HIGHLIGHT

- 7 nights in central Hotels with Private baths & Daily breakfast

- Welcome dinner in a Sicilian Seafood Specialties Restaurant
- Wine & Cheese Tasting (Farewell Dinner)
- Cooking Class
- Private Transportation from Hotel to the Venues
- Licensed Local Tour Guides to All Cities & Sites

- Professional Bilingual, native of Italy Tour Director, myself, Elsa Gramola

ITINERARY

Arrive in CATANIA. On a XIX century ancient palace's background, rise the hotel where we will stay. This luxury 3 star hotel is the most central in the city, situated on the Catania's prestigious "Via Etnea", which is conveniently located for all the city's sights and shops. Just outside the hotel, you are plunged into Catania society life, in a seventeenth century baroque setting.

TAORMINA is a region that is rich in natural beauty and scenic beaches, especially Isola Bella that means "the beautiful  island”. Visit also of the Roman-Greek theater and enjoy stunning spectacular panoramic views of this breathtaking beautiful coastline, juxtaposed by Mount Etna's dramatic presence in the background.

CALTAGIRONE. The city has been long famous for the production of pottery and terra-cotta wares. The main landmark of the city is the 142-step monumental Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte church, built from 1608 in the old part of the town. The peculiarity is that each step is decorated with different hand-decorated ceramics, using styles and figures derived from the millennial tradition of pottery making.

SIRACUSA. Visit of The Greek Theatre. With a diameter of 138 meters, it is the largest in Sicily and one of the greatest surviving theaters of antiquity. It can provide accommodation of up to 15,000 people. 238 and 215 B.C. Roman Amphitheatre. The origin of this work range between the 2nd and 4th century A.D. The external diameters are 140 meters and 119 meters, and is surpassed only by the Colosseum in Rome and the Arena of Verona. Ear of Dionysius. This name was given to a funnel-shaped cleft of rock. Every sound is greatly magnified which could have allowed Dionysius I to take advantage of it to listen in on the prisoners' conversations - is a figment of the imagination!

Spend a day around the barocco streets of CATANIA. We will visit the city fish market. On New Year's evening we will enjoy the ’Cenone di Capodanno' [big & long dinner], dancing all night long and waiting the first 2006 sunrise, watching the sun coming out from the exotic Mediterranean ocean!!, while having for breakfast "espresso & cornetto"!!!

Sicilian wine & cheese tasting at my parents place.

Shopping day.

Return to Austin.