Carmela’s Sicily  

Welcome to the gateway to this magical city of Palermo Sicily, we are so delighted to announce the partnering of three companies that cater for ultimate travel experiences: Carmelas Cucina, Visit Palermo, and Sorrento Travel & Cruise. Together we have created this ultimate experience for you to savour, enjoy and treasure. It is a trip of a lifetime with a limited group of 10 people. The city of Palermo is over 2,700 years old and is noted for its history, culture, architecture, and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout. Palermo is located in the northwest of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Phoenicians, the Greeks named the city Panormus meaning `complete port’, founded the city in 734. From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule during the Emirate of Sicily when the city first became a capital. Palermo is rich in history, culture, art, music and food. Many tourists are attracted to this city because of the climate, it known for the Mediterranean weather. The Romanesque, gothic and Baroque churches, palaces and buildings, Palermo was one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean and is now amoung the top tourist destinations in both Italy and Europe. Roman Catholicism is highly important part of the palermitano culture; the patron Saint of Palermo is Santa Rosalia. Day 1 Tuesday 03rd October: Transfers from Palermo airport to hotel by local driver (From airport to hotel approximately 40 minutes.) Hotel Quinto Canto – it is a beautiful quaint hotel in the historical part of Palermo situated in the four corners Quattro Canti (Piazza Vigliena, built as part of the urban planning and reorganisation which took place during the first decades of Spanish domination. The square is formed by the crossing of the two main city centre streets, Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda which meet at right angles creating four distinct quarters architecturally decorative and elegant Baroque style, designed by Giuseppe Lasso in 1609. The piazza has octagonal four sides being the streets; the remaining four sides are Baroque buildings, which contain fountains with statues of the four seasons, the four Spanish kings of Sicily and of the patronesses of Palermo. Christina, Ninfa, Olivia and Agata. It truly is an honour to be in this

historical part of Palermo to start our tour as you can feel the essence of heritage, culture and history. The site of this hotel is an amazing part of the history of Palermo; our main aim is for you to experience the history and culture, from the start of your journey with me.

Dinner with Sara Cappello. An absolute highlight! I wanted this to be our first experience as it is a lovely introduction to this city of Culture. Sara Cappello, is a Sicilian folk singer, and storyteller. She will entice us the history and stories of Palermo/Sicily, and we will share an amazing Palermitano dinner. www.saracappello.com

Day 2 Wednesday 4th October: Breakfast/lunch/dinner are included Today we start this tour and visit the streets of Palermo, her markets and the core of her; we will see some of her highlights like art, churches and mostly her delicious street food. http://www.streatpalermo.it/en Street tour of the local markets, this is a great time to buy souvenirs and enjoy the local produce, lunch in the mercatos (markets). Walk back to hotel and enjoy afternoon at your own leisure

Dinner in a local restaurant at and a stroll after dinner around our hotel, to digest, anyone wanting to sit outside in the courtyard and have a night time apperitivo and enjoy the evening all welcome, to sit around and have a chat and enjoy the ambience. Day 3 Thursday 5th October: Breakfast/lunch/dinner are included Today we will visit the wonderful vineyard of Cantine di Giovanna in Sambucca it is in the Province of Palermo. Our private tour bus driver will take us up there and together we will enjoy this wonderful vineyard and taste their local produce. Drive to Vineyard Cantine Di Giovanna in Sambucca di Sicilia. Enjoy lunch and wine tasting here and then drive back to hotel. Cantine di Giovanna is a small family run winery, friendly atmosphere, cosy, situated in a natural reserve, (riserva Monte San Genuardo,) the landscape is beautiful, and the day is filled with local produce and wine. Enjoy Aperitivos and have a dinner together in a local restaurant.

Depending on the weather and subject to change we will either have dinner in this region or return and spend the evening in the city. Day 4 Friday 6th October: Early Breakfast/lunch/dinner are included Today is a day to experience the delights of the local island Favigiana, and the fishing with the locals, the experience is one to savour, enjoy, and communicate with the coast of Trapani. Favignana is just off the coast of Trapani and excellent day trip around 20 minutes crossing where we will take the Hydrofoil across from Marsala, the island of Favignana is famous for its tuna fisheries and is now a very popular tourist destination, in the ancient times it was called Aegusa, meaning `goat island’ in Greek. The present name is derived from Faonio, an Italian name for the foehn wind. It is a beautiful Mediterranean island, the air is filled with perfumes, colours and traditions, the island is mostly flat with beautiful landscapes, the sea is blue and crystal clear, the climate is generally mild, the sea offers us its bounty of red lobsters, octopus and innumerable varieties of fish, it is an experience not to miss. Favignana Boat Tour The tour is around the island of Favignana, its focus is on a lovely fishing trip, and then cooking what we have caught. This is a real fishing experience and eating km zero. Food and wine included. What we catch for the day we eat. 10.am to 4pm focus on local fishing. Drive back with local driver Light dinner in a local restaurant.

Day 5 Saturday 7th October: Breakfast/dinner included www.teatromassimo.it Free day of shopping, nails, massage, and hair. For the men I have organised a golf day in the local golf course. (Villa Airoldi, this is a beautiful villa built in the 700’s and located in the Palermo city centre, just let me know and we can organise a driver). Lunch to our tasting, depending on where we are and what is we are doing for the day. (The Teatro Massimo is one of the largest and most prestigious theatres in Europe, the Teatro Massimo is most renowned for its opera performances. Designed by Giovan Battista Basile, work was begun in 1875 and completed by his son Ernesto in 1897. In order to provide a suitable setting for the new theatre, many Baroque buildings in the area were demolished to create the present day Piazza Giuseppe Verdi. The theatre is majestic with a surface area of almost 8,000 square metres and a magnificent neoclassic façade. A wide stairway flanked by two bronze lions bearing the figures of Tragedy and Opera lead to the pronaos with six columns supporting a large pediment.) This is to be confirmed as soon as we know the program of teatro Massimo for 2017!!! Dinner in a local restaurant close by to the Teatro. Once we get the times, we will be able to rearrange where we will be eating.

Day 6 Sunday 8th October: Breakfast/lunch/dinner are included Tour guide/driver Tour of Marsala www.ccantinepellegrino.it Day trip to Marsala Vineyard/Pellegrino, Marsala wine tasting, where we get to taste the 3 local Marsala (Marsala is a dark fortified dessert wine that resembles sherry, produced in Sicily) where we will do a tour of their cellars, this place is in the city centre of Marsala. Tour to the city and stop on the coast, where the salt mills and the archaeological site island of Mothia are. Visit to Mothia Island depending on time? Mothia was an ancient and powerful city on an island off the west coast of Sicily between Trapani and Marsala. (Weather permitting, could be changed around with other days) Drive back to Palermo Depending on time we can have an evening meal on the way and retire in our rooms for the evening. Day 7 Monday 9th October: Breakfast/lunch/dinner included Morning tour of Monte Pellegrino, Mondello and Monreale with tour guide Monte Pellegrino is a hill facing east on the bay of Palermo, it is 1970 feet height with the panorama views of the city, it surrounding mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea. The mountain home to the patron Saint Rosalia

Mondello is small seaside resort from the centre of Palermo. An attraction for locals and tourists all over the world, the coastline is long and curving, made of soft pale sand sloping very gently into the turquoise sea. Monreale is a town in the province of Palermo, on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the very fertile valley called `Conca d’oro’ (the Golden Shell) famed for its orange, olive and almond trees, the cathedral of Monreale is one of the greatest examples of Norman architecture in the world, the church is a national monument of Italy and one of the most important attractions of Sicily, the archiepiscopal palace and monastic buildings on the south. This evening we will be eating in a real life palazzo together we will experience what it feels like to eat and savour the wonderful scenery that this beautiful palazzo has, enjoy the wines and local produce. Be served like royalty and savour each moment. http://villatasca.com/it/villa-palermo/

Day 8 Tuesday 10th October: Breakfast/brunch/lunch/aperitivos/dinner Driver Street tour of the local art Local bakery Panificio Ingrassia Via Dante42, Palermo This is a local family run bakery where we will savour the sweet tastes of Palermo getting to taste some of the local treats and cakes and enjoy the story of this wonderful family run business.

Drive up to the beautiful Castellammare Del Golfo, and enjoy the evening in a local restaurant. Dinner and aperitivo in Castellammare then drive back to Palermo Castellammare del Golfo, is a town in the province of Trapani, the name is translated is Sea Fortress on the Gulf, stemming from the medieval fortress in the harbour, the nearby body of water conversely takes its name from the town. The Arabs occupied it in 827 AD and called it `Al Madarig’ which means `The Steps’ it was the Arabs who first built the castle fortress and later the Normans enlarged it. This small town is noted for having been the birthplace of many American mafia figures. In the past 20 years it has become an important tourist location. Get ready for early departure for Castelbuono Day 9 Wednesday 11th October: Breakfast/lunch/dinner Early morning leave for Castlebuono Castelbuono, (good castle) is derived from the original name Castello del buon aere (Castle of good air) the construction of the castle began in 1316 over the ruins of the ancient Byzantine town of Ypsigro, high on the San Pietro hill, the castle features with Arab-Norman, it is a town in the province of Palermo, it is a beautiful town, built around the castle,

the people are friendly and the atmosphere of the town is one to experience.

Tourguide/driver Hotel (Paradiso delle Madonie, Via Dante Alighieri, 82) Tour in Cefalu’ 4 hours with local tour guide, discovering the amazing fishing town of Cefalu’. Food and drinks included. Cefalu’ is a city in the Province of Palermo, located on the northern coast of Sicily, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 70 kilometres east of the capital. The town with its population is just under 14,000 is one of the major tourist attractions in the region. Here you will see the influence of the Greeks, Normans, Arabs, and Byzantine. Cefalu’ became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Dinner in a local restaurant with local produce, where we will be experiencing the majesty of this amazing region. Overnight stay in Castelbuono.

Day 10 Thursday 12th October: Breakfast/lunch/dinner Petralia Tourguide/driver www.natureexplorersicily.org www.pianofarina.it The Madonie (Madonna) are one of the principal mountain ranges in Sicily located in the south-western Italy, the range is located in the province of Palermo, it is part of the Sicilian extension of the Apennine Mountains system that runs along the Italian Peninsula. 1979 meters about 6000 feet, the highest point in Sicily, the range includes the next highest elevation mountain summits of Sicily after Mount Etna. The mountains were safeguarded in 1989 by the formation of the Madonie Regional Natural Park. The Madonie has its own cuisine, and a typically rural lifestyle. It is a local favourite area for hiking; at the piano Battaglia resort there is skiing for a few weeks in January and February. Our local tour guide Laetitia Bourget, who will personally be our tour guide and take us around Castelbuono, and then visit the local shepherd Giacinto and his family have been shepherds for over 5 generations. It truly is an amazing experience that we will get to share with him, sharing his knowledge with us, and we will get to make ricotta and cheeses, and enjoying the rustic mountains of Piano Farina Giacinto, together with his colleagues they will cook lunch for us, and we get to eat in his rustic cabin. Bring jacket hat and warm clothing. Wine/Cheese/Bread/sausages/more. www.fiasconaro.com.it Visit the local panettone of Fiasconaro renowned all over the world for the panettone local family run business. Evening and dinner and overnight stay in Castelbuono

The local produce in this area is more rustic and rural because of the climate it is one not to miss you will not be disappointed! Day 11 Friday 13th October: Leave for Palermo airport transfers.