The “pescivendoli” or fishmongers had been there long before we arrived. Their displays were full of amazing varieties of seafood of every shape, size and colour. This part of Sicily is known for it’s tuna and there was no shortage of that – every quality level was available for sale from light pink tuna to deep red sushi grade...
Read MoreThe archeological area of Agrigento that encompasses the Valley of the Temples was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. This stunning park is offers visitors access to many Greek temples as well as an ancient necropolis (burial ground)...
Read MoreThe expressive richness of Pignoletto, the quintessential white wine of Emilia Romagna, was the main theme during Enologica 2016, in a Bologna increasingly popular as a destination for international food and drink lovers.
Read MoreFounded in 1980, COS has been running a fully biodynamic and organic operation. In the spirit of ancient Greek cellar practices, COS opted to work with amphorae, clay jars that used by the ancient Greeks...
Read More...30km to the northwest of Ragusa where the earth is red and rich with limestone and iron and the wind blows all the time...
Read MoreThe day started with a different type of tasting – olive oil tasting. We visited Frantoi Cutrera, a family business that has been a going concern for 4 generations. On our tour we learned that olive oil production is rather simple process but once it starts, it is done in a hurry.
Read MoreAfter so much good food and excellent wine, there’s nothing better than a walk through the ruins of time. We stopped in the seaside town of Taormina which is home some very impressive ancient Greek temples....
Read MoreToday our adventure started by driving up the side of Etna to the “Crateri Silvestri”, two craters on the side of Etna which are now dormant. The drive up the mountain was surreal, it seemed like we were on the moon with black hardened lava to the left and right of the road.....
Read MoreAfter devouring our cannoli, we jumped back on the bus with Catania in our sights. We arrived in downtown Catania and checked into to the lovely Hotel Una. What makes this hotel particularly special is its rooftop terrace where one can sit and watch Etna sputter and churn – it’s a fantastic show!
Read MoreToday’s destination – beautiful Sicily. We drive south through Calabria to take the ferry across the Strait of Messina. We were loaded and within minutes the ferry pulled away from port...
Read MoreThe landscape is beautiful and rugged, full of rolling hills that have been cultivated for olives, lemons, and of course, grapes. With plantations some 600m above sea level, the vines (and people!) enjoy constant gentle winds, warm sunny days of up to 40⁰C and sunshine, and nice cool nights that drop to 20⁰C providing optimal conditions for the grapes they have planted....
Read MoreLecce is a jewel and offers so much to see. We saw the main square - Piazza Sant’Oronzo that boasts a Roman amphitheatre right in the middle, and walked the streets of this beautiful baroque city all the way to the magnificent Duomo all the while listening to the careful details and secrets shared by Simona.
Read MoreAfter being greeted by Patrizia, the winemaker Antonio and their dog, we were given a tour of their facility by young Giulia who was not only working at the winery but also on achieving her WSET designation
Read MoreBehind the counter is the window into the kitchen where the magic happens. After being gowned and capped like hospital patients, we were invited by Beatrice into the kitchen to observe how their chocolate is made....
Read MoreThis is clearly no small operation - last year they produced a total of 2.3 million bottles! After the tour we sat down for a vertical tasting of their signature red Tancredi.
Read MoreAfter walking among the giants, we were then led through a tasting of 4 wines demonstrating the breadth and diversity of their products, each matched with a suggested food pairing
Read MoreOur last meal together was wonderful. It was a lovely evening, warm and breezy...
Read More... a fishing town overflowing with charm. Our hotel couldn’t have been any closer to the sea with wonderful views ...
Read More...can only be described as magical fairy tale-like structures with stone walls and conical rooves. Declared a UNESCO site in 1996, Trulli can be found...
Read MoreWe headed into wine country to visit Tormaresca, an Antinori interest in the heart of Puglia. Tormaresca has a beautiful property with vines and olive trees to the horizon...
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