Cooking, Wine & Volcanoes
in
Sicily's Mount Etna
and Island of Stromboli
with incredibly warm, fun loving, local people
Cooking Tour Itinerary
Happy cooks after seafood cooking class at Nino's (in blue) restaurant.
Day 1
Arrive in Catania airport. Private transport to the modern, four star Hotel Capo dei Greci, about 12 km from Taormina, set high above the sea with a wonderful sea views.
Drive to a hill town, Forza d'Agro, where the movie, The Godfather was partly shot, to enjoy our welcome dinner at a lively and very good seafood restaurant where the plates just keep coming and coming. (included)
Day 2
Leave Hotel Capo dei Greci at about 6:00 a.m. to catch the 8:30 boat in Milazzo to get to the island of Stromboli by lunch time. Three hour boat trip among the Aeolian Islands off the north east coast of Sicily. Stromboli is the last island and has an active volcano.
It is small and incredibly beautiful and picturesque with black sand, white buildings with hidden courtyards in a style like southern Spain or north Africa and gardens full of flowers. The hills are green, black and gold falling to crystal clear blue sea.
Check into 3 star Hotel Villaggio Stromboli right on the beach.
Light lunch on your own in Stromboli (not included). Free time to walk and explore.
4:00 Full menu cooking class on simple island plates with Chef Bartolo or Maria, the mother of the family owners at B & B Villa Petrusa, a pretty, down to earth property surrounded by gardens.
7:30 Dinner of your creations.
Day 3
Two hour excursion around the island with one hour stop to walk in hamlet of Ginostra with 27 residents. They got electricity only two years ago. Boat takes you close to the Sciara del Fuoco, the hillside where the volcanic fire and rocks run down from the crater to the sea. Very interesting and scenic!
OR if you wish
Free time in the morning in Stromboli to go to the beach, shop, or just hang out in the piazza high up with a view of the harbour and neighbourhoods. You may also want to visit the studio of a local artist who paints enchanting naif style Stromboli landscapes and still lifes.
Lunch on your own (not included).
4:00 or so. Start climb up Stromboli first in the light and then in the dark with lights to see the volcano spouting his fire into the sky. You can choose one of three hikes or you can go up later to the restaurant in a taxi.
Choice One is a challenging hike up a 45 degree hill to the craters to the top at 900 metres and then down in the dark with your lights in loose volcanic sand and rock. You get back to town at about 10:00 for a pizza or dinner. Someone who did it told me it was hard work but well worth it.
Choice Two is a much softer 90 minute walk along the mountain side in the day light with steps up and down about 1/2 the time. We did this walk. Lovely views of the white town, black beaches and the blue sea far below and some views of the volcano far up. In May you walk through grasslands in gold and green, with lots of pink wild roses and yellow broom in bloom. Beautiful!
We walk down to a restaurant and eat dinner outside on their patio with a perfect view of the volcano and the sea below. At sunset time, watch the sky turn pink and orange over the blue sea. When it gets dark, marvel at volcano's fireworks, the colourful fire it spurts high into the air. A spectacular experience! We walk 30 minutes down a stone road in the dark using our flash lights and through the town which has no lights to our B & B.
Choice Three is to walk up the stone road in day light for about an hour up to the restaurant and walk back to town after dinner on the same road in the dark with flashlights or you can take a taxi up and/or down to the same restaurant.
Dinner at the restaurant on the patio not included.
Day 4
Leave Stromboli on the boat for nearby island of Salina. Drive to Hauner winery, famous for Malvasia for visit and tasting. Driving tour around the Salina and lunch in a local restaurant (lunch not included).
Take the boat from Salina back to Sicily mainland. Private transport in minivan to your modern lovely, 3 star villa hotel, Hotel Villa Schuler in Taormina, set on the hillside with a spectacular view of Mount Etna and the sea. It has gardens full of flowers, a scenic terrace and about 30 rooms, which are modern but tastefully furnished.
Dinner at a restaurant in Giardini Naxos on the sea with great seafood, sea views and a lively atmosphere. (included)
Day 5
Visit Taormina including Greek theatre with an entertaining, informative local guide and story teller for about 1 1/2hours. Free time for shopping.
Lunch on your own (not included) perhaps at a nice wine bar near Villa Schuler.
3:00 p.m. Drive to seaside town near Taormina to a restaurant at the beach that specializes in seafood for a full menu cooking class on seafood and fish like marinated seafood appetizers, risotto di pesce, involtini of swordfish.
Walk on the beach after the class and dinner of your creations with good local wines. Music and dancing too!
Day 6
Walk/hike on the north side of Mount Etna. The walk/hike we do depends on how long and how difficult a hike you'd like. There are options for all levels of walking.
Light lunch of cheeses, olives, salamis and a variety of antipasti at a cosy mountain restaurant with rustic wood panelling and a fireplace. (included)
Visit a winery for a tour and tasting of their Etna wines.
Drive to Etna foot hills town of Linguaglossa (pop. 5000) to see a local town, visit with our tour partner, Lara who tells you about the 2002 eruption and her family's experiences
Optional if time: sample local almond pastries at a pasticceria. (not included)
4:00 p.m. Full menu cooking class on mountain cuisine with the effervescent, very hospitable and informative Signor Pippo and Chef Gaetano at their nicely restored restaurant on a hillside in the Etna area. Sample dishes: peperonata, breaded mushrooms, pasta alla Norma, involtini (rolls) stuffed with vegetables, chick pea soup, semifreddo with local pistacchio nuts.
Dinner of your creations with good local wines.
Day 7
Breakfast and departure to Catania airport.
Tour Itinerary for October: Special Wine Festival and Harvest tour
Saturday, Oct 4
Arrive in Catania airport. Private transport in minivan to your modern lovely, 3 star villa hotel, Hotel Villa Schuler in Taormina, set on the hillside with a spectacular view of Mount Etna and the sea. It has gardens full of flowers, a scenic terrace and about 30 rooms, which are modern but tastefully furnished.
Welcome dinner at a restaurant in Giardini Naxos on the sea with great seafood and sea views. (included)
Sunday, Oct 5
Visit Torrepalino winery near Linguaglossa in Mount Etna foot hills for tour and tasting. If you wish, you can pick grapes for the harvest for 1/2 an hour to experience it first hand. Cooking lesson in a commercial kitchen at the winery on local mountain dishes. If good weather, sit outside on the patio, overlooking the vineyards and hills.
Drive around the Mount Etna foot hills to town of Zafferana to experience Ottobrata, a large, lively and very good food, wine, art and games festival full of local families. See artists sculpting volcanic stone and wood, sample huge range of local food at many stands, watch young and old play games of chance or play yourself. Light dinner of local foods grilled and cooked at outdoor kitchens at the festival (not included). Very lively and stimulating! I loved it!
Monday, Oct 6
Visit Taormina including Greek theatre with an entertaining, informative local guide and story teller for about 1 1/2hours. Free time for shopping and exploring.
Light lunch on your own in Taormina, perhaps at a good wine bar near Villa Schuler. (not included)
3:00 p.m. Drive to seaside town near Taormina to a restaurant at the beach that specializes in seafood for a full menu cooking class on seafood and fish like marinated seafood appetizers, risotto di pesce, involtini of swordfish.
Walk on the beach after the class and dinner of your creations with good local wines. Music and dancing too!
Tuesday, Oct 7
Leave Taormina at about 6:00 a.m. to catch the 8:30 boat in Milazzo to get to the island of Stromboli by lunch time. Three hour boat trip among the Aeolian Islands off the north east coast of Sicily. Stromboli is the last island and has an active volcano.
It is small and incredibly beautiful and picturesque with black sand, white buildings with hidden courtyards in a style like southern Spain or north Africa and gardens full of flowers. The hills are green, black and gold falling to crystal clear blue sea.
Check into 3 star Hotel Villaggio Stromboli right on the beach and surrounded by pretty gardens.
Light lunch on your own in Stromboli (not included). Free time to walk and explore.
4:00 Full menu cooking class on simple island plates with Chef Bartolo or Maria, the mother of the family owners of B & B Villa Petrusa, a pretty, down to earth property surrounded by gardens.
Dinner of your creations.
Wednesday, Oct 8
Two hour excursion around the island with one hour stop to walk in hamlet of Ginostra with 27 residents. They got electricity only two years ago. Boat takes you close to the Sciara del Fuoco, the hillside where the volcanic fire and rocks run down from the crater to the sea.
OR if you wish
Free time in the morning in Stromboli to go to the beach, shop, or just hang out in the piazza high up with a view of the harbour and neighbourhoods. You may also want to visit the studio of a local artist who paints enchanting naif style Stromboli landscapes and still lifes.
Lunch on your own (not included).
4:00 or so. Start climb up Stromboli first in the light and then in the dark with lights to see the volcano spouting his fire into the sky. You can choose one of three hikes or choose to go up later to the restaurant in a taxi.
Choice One is a challenging hike up a 45 degree hill to the craters to the top at 900 metres and then down in the dark with your lights in loose volcanic sand and rock. You get back to town at about 10:00 for a pizza or dinner. Someone who did it told me it was hard work but well worth it.
Choice Two is a much softer 90 minute walk along the mountain side in the day light with steps up and down about 1/2 the time. I did this walk. Lovely views of the white town, black beaches and the blue sea far below and some views of the volcano far up. In May you walk through grasslands in gold and green, with lots of pink wild roses and yellow broom in bloom. Beautiful!
We walk down to a restaurant and eat dinner outside on their patio with a perfect view of the volcano and the sea below. At sunset time, watch the sky turn pink and orange over the blue sea. When it gets dark, marvel at volcano's fireworks, the colourful fire it spurts high into the air. A spectacular experience! We walk 30 minutes down a stone road in the dark using our flash lights and through the town which has no lights to our B & B.
Choice Three is to walk up the stone road in day light for about an hour up to the restaurant and walk back to town after dinner on the same road in the dark with flashlights or you can take a taxi up and/or down to the same restaurant.
Dinner not included.
Thursday, Oct 9
Leave Stromboli on the boat for nearby island of Salina. Drive to Hauner winery, famous for Malvasia for visit and tasting. Driving tour around the Salina and lunch in a local restaurant (lunch not included).
Take the boat from Salina back to Sicily mainland.
Private transport to the modern, 4 star Hotel Capo dei Greci, about 12 km from Taormina, set high above the sea with a wonderful sea views.
Drive to a hill town, Forza d'Agro, where the movie, The Godfather was partly shot, to enjoy our welcome dinner at a lively and very good seafood restaurant where the plates just keep coming and coming. (included)
Friday, Oct 10
Breakfast and departure to Catania airport.
Note: Itinerary is subject to minor changes. We will do our best to keep changes to a minimum.
2008 Dates:
May 31-June 6
June 22-28
July 7-13
September 20-26
October 4-10 Special Wine Festival and Harvest Tour!
or by request subject to hotel rooms being available. Just ask us for the dates you want.
2009 Dates
May 23-29
2008 Prices: Prices are in Euros and are subject to the currency exchange fluctuations. Minimum group size is 4 people.
For group of 4 to 6 people:
2380 Euros per person (approx $3500 US; $3520 CAD), double occupancy, land only.
Single supplement: 360 Euros (approx $529 US, $532 CAD).
Tour at a Glance: Brief Tour Description, Dates, Prices
Why
Travel in Italy With Us
To Reserve: Contact Margaret Cowan at margaret@italycookingschools.com or call 1-800-557-0370 or 604-681-4074 or fax 604-681-4909 (Pacific time).
