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TOUR COMMENTARY

SICILY
The Tastes & Traditions

 

The Trip of a Lifetime, Tuesday, 15 April 2008

Written by PBF

 

This was our second trip with Gourmet Traveler (the first was to Cinque Terre) but taking me to Sicily was going to present Bev Gruber with a real challenge. I was raised in an Italian family with my Sicilian Grandmother living in our home. Needless to say, I had trepidations and high expectations about going on a "tour" of my family's homeland. Could anyone ever cook (or attempt to teach me) the way my Nonna did? Was it possible to create the same level of experiences and sense of culture we had in Liguria a few years earlier? I know it's a bit cliché but our trip to Sicily was truly La Dolce Vita.

Sicily is not like the rest of Italy, and that's good. It's beautiful open countryside, mountains and volcanoes, quaint hillside towns and piazzas, and a city or two that rivals the best Rome has to offer. But let me stay focused on the food, because while other regions the Italian "mainland" offers something different, Sicily is a totally unique and a gastronomically savoring experience. It is a fusion of many cultures (Sicily has been occupied by many countries over the centuries) and as a result, so is the food. We ate some of the most amazing meals in some of the most unique places that I would take an entire page to attempt to describe. Let me just say that if food is your passion, you MUST visit Sicily.

Among all the wonderful things we did while on this trip, two things stand out as experiences of a lifetime. The first was a visit to a small olive farm and oil producer. We were fortunate to be there at harvest as the olives were being brought in to the small but efficient pressing plant. Being able to see those small but oh so wonderful olives transform from fruit on the tree to finished Extra Virgin Olive Oil was incredibly interesting and educational. Best of all, following our tour of the farm and plant, we were taken to the front of their home where a terrific sampling of different olive oils, breads, meats, cheeses, wine and fruit awaited us. I think each person in our little group could have sat there all afternoon soaking up the Sicilian sun and lounging away the afternoon.

The second great experience was not a planned stopped on the tour but speaks to the flexibility and personal care that Bev Gruber provides to each traveler. As I mentioned, I am Sicilian-American and still have family in and around Teresina. Now next to "Momma" nothing is as important to an Italian man than la familia. So on a lark, having only a vague idea where my cousins reside and work, we took a detour to see if we could find them and reconnect. Of course, it only took a few phone calls before we were standing in my cousin's beautiful jewelry and gift store, hugging and kissing, laughing and crying, celebrating the opportunity to be reunited. I will be forever grateful to Bev for making this happen.

There are many more things I could write about this trip to Sicily, but suffice it say, it was among one of the best trips of my life. I hope it will be for you too!

Historic and Exotic Sicily, Tuesday, 01 April 2008

Written by JW

 

A real learning experience- both from the historical and culinary viewpoints. The food was incredibly interesting, the ancient sites profoundly moving, and the cooking classes and excursions relating to the food of the area unique.I cannot imagine a better tour of this region.

 

 

 

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