Colors and flavours of Sicily

Everyone will arrive in Catania airport or train station and prepare for the transfer to a family-run resort in Linguaglossa or the surrounding area.In the afternoon, we’ll all be free to get to know the place where we’re staying and unwind.We’ll have dinner and stay overnight in the resort.

We’ll have breakfast and then travel by car to the Etna cable car station near Nicolosi, at 1,900 m above sea level. As the cable car takes us up the volcano, we’ll have the chance to admire the spectacular landscape of the Catania plain and the beautiful coast. We’ll be picked up from the station at 2,500 m by a 4×4 vehicle (with room for a maximum of 16 people) and travel further up the slopes on the volcanic sand to approximately 2,800 m above sea level, or the maximum height permitted by the authorities. We’ll be guided by a volcanologist, who’ll explain all of the geological changes caused by Etna’s numerous eruptions over the centuries and show us around our remarkable, striking surroundings. If we’re lucky, we might see one of the craters at the summit puffing or even erupting (please note that all necessary safety measures are taken during the trips).Once we get back to our starting point at the cable car station, we’ll have some free time to go shopping for souvenirs and traditional products such as honey from Zafferana Etnea and pistachios (and pistachio-based products) from Bronte.Everyone will be free to get their own lunch at the Sapienza mountain lodge, which serves everything from traditional local dishes in the restaurant to fast food. When we get back to the hotel, we’ll have some free time to relax and use the resort’s spa facilities.We’ll have dinner and stay overnight in the resort.

After breakfast, there’ll be a chance to watch or join in with the work in the resort’s vegetable garden, such as picking the vegetables, watering and maintenance. In the morning, we’ll learn how to make traditional dishes during a cooking lesson (the products will vary, depending on the season). The teachers will decide what to cook. We might find out how to make traditional maccheroni with durum wheat flour, pasta alla norma (with tomatoes and aubergines) or classic arancini (fried rice balls). Whatever they choose, we’ll get to taste the delicious end results. There’ll be some free time for everyone in the afternoon.We’ll have dinner and stay overnight in the resort.

After breakfast we’ll meet our guide and set off in a 4×4 vehicle for Piano Provenzana and the starting point for a pleasant hike along a volcanic sand path lined with silver birch trees to the Sartorius Mountains: a series of eight volcanic cones. Accompanied by our nature guide, we’ll admire a marvellous multi-coloured landscape that features black volcanic sand, emerald green woods, the blue sky and the yellow broom that thrives here. In the late morning we’ll head to the Castiglione di Sicilia area for lunch complemented by outstanding Etna wines, followed by a delightful walk through the vineyards. In the afternoon we’ll visit the Alcantara Gorges before heading back to the hotel, where we’ll have dinner and stay overnight.

After breakfast, we’ll go to a little workshop in Giardini Naxos to see a young master potter. She’ll tell us all about the art of pottery and help us to make balls of clay into everyday items such as bowls, pots and saucers. She’ll then show us how to decorate our creations with gorgeous traditional Sicilian colours such as red, yellow, green and sky blue. In the late morning, we’ll go to Taormina.At lunchtime we’ll all be free to go to one of the little restaurants on Corso Umberto and/or enjoy the famous granita with brioche, which comes in a wide range of flavours including lemon, almond, pistachio, and coffee with cream. In the afternoon we’ll be free to wander around the streets of the renowned Sicilian town and visit the ancient theatre before we head back to the hotel. We’ll have dinner and stay overnight in the resort.

We’ll have breakfast in the hotel, meet up with our guide and set off for Randazzo, which is known as the town with 100 churches. The enchanting Via degli Archi features basalt cobbled paving, pointed arches and double-lancet windows. We’ll follow it to the Greek quarter, where we’ll find the Church of San Nicolò in the square, along with a statue of the giant Pyracmon. The sculpture contains the symbols of the three historic districts of Randazzo’s old town centre (Rannazzu vecchiu): the lion of the Greek quarter, the eagle of the Latin quarter and the snake of the Lombard quarter. As we continue our walking tour, we’ll visit the Church of San Martino in the Lombard quarter and admire its bell tower, which is 41 metres tall and is considered the most beautiful construction of its kind in Sicily. We’ll then see the Basilica of Santa Maria in the Latin quarter, which dates back to 1200 and is built from volcanic rock and sandstone. There’ll be a chance to stop at the Musumeci confectioner’s to enjoy some delicious Pirandello ice cream made with almonds and lemon zest, as well as Bronte Pistachio flavour. We’ll have lunch in a restaurant that serves traditional local dishes. In the evening we’ll head back to the hotel, where we’ll have dinner and stay overnight for the last time.

After breakfast, we’ll vacate our rooms.It’ll then be time for the transfer to the airport.

End of tour.