as we climbed to the town of Erice crowning Mount Eryx. Entering through the Porta Trapani we explored the hilly, cobbled streets as we made our way to the Castello di Venere, the ruined Norman castle built by Roger I over an earlier temple when he captured the town in the 12th century. It also provided wonderful vistas, which included the impressive switchback road down which our coach would soon travel, although the walk to the coaches was fraught with temptation in the form of the pastry shops for which the town is justly famous. We all reassembled at the lovely olive oil farm, Fontanasalsa. We were greeted by singer Irene Gambino, who continued to entertain us with songs and music throughout our visit. We visited the production area and enjoyed a formal olive oil tasting before lunch. Proceeding to Monreale, we entered the cathedral from near the fountain of Triton, and found ourselves awestruck by the interior; a jewel box of glittering mosaics covering virtually all of its 7,690 square yards of wall. Considered one of the three jewels in the Arab- Norman crown, it whet our appetites to see the other two in the days to come. With just enough time for an espresso outside in the sunny Piazza Duomo, it was time to head to the capital of Sicily, Palermo, and rejoin our floating home away from home, which had repositioned from Trapani. Monday, October 2 Palermo Setting off to explore Palermo, we passed the Massimo Theater to the Piazza Pretoria near the Quantro Canti, the four corners intersection where a former patron saint of the city stands over each corner. The Piazza is dominated by the large Pretoria Fountain, dubbed the “fountain of shame,” by nuns shocked at the nudity of the classical statuary. Some of us began with the Palatine Chapel in the Norman Plaza, with its sparkling mosaics, marble inlay and a wooden stalactite Arab ceiling. Although we all eventually visited all the sites, we did these as smaller groups so as not to overwhelm certain venues. Princess Carine Vanni Mantegna personally conducted our tours and was not only a gracious hostess, but extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the history, art, and architecture of the sites. We proceeded to the large Cathedral of the Assumption, also in the Norman-Arab style found largely in Sicily. This impressive structure—built as a church, converted to a mosque, and recon- verted by the Normans to a cathedral—defines the Arab-Norman architectural tradition. It houses six royal tombs and the remains of Palermo’s patron saint, St. Rosalia, in a solid silver urn. Enjoying the sun, there was time to have a gelato or coffee, or go shopping for a bit and to watch cheery barn swallows darting and flitting over the city before we strolled through the Ballaro street market. As we enjoyed lunch on board, we steamed toward Cefalù. We spent the afternoon with two of our staff; Susan Langley, our maritime archaeologist, who presented Beneath the Wine Dark Sea, Maritime Archaeology in Malta and Sicily, and Ron Wixman, our cultural geographer, who presented Food in Italian Culture. We docked at Tèrmini Imerese, a town with deep prehistoric and Greek roots, though it is most remembered as a famous Roman spa. A few of us opted to head into Cefalù to enjoy a starry dinner ashore in this enchanting coastal town, as popular with locals as with tourists. Tuesday, October 3 Cefalù Another sun-washed morning as we set off for the interior village-estate of Regaleale and the famed cooking school of Anna Tasca-Lanza and the Regaleale Winery; all contained within the old stone buildings, cellars, and gardens of the 1,200+ acre estate.

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