Sicily Brochure Final
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sicily gourmet grand tour september 14-23, 2020 Join the Center for Life Enrichment as they tavel to Sicily, the “Eteral Crossroads of the Mediteranean” 828-526-8811 [email protected] Dear Traveler, It has been said that “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything.” Far be it for us to argue with Goethe. Thus, it is with great pleasure and anticipation that we invite the members and friends of The Center for Life Enrich- ment to join us in September of 2020 on an incredible ten day journey through Sicily. CLE hosted a wonderful trip to Tuscany in 2018. Our Tour Leader Sara Sguerri and her team have been a joy to work with and along with CLE Board Member Donna Woods, we know this will be an out- Tour Leaders in Sicily standing adventure. Sara Sguerri and Lacy Pope With additional focuses on food, culture, histo- ry and the natural beauty that this layered and stunning Two women who share a deep passion for traveling region has to offer, we hope that you will fi nd the expe- dition to be above and beyond expectation. and people put their heads together and formed Trav- elAnthropy, an Italian Tour Company. Sara and Lacy met You might plan to arrive a day or two early to during one of Sara’s wine tours in Tuscany and Lacy was experience the vitality of Catania, the second larg- the person who had organized the whole trip for her est metropolis of Sicily. Spend these days exploring family celebrating her grandfather’s 80th birthday. The the noble palaces, the lively fi sh market where exotic two women literally “clicked” and decided to start an sights, sounds and tastes have been repeated daily since adventure together. ancient times, the historical Monastery of San Bened- etto, as well as the abbey which houses the Museum of Contemporary Art. “U chioscu” (at the kiosk) you will Sara Sguerri (Co-Founder/E.U. Partners) is a Tuscan na- mingle with locals and indulge in the refreshment of tive. She exudes all that is family, tradition and heritage generations that came before. Although the subterra- of Italy. She welcomes and leads travelers through her nean rivers of lava have buried some signs of the past motherland as friends. on the surface, take a journey below the city where ancient baths and amphitheaters still remain. Lareesa “Lacy” Pope (Co-Founder/U.S. Sales) believes that travel affords us access to 1000 lifetimes in one. There is so much to see. Catania offers a fabu- Her greatest joy is helping people achieve their life- lous introduction to all that is Sicily! time’s pilgrimage. We look forward to having you on this excep- tional tour of Sicily. To hold your space on this program, please phone (828) 526-8811 and send your registra- tion form and deposit check today. Kind Regards, Ed Mawyer The Center for Life Enrichment Day 1 - Monday, September 14 Day 3 - Wednesday, September 16 Arrive independently in Catania, which is situated at the Following a relaxed breakfast at the inn, we will have a short center of the Mediterranean sea. It is a natural stage where drive to Siracusa Archeological park for a guided visit. Here, the sun, the Jonio sea and the fi re of Mount Etna blend to as faith, luck and history would have it, two of the most reveal 2700 years of history. Dinner on your own. Over- signifi cant ancient archeological sites from both Greek and night in Catania at Hotel Pricipe (or similar), a lovely hotel in Roman history are situated adjacent to one another. The the baroque heart of the city center. Neapolis Archaeological Park of Siracusa contains the stun- ning Greek Theatre as well as the Roman Amphitheater that Day 2 - Tuesday, September 15 combine to make this one of the greatest archeological sites Travel by comfortable motorcoach to visit a prestigious in all of Italy. winery on the slopes of Mounta Etna, where you will enjoy Then we are off to visit a local winery, where, not far from a special lunch and wine pairing. The winery has more than Megara Hyblaea, one of the fi rst Greek colonies in Sicily, the a half century of experience employing Sicilian families who fi efdom of the Targia extends for over 140 hectares. With a have knowledge and tradition handed down through gen- long family tradition, the farm has recovered the lost taste erations in tending the volcanic land, which is both hard of the Moscato di Siracusa. You will enjoy a delicious lunch and generous at the same time. Mount Etna is a puzzle of paired with wine. districts divided by different lava fl ows that happened over We will transfer back to Siracusa and have some time to the milennia and the wines take on their character directly rest before taking an afternoon guided walking tour of Or- from the volcano. tigia, the Piazza Duomo, surrounded by magnifi cent Baroque We will then transfer to Taormina, where you will have palaces and the amazing Cathedral. Evening and dinner will free time to stroll through the small streets of craft shops be on your own. Overnight in Siracusa. (B,L) and antiques that lead to Via del Teatro Greco and the iconic view from the ancient Greek Theater. Finally, we will transfer to Siracusa, on the island of Ortigia, where we will enjoy our welcome dinner and overnight at the Hotel Maniace (or similar). (B,L,D) Day 4 - Thursday, Day 5 - Friday, September 18 Day 6 - Saturday, September 19 September 17 Today we will travel to Modica, in the We will head towards the west coast This morning we will visit a local province of Ragusa, which was destroyed for a tour and lunch at a boutique boutique winery where the owner in the earthquake of 1693, but retains winery. Here, two sisters tell their story connected individually owned lands the architectural gems of Sicilian Baroque of viticulture in a nature reserve by to form over 50 hectares of vine- style. It is a hotspot for food and choco- the sea where their family has grown yards, many of which have been har- late lovers. Here we will visit a chocolate excellent grapes in the idyllic setting for vested for more than thirty years. producer and have a tasting. Then we will four generations. The vines are located on different go to the Duomo di San Giogio, in the Then we transfer to the town of terrains and levels to guarantee the midst of time, beauty and the swallows’ Marsala to visit a renowned winery.The preservation of a general equilibri- fl ight. It is the fi rst cellar in the world to experience begins with a tour of the um. The grapes of these areas have age chocolate. Afterward, there is free historic 1851 cellars, passing from the a name and an election territory: time to explore the town and enjoy a underground barrique cellar to Sala del- Nero d’avola, exclusively head- lunch of your choosing in a busy, authen- le Botti where we will taste their more trained (“ad alberello”). tically Sicilian town where a dining expe- representative wines. Next, we will have a short trans- rience can easily turn into a gastronomic This afternoon we will visit the salt- fer to the picturesque fi shing village pilgrimage. pans. Along the coast shine piles of salt of Marzamemi and lunch in the love- In the afternoon we will transfer to and salt marshes, strewn with windmills, ly square which, unlike others with Agrigento and explore its extraordi- they turn pink. This product is the lead- Greek roots, was founded by the narily rich archeological legacy. Then we ing voice of the economy since 1300 Arabs around 1000 A.D. and to this will tour the Valley of Temples, a Unesco A.D. Today, the salt is a niche product, day evokes a Moroccan atmosphere. World Heritage site housing some of the harvested by hand. Following lunch we will transfer best preserved Ancient Greek ruins in Our fi nal visit for the day is a beau- to Noto and have free time to walk the world outside of Greece. It compris- tiful wine resort in the countryside of the streets as a native, at a leisurely es a large, sacred area with 7 monumen- Trapani, showcasing a wonderful resto- gelato-eating pace. You can explore tal temples in the Doric style construct- ration of a 17th century old farmhouse the “limestone capital” of Sicilian ed in the 5th and 6th centuries B.C. The in a natural landscape of rare beauty. Baroque architecture. best way to experience this magical place We will share dinner and overnight at We will transfer back to Siracusa is at sunset. the resort. (B,L,D) for a free night on your own. (B,L) We will then check into the Hotel della Valle (or similar) in Agrigento and have time to relax before our early dinner - and an aperitivo.(B,D) Day 7 - Sunday, September 20 In the afternoon we will transfer to This morning’s short drive will take the Palermo area for a guided tour of us to Erice, which aside from its pic- the amazing Monreale Cathedral, one turesque cobbled streets and Medie- of 9 Unesco World Heritage sites in- val castle, boasts a view of Africa and scribed as Arab-Norman. This stunning Tunisia on clear days. We will continue historical structure is a national mon- to Trapani and have free time for lunch ument of Italy.