ARTS & CRAFTS
Traditions of Sicily
FOOD & WINE
To the roots
5-12 June 2021
Be one of the six Digging Deep Voyagers who will have the unique opportunity to explore Sicily through A Sicilian Journey, at a very special reduced price for a one and only experience.
Connect with locals discovering Sicilian traditions, with the craftsmen in their workshops, making your own piece of ceramic, attending the Teatro dei Pupi show and visiting the workshop where the marionettes are crafted.
Explore the nature and feel overwhelmed by the dramatic landscape of the Etna volcano or by the luxuriant Cava Carosello natural reserve where you can have a swim in one of the deep freshwater plunge pools.
Imagine the scent of wild herbs and inebriating orange blossom, while indulging in a delicious meal served at a farmer’s table or prepared by you at a special hands-on cooking class. Make Ricotta cheese in the traditional way with a local shepherd and rejoice in a tasting of splendid wines on the slopes of Etna.
Receive your Emotional Sicily Welcome Pack and a personalised digital photobook which we will carefully prepare for you.
ONE DAY
EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE
Alcantara River Hike – Cooking Class and visit of Castiglione di Sicilia
Discover the Alcantara river valley, rich in different landscapes and environs. A hands-on cooking class with local products at an authentic agriturismo and a guided visit to the beautiful hilltop village of Castiglione di Sicilia.
The hike starts at the rural area of Verzella, known for the Masserie (farmers’ houses) and Palmenti (the constructions where wine was made) constructed in lava stone. An antique path, that runs along the Alcantara river, leads to the valley. Vineyards, hazelnut trees and olive groves evoke the still strong presence of agriculture. After a short walk, you will see the Alcantara river dancing through the lava gorges carved by the flooding river. Smooth black rocks shaped by centuries of water form plunge pools where you can have a swim in the ice-cold water. In the background the troglodyte village of Motta Camastra and high above, the beautiful Castiglione di Sicilia. A surprising Cuba, a unique small church probably built between the Islamic and the Norman domination (X-XI centuries), in the middle of wild nature. Follow the river back to Verzella, and then to the nearby farmhouse where Mariolina and Saro will welcome you warmly. With them you will have a hands-on cooking class where you will learn about typical Sicilian cuisine and that will culminate with a shared lunch. After, a guided visit of Castiglione di Sicilia with its majestic 12th-century castle.
