Winter Holiday in Sicily

February 14-22, 2009
sponsored by tdf




Join tdf’s annual late Winter tour to sunny Sicily.  This trip includes round-trip airfare, 7 nights accommodations, 2 performances, breakfast daily, 2 dinners and 3 lunches.    



Escape to Sicily for an early Mediterranean Spring when the dramatic landscapes of this beautiful ancient land are verdant and flowers are in profusion.  Enjoy the rich natural beauty of the island’s rugged mountains and coastline along with its distinctive, delicious cuisine, warm and friendly people and its myriad outstanding ancient sites.  We stay in four-star accommodations in the heart of the cities and we visit Palermo, Monreale, Agrigento, Piazza Armerina, Taormina, and Mt. Etna before the crowds arrive.        






1.  Saturday, February 14     
We depart from JFK Airport on our Alitalia flight in the evening. (Dinner-in flight) (Breakfast-in flight).        



2.  Sunday, February 15     
Welcome to Italy!  This morning we arrive in Rome and transfer to our nonstop flight to Palermo, arriving at 11:30am.  Here we meet our guide who accompanies us throughout our tour of Sicily.  After lunch (included) we embark on a guided tour of this magnificently diverse city.  We spend two nights at the five-star Grand Hotel Wagner, located in the center of the city.  The hotel , a neo-classical palace which was built in the early 20th century, has recently been restored to the original splendor.  This evening we savor a welcome dinner at a local restaurant near our hotel and we attend a folklore performance at the Ditirammu Theatre.  (L/D)            



3.  Monday, February 16     
After our daily breakfast we visit Monreale, a small hill town. We enjoy the panorama from the “royal mountain,” a mighty Norman cathedral hidden further in among the houses, and the distinguished beautiful Cloisters.  We  return to Palermo  and then we tour the Teatro Massimo, Palermo’s elegant and recently restored Opera House.  We visit the Marionette Museum and  attend a performance of the world-famous Sicilian marionettes.  (B)          



4.  Tuesday, February 17     
We depart by private motor coach for Agrigento for an overnight stay at the four-star Grand Hotel Kaos.  This afternoon our sightseeing tour takes us to the ruins of the Valley of the Temples, where the city’s ancient architects erected most of their sacred buildings during the fifth century BC.  The four major temples were - and are - stunning in their effect, reflecting the wealth and luxury of ancient Agrigento.  The panoramic view of the Valley of the Temples is truly grand, overlooking some of the most impressive Greek ruins of the Mediterranean.  The gently rolling hills surrounding the spectacular temples wear a white mantle of blossoms gleaming on hundreds of almond trees, filling the air with the sweet perfume that heralds the arrival of spring.  We complete the day with a visit to the home of the renowned Italian playwright, Luigi Pirandello.  The house displays photographs, Pirandello’s first editions, and the playbills of his works.  Dinner tonight is on your own.  (B) (L)      



5.  Wednesday, February 18     
After breakfast, we depart by private motor coach for Taormina, via the ruins of the Villa Romana del Casale at Piazza Armerina, an Imperial Roman villa in the southern interior.  Excavations in 1950 in the rugged countryside at Casale slowly revealed the extensive rich villa, an Imperial Roman hunting lodge and summer home that had been hidden and preserved under mud for over 700 years. We continue on to Taormina.  Standing high on Monte Tauro and dominating the two grand, sweeping bays below, Taormina is Sicily’s best-known resort and it is a strong contender for the title of most beautiful place on earth!  Taormina forms a balcony overlooking the sea, facing Mount Etna.  This climactic resort of worldwide repute has a peaceful atmosphere, beautiful monuments, spectacular views and lovely gardens that invite exploration on foot.  The coast below Taormina is fascinating. Our hotel is the four-star Hotel Villa Diodoro, with spectacular views overlooking the Ionian Sea and Mt. Etna, and just a few minutes walk from the historic center of town.  (B) (L)            



6.  Thursday, February 19     
Our walking tour of Taormina includes Via Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, which is on the site of the Roman Forum, the Palazzo Corvala, the recently unearthed remains of an imperial Roman bath, and the magnificent Teatro Greco, a Roman reconstruction of an earlier Greek theatre, where, from the perspective of the audience, we may see Taormina to the right, Mt. Etna directly ahead and the Sicilian coast, the Ionian Sea and Calabria to the left, all in one spectacular sweeping view.  The gate of the Torre dell’ Orologio leads to the medieval part of the town, where many houses still preserve their ancient portals and Roman-Gothic windows.  On the Piazza del Duomo is the 13th century Norman cathedral, the Duomo, with splendid triptychs by painters of the Messina school.  In the afternoon we are free to explore the treasures of this extraordinary town on our own.  A favorite option is a visit to Castelmola, a small village even higher up Mt. Tauro, where the views are even more spectacular.  (B)



7.  Friday, February 20     
We enjoy a full day touring Siracusa.  We travel via private motor coach to this ancient city, founded by the Greeks from Corinth, and once the most important city in the Western World.  Siracusa reached its zenith in the 5th century BC when it ruled all of Sicily.  In the unique Parco Archeologico, the impressive ruins include the magnificent Greek Theatre, one of the biggest and best preserved in the entire Mediterranean, situated adjacent to a large Roman Coliseum and an ancient quarry possessing such remarkable acoustics that Caravaggio called it “Orecchio de Dionisiso” (the ear of Dionysius).  The quarry was once a prison for 7000 Athenian prisoners of war.  Following lunch on your own, we visit the beautiful island of Ortygia.  Here, amid the artistic vestiges of over 2500 years of history, we walk streets once trod by Pindar, Aeschylus, Plato, Cicero and Archimedes.  We explore the Piazza Archimede, the legendary Fonte Aretusa (Fountain of Arethusa), and Siracusa’s historically unique Duomo, a building that has been a Greek Temple, a Moslem mosque and Christian church at various times in its long history, one which is clearly visible in the architecture of the building.  We return to Taormina in the late afternoon.  Dinner is on your own.  (B)



8.  Saturday, February 21     
This morning we drive along the coastline, renowned for its beautiful scenery, stopping to ascend the slopes of massive Mt. Etna.  The volcano totally dominates the life and landscape of eastern Sicily.  Some villages and roads are built from lava and the flows have cut great swaths through the valley that have ultimately provided the extremely fertile soil of the island.  The views are impressive as we ascend the snow-capped mountain.  This evening we have our farewell dinner at a local restaurant.  (B) (D)    



9.  Sunday, February 21     
After breakfast we depart by private motor coach to the Catania airport for our Alitalia flight to Rome , connecting to JFK airport, arriving at 5:50pm   (B)          





This engaging experience includes:

  • Round trip transatlantic airfare on Alitalia: JFK-Rome-Palermo & Catania-Rome-JFK
  • 2 nights at Grand Hotel Wagner in Palermo
  • 1 night at Grand Hotel Kaos in Agrigento
  • 4 nights at the Hotel Villa Diodoro in Taormina
  • Continental breakfast daily, two dinners, three lunches
  • Performance of Sicilian Marionettes
  • Folk dancing performance at Ditirammu Theatre
  • Sightseeing and guided tours as indicated on itinerary including:
  • - Palermo, Monreale, Valley de Templi, Piazza Armerina, Siracusa
  • - Taormina, Mt. Etna
  • Tour of the Greek Theatre at Taormina
  • English speaking local guide throughout tour
  • All local taxes and service charges and transfers
PROGRAM PRICES  
Per person (double occupancy) from New York: $3499  
Single Supplement: $500  
Air Taxes: $325