Sicily
is unbelievably rich in beauty, in history, in arts, in culture. Walk
among the greatest Greek ruins anywhere, see incomparable Roman and
Norman mosaics; explore remote hilltop villages and spectacular
landscapes; visit sites of Mafia and anti-Mafia activities; climb
smoking, fuming Etna (if she lets us). Siracusa, Agrigento, Taormina,
Palermo, Monreale, Piazza Armerina, Marsala, Erice, Segesta, we touch every
corner of the island. Enjoy a Sicilian cooking class, traditional
cheese and pastry-making demonstrations, winery visits, wine tastings,
and some of the best restaurants in Sicily.
The price is in euros because that is how we have to calculate it. What that means to you in your own currency varies with the exchange rate, which is always in flux. When ready to pay, you just ask your bank to transfer the euro amount, and they will calculate the dollar or sterling rate for that day. Also, the price assumes double occupancy; if you want a private room, see our "Single Supplement" section on the "Costs" page.
upcoming TOUR DATES:
2013: June 12~22, July 09~19, Aug 13~23, Sept 18~28 [FULL] , Oct 19~29, Nov 06~16
2014: March 13~23, April 24~May 4 (see also "Easter Festivals of Sicily" tour), May 16~26, June 12~22, July 10~20, August (if you're tough enough, ask us), September 12~22, October 2~12, November 6~16.
Tours will run if at least 6 people sign up. Tours fill at about 12~14, so additional tours may run in any month when there is enough demand. Check with us.
No
one does Easter week with the same spectacle and deep feeling of
Sicilians. This is Catholicism with all the splendor of the
Resurrection with more than a splash of pagan devilment. We will go
across Sicily, from festival to festival, discovering regional festival
foods, and seeing the major tourist sites along the way.
Sicilian Cooking classes, wineries, cheese farms, & history
Our cooking class creations, at home with Alessia
Sicilian cuisine melds the flavors of at least ten
passing civilisations. Most of them never visited Tuscany, and those who
know Tuscany cooking and think they know Italian food are seriously
mistaken. Here, there is an echo of Greek, a taste of the Arab, and a
strong dash of Spanish. Come for the best of fresh fish and an amazing
variety of maritime edibles. The fresh ricotta and cherry tomatoes of
Sicily cannot be matched. These, plus eggplant, capers, oranges and
lemons, almonds, pistachios, etc. appear in even in sauces for pasta.
Then there are desserts, such as "cannoli" and cassata cake (in the
photo). Flavors are strong and rich. Cooking classes. Lucia knows some
of the best local chefs. We will have hands-on Sicilian cooking
workshops in their restaurant kitchens and in their homes. We will visit
the farms where they make cheese and olive oil, kitchens of
pastry-makers, wineries, and an outdoor museum of traditional farming
tools and techniques.
and this is Alessia herself in her kitchen with the cannoli we made For more about her, see her own website
Sometmes we will let the master chef do the work for us. Stephen will take you
on a gastronomic exploration, for he is the man with a love for best
cuisine and a quarter century devoted to finding out-of-the-way gems.
We will dine at Michelin-starred restaurants in Palermo and Ragusa. And where possible, we will seek out places that are part of the Slow Food movement, for Sicily is also going local and organic, with
many farmhouse B & Bs (agriturismo) offering traditional cooking in
the freshest and most natural way.
TUNISIA -- Arabs and Romans, the Sahel, and the Desert.
11 days
Tunisia is where the Arab world is most Western, most in touch with Europe and has been so since Roman times. The coast is ringed with resorts and magnificent beaches, but the souk in Tunis, is as mysterious and fascinating as any in the Arab world. We will pass by the coastal resorts, instead plunging into the wonder, the unusual: the souk in Tunis, Roman ruins rising from dusty plains, the ancient holy city of Kairouan, home of fabulous weaving, the mysterious underground dwellings of Matamata, and the Sahara itself, at the edge of oceans of sand.
And now, Tunisia is beginning and still-bright star of the "Arab Spring". Here we can see how a population--better educated, more liberal, less riven with internal division--will bring about a more just society peacefully, as an example to the other Arab nations.
We will be traveling and living modestly, seeking Tunisian food and quality, but not fancy, 3~4 star accommodations.
Douglas
Kenning is a university teacher, actor, classical scholar, a hiker, and president of Sicily Tour has lived in Tunisia, deep in the heart of the country.
In addition, we will be sponsored and hosted by TunisUSA, a Condè Nast-awarded company who are specialists in educated travel in Tunisia.
This is the heart of it all, the great cradle of Western faith and a great fault line between West and East. Jerusalem. Etched in pain and struggle, where the stones speak with more passion over more centuries than any place in the world. Jerusalem. You need say little else.
The Old City:. We will spend our initial days in the Old City, walking the streets, visiting the greatest of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sites, becoming at home there, in the narrow lanes, getting to know the shop keepers. One day for orientation and rest, one day each for the Jewish, Christian, and Arab quarters. Then we will take to the roads for a day trip to Bethlehem and Hebron. A further day will take us to the Jewish Museum and Vad Yashem, the Holocaust Museum. Then we will return to the Old City, for you to explore on your own for a day day,
Stories of Jerusalem:
We will travel across 3000 years of the most intense place on earth, a great
cauldron of stories at the heart of the faith of half of humanity, a city that
lives its history on its sleeve. We will visit sites & hear stories of
David & Solomon, of the millennium of Hebrew rule, of the city known to
Jesus, the Romans, the Arabs, the Ottomans, & of modern Israel.
Culture:
We will come also to experience something of the living presence of three great
faiths, their foods, costumes, markets, music, holy sites, & processions,
while settling in & becoming at home in Jerusalem (8 nights).
Israel:
While we are based in Jerusalem, we’ll take day trips to Bethlehem, Hebron,
& the Dead Sea, before hitting the road to Masada (1 night), the Negev,
Jaffa (1 night), the Roman capital of Caesarea Marittima, Haifa, Tiberias on
the Sea of Galilee (2 nights in a kibbutz), & the Golan Heights.
The
experience of Jerusalem is unique and benefits from true immersion. We
will stay in simple accommodation in the Old City. It will be clean,
quiet, friendly, and about a three-star standard.
Douglas Kenning , actor, scholar of history, a hiker, and guide.
He has lived in Jerusalem and gives lecture series at US universities on the history of Jerusalem.
Dates: Next scheduled tour will likely be in November, 2014. However, if you want to arrange one earlier for yourself or your group, contact us and we'll see if we can make it work.
These
two cities defined the urban life of the Roman Empire. Rome, the huge
metropolis, the father of our sense of what it means to be civilized
and urban. Rome, the incomparable, the Eternal. And Naples, where the city life of the Roman Empire is displayed more clearly than anywhere else (Pompeii and
Hercularneum) and where we find the greatest archaeological museum in the world and the greatest pizza in the world, in the most vibrant city in Italy.
Douglas Kenning is a university teacher, actor,
classical scholar, and guide. He lives in Sicily, has given tours of Naples, and has been the
official guide to Rome for university student programs.
Stephen Davies knows historical Rome and Naples nearly as well, and is even better versed in the best restaurants and hidden wonders far from the tourist throng.
All Italians know that Napoli preserves Christmas at its most traditional. In the narrow bustling streets of Spaccanapoli can be found the finest hand-crafted ornaments, creches, nativity scenes, as well a special holiday foods that make the whole experience a riot of sensation.
We will spend the week between Christmas and the New
Year visiting Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, the Greek
temples of Paestum, Naples' remarkable catacombs, and the priceless
National Archaeological Museum.
And every Italian also knows that Napoli is where to be on New Year's. The
celebration in Piazza Plebiscito in Napoli is the most splendid and
raucous in Italy. All Italy will be watching on TV, and we will be there.
11 days Dates: Mon, 23 Dec 2012 ~ Thurs, 02 Jan 2013
Immerse yourself (including your fingers) into the wonderful foods of Florence and Sicily.
VIVA
!, the Italian Culinary Institute, joins the Apicus Cooking School of
Florence and us, Sicily Tour, to offer this special two-week
extravaganza of cooking classes, winery visits, and the finest
restaurants of Florence and Sicily.
This luxury tour will be led by Douglas Kenning of Sicily Tour.
10 Days (day before Palm Sunday to Easter Monday)
and this is Alessia herself
11 days
We will be traveling and living modestly, seeking Tunisian food and quality, but not fancy, 3~4 star accommodations.
