Ciao from Stunning Sicily, Days 12 and 13! Negative! Yes, that’s good news as we completed Covid-19 tests quickly and easily the day before departure. (The U.S. requires a negative test result within 72-hours of entry.) Putting those logistics behind, we enjoyed a free morning free for shopping the boutiques of Castellammare del Golfo. A…
Stunning Sicily October 2021, Day 11
Ciao from Stunning Sicily, Day 11! Crossing to western Sicily is dramatic. The landscape changes west of Palermo. Steep and sweeping mountains rose before us along the Costa Gaia. Views of Castellammare del Golfo offered wonder (and great photo opportunities!), but so too do those from the top of Mount San Giuliano, which hosts Erice….
Stunning Sicily October 2021, Day 10
Ciao from Stunning Sicily, Day 10! After an inspirational discussion about Santa Rosalia, our emotions were conjured. The will and faith of the people of Palermo touched our hearts — especially the stories about father Puglisi and his work supporting the young minds of the city, aiming to undermine the power of the Mafia. After…
Stunning Sicily October 2021, Day 9
Ciao from Stunning Sicily, Day 9! After bidding farewell to our wonderful hosts in the Sicani mountains, we made our way to Bagheria to the fantastic Villa Palagonia. There our guide Giulia Scalia explained the curious Villa of the Monsters and its historic owner’s motivations for the mysterious statues that decorate it. The hall of…
Stunning Sicily October 2021, Days 7 and 8
Ciao from Stunning Sicily, Days 7 and 8! It’s hard to explain how essential our engagement with Sicilians is to our experience. Our time in the Sicani Mountains north of Agrigento leaves us with warmed hearts and a deeper understanding of what life is like in the center of Sicily. We’ll remember the feelings we experienced…
Stunning Sicily October 2021, Days 5 and 6
Our group had many laughs during a market tour and cooking experience with Smile and Food. Alessia is always entertaining with excellent tips, like how to peel and cut a prickly pear without getting the thorns in your fingers. That afternoon we descended three stories below the street level to the ritual Jewish baths in…
Stunning Sicily October 2021, Day 4
Ciao from Stunning Sicily, Day 4! Siracusa has one of the largest and most extensive Christian catacombs outside of Rome, and we explored the dark, damp, and mysterious underground pathways of San Giovanni’s Catacombs and San Marciano’s Crypt with our local, expert guide Lucia. After a visit to the Orsi archeological museum to see the breathtaking statue of…
Stunning Sicily October 2021, Day 3
Ciao from Stunning Sicily, Day 3! We had the clearest weather I’ve seen in a long time on Mount Etna for our volcano excursion. It was truly exceptional! My groups often ask why they have to wake up so early for their Etna excursion. Well, today proved why–the night air clears out the smog from…
Stunning Sicily October 2021, Day 2
Ciao from Stunning Sicily, Day 2! Today we made our way to the south slope of Etna, where we met Benjamin North Spencer of Etna Wine School for a comprehensive lesson about wine making in this extraordinary terroir. Inhabitants of Sicily have been making vino here since before ancient Greek times, so to spend our…
Stunning Sicily October 2021, Day 1
Ciao from Stunning Sicily, Day 1! We met up today in Taormina, where we are staying at a hip hotel with balconies perched over the Ionian Sea. The clouds parted to show us Etna’s silhouette as the sun set behind her. Then, dinner in the home of Taormina locals from Siculishh, Donatella and Gabriele, who…