LAUNCH OFFER - SAVE £300 PER PERSON VOYAGE TO VALLETTA From the ‘Eternal City’ to the ‘Silent City’ aboard the Variety Voyager 16th to 24th May 2016 All special offers are subject to availability. Our current booking conditions apply to all reservations and are available on request. Cover image: View over the Greek Doric Temple, Segesta, Sicily NOBLE CALEDONIA ere is a rare opportunity to visit both Ruins of the Greek temple at Selinunte Sardinia and Sicily, the Mediterranean’s Htwo largest islands combined with time to explore some of Malta’s wonders from the comfort of the private yacht, the Variety Voyager. This is not an itinerary which a large cruise ship could operate but one which is ideal for our 72-passenger vessel. All three islands feature a magnificent array of ancient ruins and attractive towns and villages which we will visit during our guided excursions whilst we have also allowed for ample time to explore independently. With comfortable temperatures and relatively crowd free sites, May is the perfect time to discover these islands and in addition we have the added benefit of excellent local THE ITINERARY Day 1 London to Rome, Italy. ITALY guides along the way and a knowledgeable Fly by scheduled flight. Arrive Q this afternoon and transfer to the onboard guest speaker who will bring to life Isla Maddalena Rome Olbia• • Variety Voyager in Civitavecchia. • •Civitavecchia Enjoy a welcome drink and dinner all we see. SARDINIA as we sail this evening to Sardinia. TYRRHENIAN SEA Cagliari• Day 2 Isla Maddalena & Olbia, Piazza • Armerina Sardinia. In 1789 Napoleon, then Mazara del • Vallo SICILY a young artillery commander was •Gela thwarted in his attempt to take GOZOQ • •Valletta the Maddalena archipelago by MALTA local Sardinian forces and in 1803 Lord Nelson arrived. The superb MEDITERRANEAN SEA anchorage at La Maddalena was used by Nelson to shelter his fleet during the long blockade of Toulon terraced Piazza del Palazzo and from 1803 to 1805. In recognition of the 14th century Cathedral of St the kindness shown by the islanders Cecila. Alternatively travel inland Nelson gave some silver candle to Serdiana where we enjoy a wine holders and a crucifix which can still tasting at one of the local vineyards be seen today in the church. From accompanied by Sardinian bread, our berth in Olbia we shall travel to meats and cheeses. Return to La Maddalena by local boats from the ship for lunch and a relaxing the port of Palau and spend the afternoon at sea as we sail to Sicily. morning exploring this pretty island well off the beaten tourist track. Day 4 Trapani, Sicily. Trapani was the Valletta skyline, Malta The afternoon will be at leisure to landing point for Peter of Aragon in explore Olbia, a fetching city with 1282 to start the Spanish occupation Turquoise waters around Isla Maddalena a historic centre full of boutiques, of Sicily and is our base for a day wine bars and cafe-rimmed piazzas. of exploration today. We will travel inland to Segesta which was one Day 3 Cagliari, Sardinia. This of the most important towns of morning enjoy a walking tour of western Sicily and one of the islands Cagliari, an ancient city which most magical ancient sites. Here dates back to the Phoenicians and we can see one of the grandest Romans. Rome left its mark in the Doric monuments to survive, the grandiose Amphitheatre, with its unfinished temple dating from 424 auditorium hewn out of the rock, B.C. which sits atop a hill from where Pisa left the splendid 13th century you can enjoy excellent views of the Elephant Tower and the Tower of countryside and distant coastline. San Pancrazio. The Aragonese and We will continue to the nearby town the Spaniards gave the town its of Erice, famed in antiquity for its walls, ramparts and fine buildings. temple dedicated to the goddess Enjoy a stroll around the old town of love, the Phoenician Astarte, with its narrow streets running Greek Aphrodite or Roman Venus. along a steep hillside. See the Our guided tour will take us to this www.noble-caledonia.co.uk Old Sicilian church of Piazza Armerina Picturesque Mgarr harbour, Gozo The ‘Silent City’ of Mdina, Malta Mosiac from the Roman villa of Casale stunning site high above the sea Medieval centre of Piazza Armerina streets of this small picturesque St. John and the floor is inlaid with and to the beautifully preserved with its Aragonese Castle and city. You may choose to visit the the glittering tombs of 400 Knights. Medieval town. the Romanesque Church of Sant’ citadel with bastions which date Chapels round the sides belong to Andrea. Our return drive to Gela from the 17th century or see the the different ‘tongues’ of the Order, Day 5 Mazara del Vallo. Founded takes us through the province of lavish St George’s Basilica and Gozo and in the oratory is Caravaggio’s in the 9th century BC by the Caltanissetta, recognised today Cathedral, dedicated to Our Lady intensely moving picture, ‘The Phoenicians, Mazara del Vallo as one of the best wine making of the Assumption. Alternatively Beheading of St. John. Return was used as a strategic location regions in Italy thanks above all enjoy time in the local market as the to the vessel for lunch and this for their trans-Mediterranean to its production of high quality, island is renowned for its woollen afternoon you can choose to either trading interests. Mazara soon prestigious red wines including goods and hand-made lace. relax onboard, return to Valletta became part of Magna Graecia, Nero D’Avola. We will break our or join a tour to Mdina. Originally, when it served as a port for the journey at one of these vineyards Day 8 Valletta. Awake this morning this city, was given the name of nearby city of Selinunte and by and enjoy a chance to sample some in the grand harbour of Valletta, “Citta Nobile” and now known as the 9th century was the island’s wine over a Sicilian lunch. Return the 16th century ‘Fortress City’ the “Silent City” at the heart of second city behind Palermo. It to the Variety Voyager in the late built by the knights of St John. the island. Mdina is Phoenician in is the impressive remains of the afternoon and sail tonight. Our morning tour will include origin and was the fortified capital ancient city of Selinunte which is the highlights of Valletta with its of the island, before the arrival of our destination this morning. Once stunning views across the harbour the Knights. Within its powerful one of the most eminent cities of from the Barakka Gardens. We will encircling walls, the city towers on a Magna Graecia it was ransacked by explore Merchants Street containing steep hill in the centre of the island the Carthaginians, led by Hannibal, the surviving auberges built by the and it is where for centuries the who sent 100,000 soldiers to attack Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, Maltese noble families have resided in 409BC, massacring thousands of together with the palace where and still do so today. the inhabitants with the remainder Napoleon Bonaparte is believed being taken into slavery. The city to have stayed in 1798. Our final Day 9 Malta to London. Disembark was destroyed and forgotten until Fishing boats, Malta stop will be at St John’s Cathedral. this morning and transfer to the 1823 when excavations began. The barrel vault of the cathedral is airport for our scheduled flight to Situated on a high plain overlooking Day 7 Gozo, Malta. Arrive this painted with scenes from the life of London. the sea it is a lovely place to walk morning at the Maltese island of and our guided tour will explore the Gozo, thought to be the Calypso acropolis, the eastern temples and Isles of Homer’s Odyssey and a PRICES PER PERSON the ancient city. Return to the vessel lovely place to spend a day. On Based on double occupancy for lunch and this afternoon is free a morning drive we will visit the to explore Mazara del Vallo at Ggantija Temples in Xaghra. Dating LAUNCH OFFER – SAVE £300 PER PERSON FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY leisure, maybe visit the Museo del back to 3,600 BC, the temples, Satiro, the Piazza della Republicca which are now recognised as a Cat Deck Brochure Price Launch Offer Price or explore the historic Casbah, a World Heritage Site, are one of the C Marina £3995 £3695 multicultural maze of narrow streets. most significant archaeological finds B Marina/Riviera £4295 £3995 in Malta. Continue to Our Lady of A Riviera £4695 £4395 Day 6 Piazza Armerina. From Victories Church, one of the most P Horizons £4995 £4695 the port of Gela we travel inland richly embellished places of worship OS Horizons £5295 £4995 to what is regarded as the finest on the island which was elevated to C Marina for sole use £4995 £4695 Roman site on Sicily, the Imperial the rank of a minor Basilica in 1967. B Marina/Riviera for sole use £5295 £4995 Roman Villa of Casale, which is We return to the ship for lunch and Economy class scheduled air travel, eight nights aboard the located close to Piazza Armerina the afternoon is free to explore at Price Includes: Variety Voyager on a full board basis, house wine with lunch and dinner onboard, amidst wooded rolling countryside. your own pace. Shuttle buses will shore excursions, services of a cruise director, gratuities to crew and whilst on This huge villa was built in the 3rd run to the capital of Victoria where excursions, guest speaker, transfers, port taxes, airport taxes.