Day 1 (Friday)

Welcome to Sicily!

Places:	Palermo Airport >> Trapani >> Favignana
Experiences:	• Welcome Reception
Meals:	Afternoon Cocktails + Dinner

We start our week at the Palermo (PMO) airport. We will have a driver pick you up according to your arrival time, and drive you to the Port of Trapani. Once there, you will board the hydrofoil to Favignana Island, where we will meet you and bring you to our accommodations for the week to get you checked in at the "Nido".

Depending on your arrival time, you will have the afternoon to relax and take it easy. This is a wonderful place to take a stroll along the cliff-side trails, head down to the beach, or lay out on the rocks. We will also have a snack bar set up where you can help yourself to Espresso, Cappuccino, Tea, beverages, and snacks as you desire.

At around 6PM, we will meet in the courtyard just outside your mini-apartments, where we will get together for cocktails and discuss the days ahead while getting to know one another.

Tonight we will have our welcome dinner at the “Antichi Mulini” trattoria, which is where we will be having our first two cooking classes. During dinner tonight, we will meet Signora Pina, our main cooking instructor for the week. For dinner, we will have traditional Sicilian antipasti, Pasta with Trapanese Pesto, Pasta ‘alla Norma’, grilled fish, salad, and Sicilian Cassata for dessert. Non-seafood alternatives will be available as well.

Day 2 (Saturday)

Our First Cooking Class, Tuna Cannery & Shopping in the Village

Places:	Favignana
Experiences:	• Cooking Class: Sicilian Arancini; Cioppino Soup; Tuna Polpette with raisins, pine nuts & cherry tomatoes; Eggplant Parmesan • Shopping for Class • Visit with Local Artist • Tuna Cannery • Shopping in Village
Meals:	Breakfast: Mediterranean Breakfast at Nido Lunch: The meal we prepare in cooking class Dinner: Pizza in Favignana

As we wake up this morning, we will find breakfast awaiting us in the courtyard outside. We'll have local Sicilian pastries, Cappuccino, Espresso, Tea, etc. at our little courtyard snack bar. Time to get ready for the day while having breakfast overlooking the beautiful morning sea.

At around 9:00 AM, we’ll head into town and visit the local fish market at the Favignana port. The fishermen will be there selling their night's catch. Once there, we will meet with "Gianni", Signora Pina's husband. He will take us shopping for today’s cooking class in the market stalls, and in the local village shops.

When we have finished shopping, we will go to the Antichi Mulini Trattoria where we had dinner last night, and Signora Pina will start our first cooking class with us.

For our class today, we will prepare a four course meal.

Appetizer: Sicilian Arancini
1st Course: Zuppa di Pesce (Cioppino Soup)
2nd Course: Tuna Polpette with raisins, pine nuts & cherry tomatoes.
Side: Eggplant Parmesan

For dessert, we will have local pastries brought in to enjoy with Marsala wine while enjoying the summer breeze under the trattoria's patio. Those that wish, may also want to have a look at Gianni's art studio, as he is a well-respected local island artist.

As always, class is 100% hands-on, so today will be a work out! Once class is over, we will sit down and enjoy the meal we prepared for lunch.

After our lunch, we will head home to rest and freshen up for a couple hours. We’ll then head back to the village of Favignana, and visit the island’s historic (now closed) Tuna Cannery. After our private tour by the caretaker, we will spend some time in the village for a stroll & shopping.

For dinner Tonight, we will have “Pizza Pazza” (Crazy Pizza), a pizzeria in town where the locals traditionally sit on big pillows on the ground in the alleyway outside (an example of North African influence on Sicilian culture).

Before heading home for the night, we’ll take an evening stroll in the village, stopping for a traditional Sicilian “Granita”, where we will be meeting the pastry chef that will teach this week’s pastry class.

Day 3 (Sunday)

Harvesting Salt in the Trapani Salt Flats

Places:	Favignana, Trapani
Experiences:	• Harvesting Salt
Meals:	Breakfast: Focaccia and Granita in Town Lunch: At The Salt Flats Dinner: Amici del Mare Restaurant

This morning we will have breakfast at a local café in the village. Pastries and coffee are available, but for those that would like to try the traditional island breakfast, we suggest “Focaccia and Granita”.

After breakfast, we will walk over to the little port and board our private boat, which will take us to the city of Trapani on mainland Sicily.

While virtually every tourist that visits Western Sicily has "The Salt Road" on their itinerary, we approach from a different angle. They are looking out toward the salt flats and windmills, and they visit a Mill to see one first hand. But when do we ever do what the others do? We will be approaching by sea, navigating the salt flats with the owners of the mill. We'll then suit up and get some instruction as we step into the salt flats and begin to harvest our own salt. While the rest of the tourists are driving along the salt road watching people out there harvesting salt, we will be the people they are watching!

After we have spent a little time harvesting, we will go further into the flats, where we will have lunch made for us, and will have the opportunity to bathe in the warm salt flats... a completely natural spa experience!

Finally, we will of course visit the mill itself to get the whole experience, but far more than other tourists ever dream of.

In the late afternoon, we will boat back to our private dock at the Nido, and have some time to rest and freshen up before dinner.

Dinner tonight will be an early one. We will dine at the darling “Amici del Mare” restaurant at the Favignana village port, then head straight home so you can get to bed early, because tomorrow begins VERY early for those that have a strong sense of adventure!

Day 4 (Monday)

A Day in the Life of a Sicilian Fisherman

Places:	Favignana
Experiences:	• Night Fishing with Local Fisherman • Boating/Swimming Favignana
Meals:	Breakfast: At Port & At The Nido Lunch: Our Catch of the Day on the boat Dinner: At Betta & Ivan's Villa

Early to rise for those that are up for it! 3:00 AM, to be exact!

For those that would rather sleep than fish, spend the morning taking it easy at home, sunbathe, go swimming, etc.

For those with more spirit of adventure, you are about to have an experience of a lifetime! We will get up in the middle of the night, then have some coffee & fresh pastry with the local fishermen who are about to head out for their nightly catch.

Here, we will meet our friend, Rosario. He is a local fisherman that does this every day of his life, as his father did, and his father before him -- Except he doesn't normally do this with a boatload of people ;-). We will board his little fishing boat and head out to the local waters with him to take part in this local tradition.

As we reach a point of his choosing, we will help Rosario cast the fishing nets into the sea. We'll then start our time of waiting for the catch, during which we will enjoy each other’s company as we drink wine and eat traditional Sicilian “Pane Cunzato” (Focaccia with Olive Oil and sauce). While we are waiting, we will learn some Sicilian dialect that we will put to good use in a couple hours!

At the moment of sunrise, our work begins. We will slowly pull our nets in, then head back into port as we sort the fish we caught.

Once we arrive, we will help Rosario set up his market stand, and we will help him sell today's catch to the locals at the village fish market. This is where our newly learned phrases in local dialect will be used, as we will be "calling out our catch" to the locals as they pass by!

After a bit, we will head back home and get some sleep while Rosario finishes his morning at the market.

At around Noon, Rosario will bring his fishing boat to our private dock at The Nido, and he will have set some of the fish we caught aside for us. We'll boat around the island to a beautiful spot where we will cook up some of our catch from this morning for lunch! We'll have ample time for swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing, etc.

In the late afternoon, we'll go back home for some time to rest and freshen up before dinner.

Tonight we are invited guests at the Betta & Ivan's villa for dinner with a breathtaking view overlooking the sea. We are usually joined for dinner by other locals that we have met along the way, making this a wonderful bonding experience.

We'll be cooking up Bruschetta with butter & Bottarga (Sicilian Tuna Caviar), Rigatoni with Tuna Ragu, Grilled Onions, & Grilled Market Seafood. (Spaghetti Aglio Olio & Pepperoncino for those that do not eat seafood). For dessert we will have Cassata with Marsala & Zibibbo wine.

Day 5 (Tuesday)

Make Ricotta, 4-Course Cooking Class, Sicilian Grill on the Cliffs

Places:	Favignana
Experiences:	• Cooking Class: Sicilian Caponata; Busiate Pasta from scratch with "Trapanese Pesto"; Veal Marsala; Sicilian Roasted Potatoes • Making Ricotta Cheese w/ Local Shepherd • Sicilian Grill • Sicilian "Ricciata"
Meals:	Breakfast: Mediterranean Breakfast at Nido Lunch: The meal we prepare in cooking class Dinner: Grill on the Cliffs

A Mediterranean Breakfast will be ready for us in the morning in the courtyard at The Nido.

Once we are ready, we’ll head up to a small farm in the hills of the island to visit with a local shepherd, “Gibarossa”. This is an amazing man that you are sure to never forget . Together, we will make Ricotta cheese that we will be using for tomorrow’s pastry class. We’ll taste some of the fresh cheese as we make it before heading off to our cooking class for the day.

We will return again to Antichi Mulini for our cooking class with Pina. Today, we will learn to make:

Appetizer: Sicilian Caponata
1st Course: Busiate Pasta from scratch with “Trapanese Pesto”
2nd Course: Veal Marsala
Side: Patate alla Pina

For dessert, we will have Cannoli brought in to enjoy with Marsala wine.

After lunch, we will go back to The Nido and relax by the water below the cliffs where we can simply take it easy or go for a swim.

For those that wish, we will swim out with Ivan to find Sea Urchins. Ivan will teach us how to properly clean the Urchins. We will take part in a “Ricciata”, which is a traditional Sicilian picnic consisting of raw sea urchins, wine and bread as we take in sunset at the cliffs. Non-seafood alternatives will be available as well.

Tonight we will have a “Grigliata” (Italian BBQ) under the stars on the cliffs of our private peninsula. We’ll fire up the grill and have grilled Bruschetta, Sausage, Involtini, Chicken & potatoes. Dessert will be local “Cassatelle” pastries with Marsala wine. We are sure to be joined by many others tonight. Like BBQ's back home, Sicilian Grills are a very "Come one, Come All" experience. Hopefully Gibbarossa will leave his farm for the evening, and Rosario will still be awake ;-)

Day 6 (Wednesday)

The Marettimo Grottoes & Pastry Class

Places:	Marettimo, Favignana
Experiences:	• Sicilian Pastry Class: Cannoli; Cassatelle; Cassata; Almond Pastries • Grottoes of Marettimo • Spaghettata
Meals:	Breakfast: In a Village Cafe Lunch: Panini on Marettimo Island Dinner: "Spaghettata" At Betta & Ivan's Villa

This morning we will head into the village for breakfast at one of the port-side cafes, before boarding a Hydrofoil that will take us to the Island of Marettimo.

When we arrive at Marettimo, we will board small boats that will take us around the island. This island is famous for its breathtaking grottoes, that put those of Capri to shame. In fact, many people liken Marettimo to what the Island of Capri off the Amalfi Coast was once like before it was overrun with mass tourism!

As we visit the magnificent grottoes, we will have time to jump off and take a swim in the crystalline waters from time to time.

Once back on the island, we will have a light “Sicilian Panini” lunch at a local bakery, then head back to Favignana for some time to rest up before our pastry class and dinner.

In the early evening, we’ll head back to Betta & Ivan’s villa where we will have our pastry class. Using the Ricotta cheese we made yesterday, we will be making all Sicilian specialties: Cannoli, Cassatelle, Cassata & Almond Pastries... and we will do it all from scratch.

We will be making the dough, rolling the shells, preparing the fillings, and using the Ricotta that we made with Gibarossa. There are no "prefab" ingredients here, and these will be the most amazing pastries you will have ever had.

Dinner tonight will be light, considering we will have been picking on pastries all along! At Ivan and Betta's villa, we will have what is known as a traditional “Spaghettata”. It literally translates to "Spaghetti Party". This is something Italians do when they want to "throw together something quickly". We will decide what kind of sauce we want on the fly (usually something like Aglio, Oilio, Pepperoncino), and boil up Spaghetti to serve it with, along with local cheeses, salames, etc.

Day 7 (Thursday)

Marsala Wineries, Sausage Class, Erice, & onward to Palermo!

Places:	Marsala, Erice, Palermo
Experiences:	• Sicilian Sausage Class: Boscaiola; Capricciosa; Punta di coltello • Two Marsala Wineries
Meals:	Breakfast: In a Village Cafe Lunch: At Sausage Class Dinner: At Sant Agostino

This morning we will be checking out of The Nido, as we will be leaving Favignana and sleeping on Mainland Sicily in Palermo for our final two nights. We'll have breakfast in town before boarding the ferry to Marsala.

Once we arrive in Marsala, we'll visit two wineries. The first will consist of a tour and tasting of sweet Sicilian wines (Marsala, Passito, Zibibbio, Mandorla, etc.) to be tasted with local sweet pastries, and the second will consist of dry Sicilian wines (Nero D'Avola, Sicilian Merlot, etc.) to be tasted with local salted snacks.

After our winery visits, we will drive to Trapani, where we will visit the area's most celebrated butcher, Francesco Campo, who will teach our Siscilian Sausage class. Today we will be learning to make three kinds of traditional Sicilian sausage:

• Boscaiola
• Capricciosa
• Punta di coltello

For lunch, we will grill our sausage and serve it with salad, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and other Sicilian specialties.

After lunch, we will make our way up to the medieval city of Erice, which sits on a hill high above the Trapani coast, at about 2,400 feet above sea level. n take one of two roads that wind up the side of the mountain. As we enter the walled city, we will suddenly feel as though we stepped back in time. Erice is full of narrow streets, cobblestones, winding streets, lovely little shops, and two breathtaking castles.

We'll start off our visit at the "Antica Pasticceria del Convento", a wonderful little bakery in the village. Nuns in the convent here adopted a little girl who later left the convent. She began to make a pastry called “Genovesi”, which was something the nuns had taught her. They are filled with a pastry cream and sprinkled with powdered sugar, and this place is famous for them. We'll have some for our dessert, then give you time to wander the city, do a little shopping, and a little sightseeing.

Finally, we will make our way north to the bustling city of Palermo and check into our home for the next two nights : Sant Agostino. This location cannot be matched, as it is right in the heart of the city's famous "Il Capo" Market. We'll meet Signora Marta, the owner of this lovely place, who will have prepared a lovely dinner for us to end our long day with.

After lunch, we will make our way south to the city of Marsala (Famous for its wine).

 

Day 8 (Friday)

The Bustling Markets of Palermo

Places:	Palermo
Experiences:	• City Street Markets • Dinner Party in a private villa • Make Sicilian Street Food
Meals:	Breakfast: At Sant Agostino Lunch: Antica Focacceria San Francesco Dinner: Party at a private villa

This morning we will set out into the heart of Palermo for a true taste of Sicilian city life. Today is not a day of primarily seeing the sights of Palermo (if you want to do this, you may want to extend your trip a couple days), instead, it is all about Sicilian culture.

As we exit Sant Agostino, we will visit the little known "Grotto of the Beati Paoli", which was once the headquarters of an ancient medieval sect of black robed murderers that the Sicilian Mafia claim to be at the roots of their organization.

We will continue on to browse Palermo's "Il Capo" market. This is one of the city's four main street food markets. You will quickly see the Arabic origins of Sicily as we walk the market, as it resembles something of a Bazaar or Souk. We'll stop occasionally to try local olives and spices. This will be an experience not soon forgotten!

As we walk out of the "Il Capo" market, we will find ourselves in the back streets of old Palermo, where we will see some of the old lawless walled ghettos of the city where you will have no trouble using your imagination to figure out what went on here in time gone by.

Along the way, we will walk past Palermo's Cathedral. For those that would like to visit inside, we will set time aside.

Next we will make our way to the biggest and most active of Palermo's street markets, The Ballero'. We will stop for some tastings, including traditional Sicilian street food such as "Panelle e Crocchè" and "Sfincione" (A pizza that is at the roots of what we think of as Sicilian Pizza). We'll see Palermo's beautiful Piazza Bellini and some of it most beautiful churches.

We will continue on to "Via Calderai", a street in Palermo where artisans occupy stalls and shops making all sort of pots, pans, street carts, etc. We'll have a short demonstration here by one of the artisans.

For lunch, we will go to the bustling "Antica Focacceria San Francesco", a staple in Palermo since 1834 which is famous for a special Focaccia and unique Palermo Panini.

After lunch, we will head back to St. Agostino. This will have been a busy morning, so you will have several hours to rest, pack, or head out into the market downstairs for shopping time. We'll make sure everyone has a map of the area so they don't het lost :-).

In the early evening, we will head to the outskirts of Palermo to a beautiful villa that belongs to Marta's parents. We will have an amazing farewell dinner here with the family that will also double as a mini cooking class. We'll set up by the brick oven & BBQ on the beautiful patio in the garden, surrounded by lemon, orange and almond trees. For those that would like to swim, there is a beautiful pool in the garden.

All of our guests are invited to help preparing for our very unique dinner tonight with Marta, her family, as well as some of their friends. This will be a true Sicilian family dinner.

We'll be making "Sfincione" (Sicilian Pizza) in the wood-fired brick oven, Tagliatelle pasta, which we will eat with our hands in Sicilian fashion, we'll grill up some local meats, and make Sicilian salad, have fresh Ricotta and other local cheeses, fresh made Caponata, Cannoli, home made Limoncello made from the lemons here at the villa, and much more.

In addition, some of Marta's family friends that will be there play Mandolin, so for those up to it, we will spend the evening singing and dancing.

There is nothing even remotely touristy about this. This is the real deal, where we will be having a party with locals with their family and friends. It promises to be a night you will never forget.

After dinner, we will head back home and call it a night... or will we?

FOR THOSE THAT ARE UP TO IT...

During your time in Palermo, you will have learned that "Sfincione" (Sicilian Pizza) is street food that is sold from carts here and there across the city, much like hot dogs in New York. All of these carts go to a single source that prepares everything in a little piazza before dawn to fill up with freshly made Sfincione. This source is a place very close to where we are staying, and they begin to prepare for all of the carts after midnight. For those that would like to have one final "once in a lifetime" experience, we will walk out into the streets after midnight and visit the piazza, spending some time helping the locals prepare the Sfincione for the morning carts.

 

Day 9 (Saturday)

Goodbye :-(

Sadly, our week comes to a close this morning. We will provide airport transfers based on your flight time out of Palermo. If you will be continuing elsewhere in Sicily by train or car, we will happily provide transfers as needed.