Welcome to our Sicilian Pleasures tour diary, giving you a little taste of what we have been enjoying.

April 5

Day 1 of the Sicilian Pleasures tour.

This brand new itinerary is shining like a diamond, doing so many things that show a different side to Sicily.

We started our day at our country hotel/resort on the slopes of Etna. Our first task was to go up as high as possible on Etna without an exhaustive hike, so after a bus ride, a cable car, and a 4×4 jeep, we arrived at the base of a steaming crater. It was breathtaking (figuratively and literally).

We wound our way down from the mountain to the beautiful wine region on the north face of Etna and had a wine tasting lunch at Cavanera Etnea Firriato Hospitality whose wines have always been a favorite of mine. I can honestly say it was some of the best food I’ve had at a wine tasting.

In the evening, we returned to our hotel and some of us spent time chatting in the bar and admiring the mad skills of the bartender who put actual smoke into my Negroni. What a day!

You know, you can do these things too! Check out our upcoming Sicilian Pleasures tour details here.

April 6

Today, on the Sicilian Pleasures tour, we debate the immortal question, if it ain’t Baroque….?

Departing from our Etna hotel, we headed to Noto, the capital of Sicilian Baroque architecture and an early example of urban planning in Europe. After a little architectural walking tour, we had time to grab a bite, in my case it was time for granita at Cafe Sicilia.

Later, we headed for the chocolate capital of Italy, Modica, where we saw a demonstration on chocolate making and got to sample some unusual chocolate treats. Finally, we arrived at tonight’s home base, the ancient hill town of Ragusa Ibla, another Baroque gem in southeast Sicily.

April 7

Not much to report today, other than that we are living the theme of this itinerary, Sicilian Pleasures. We enjoyed a cooking demo and lazy lunch at Baglio Occhipinti on a beautiful spring day. They made us schiaccia, stuffed local focaccia. Food is love here in Sicily, and being in a hurry is a crime. Our day was La Dolce Vita at its finest.

Running my own tour company is an indescribable delight. Watching my ideas come to life is a thrill, but more than that, I cannot overstate how fantastic my guests are. Hours at the table fly by and we laugh until our sides hurt. I don’t know what kind of voodoo we’ve created, but everyone magically gets along like matches and gasoline. It’s a beautiful privilege.

April 9

Day 6 of Sicilian Pleasures took us to explore the far west of Sicily. We started our day at Cantine Florio, the most historic producer of Marsala wine. We sampled different varieties and got a fun tour of the property.

After, we toured the salt flats and walked along the pans to learn about the ancient way of salt production.

We headed to Trapani for a quick bite for lunch, and got to see the preparations for the Good Friday procession that the town is famous for.

Back at our country hotel, we had a lovely dinner together. Another day in paradise.

April 10

Day 7 of Sicilian Pleasures took us up to Erice, a medieval fairy village with its own weather system.

After a mass and a stroll, we had a wonderful lunch prepared by pastry legend Maria Grammatico.

Our afternoon was spent exploring Segesta, a Greek theater and “genuine fake” temple.

Tonight we are in the fishing village of Cefalù, which is fairly lively on this chilly but beautiful Sunday. Buona Domenica delle Palme a tutti!

April 14

Last Days

We finished up our fabulous tour, Sicilian Pleasures, with a lazy day in Cefalù. I sat in front of the Duomo and thought about the many days I’ve spent there. It’s a beautiful place and I hadn’t been for quite some time. My guests shopped, dipped their toes in the water, had granita and savored the last bits of “dolce far niente” by the sea.

We went out to dinner at a nature preserve in the Madonnie mountains above the city, with views over all of the Aeolian Islands. Maybe next time, I’ll offer an extension out to see those islands and their active volcanoes.

For now, it’s time to go home. I’ve got a couple of weeks to recharge and change gears for an exciting spot of adventure in May.

If my Sicilian tours sounded fun to you, take a look at our upcoming itineraries to see what we can do for your next adventure.