Mushrooms in Sicily and Aeolian Islands
with Britt Bunyard
OCT. 23 - NOV 3 2023
Program
Day 1 - Oct. 23, Mon / Syracuse
Arrival at Fontanarossa Airport Catania and transfer to hotel in Syracuse. There will be a limited amount of transfers offered from the airport to hotel which will be established once everyone’s flight schedules are in,therefore it is recommended you book a flight that lands after 11am and before 4pm. If you remain within our suggested time slot you can avoid having to wait at the airport for a long time if you arrive too early, or having to reach hotel by your own means, if you arrive too late. Check into rooms, freshen up and settle in as you wait for the other guests to arrive. Once all guests have checked into rooms, meet in lobby at an established time for an orientation walk around the town. Early (for Italian standards) welcome dinner to allow guests to recover from day of traveling.
Day 2 - Oct. 24, Tues / Syracuse
After breakfast visit Ortigia, the old city of Syracuse of timeless beauty, it is one of the most beautiful corners of Sicily. Lush citrus orchards, café tables spilling onto dazzling baroque piazzas and honey-hued alleys that lead to a sparkling blue sea. After lunch visit one of Sicily's greatest archaeological sites, the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, made up of a Greek theater from the 5th century BC hewn out of a rocky hillside, an ancient and mysterious quarry riddled with catacombs and a luxuriant garden, as well as a Roman amphitheater. Dinner oyo.
Day 3 - Oct. 25, Wed / Nebrodi
After an early breakfast transfer to hotel in Sant'Agata di Militello, but before reaching new venue experience an exhilarating adventure! A funicular and jeep ride will take us to hair-raising heights, up to the very crater of Mount Etna where a surreal landscape and breathtaking views await. Have lunch in a local trattoria. Enjoy a wine tasting to try some of the superb wines produced on the Etna. Reach our new hotel by late afternoon. Go on an orientation walk in town and get a bite to eat oyo.
Day 4 - Oct. 26, Thurs / Nebrodi
After breakfast, foray The Nebrodi National Park which has a surface area of 85,000 hectares and is made up of great stretches of forest, giant mountains, crystal-clear lakes and age-old villages.
From its highest peaks you get stunning views of smoking Mount Etna and the beautiful Aeolian Islands emerging from the sea. Have lunch in a local trattoria. Afternoon activity to be decided. Return to hotel before dinner oyo.
Day 5 - Oct. 27 Fri / Nebrodi
After breakfast, foray in the Nebrodi. Have lunch in a local trattoria. No trip to this area would be complete without trying the Nebrodi black-pork. This rare breed is raised in the wild and live in huts called 'zimme'. It produces excellent meat which local farmers process to make a varied range of remarkable, traditional cold-cuts and sausages. Afternoon activity to be decided. Return to hotel in Sant'Agata di Militello. Dinner oyo.
Day 6 - Oct. 28 Sat / Nebrodi
After breakfast go on one last foray in the Nebrodi. Have lunch in a local trattoria. See what are considered the dolomites of Sicily, the Rocche del Castro, where griffins and eagles nest. At the foot of this huge limestone massif is the ancient mountain village Alcara li Fusi. Return to Sant'Agata di Militello. Dinner oyo.
Day 7 - Oct. 29 Sun / Aeolian Islands
After an early breakfast, catch a ferry to reach a little piece of paradise, the Aeolian Islands—a seven-island archipelago rising out of the blue sea offering stunning waters, hissing volcanoes and great wine. We'll stay at Salina, the second largest of the islands and a happy hunting ground for mushroom aficionados. Check into hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon, tour this lush and verdant island and if time permits go on an impromptu foray. Dinner oyo.
Day 8 - Oct. 30 Mon / Aeoloian Islands
After breakfast go on foray which promises to be very rewarding. Thanks to the island's mild climate and abundance and diversity in vegetation there are a great many types of fungal species: Boletus, Suillus,Lactarius, Russula, Cantharellus, Macrolepiota, Clitocybe, Tricholoma and even the rare Pleurotus opuntiae. After a morning spent rummaging through the woods, have lunch in a local trattoria. In the afternoon find out how capers are processed and enjoy a Malvasia tasting, the two products Salina is deservedly most famous for. Dinner oyo.
Day 9 - Oct. 31 Tues / Aeolian Islands
After breakfast, catch a ferry to reach nearby Lipari, the biggest of all the Aeolian Islands and the location ofour next mushroom hunting expedition. Have lunch in a local trattoria after foray. Have time in the afternoon to discover the charming town of Lipari and to visit its prestigious archaeological museum that boasts one of the finest collections of ancient finds in Europe. Return to Salina in the late afternoon. Dinner oyo.
Day 10 - Nov. 1 Wed / Catania
After breakfast transfer to new hotel in Catania. Visit beautiful and fashionable Taormina en route, perched high on the side of a mountain. Taormina boasts a lovely historical town center and a stunning ancient Greek theater that offers magnificent vistas. Lunch oyo. Reach Catania by early afternoon and check into rooms. Go on a walking tour of this lovely city, with its black-and-white palazzi overlooking sweeping baroque piazzas. Dinner in one of the many great restaurants in the city.
Day 11 - Nov. 2 / Catania
After breakfast go on our last foray in the forests near Piazza Armerina. After farewell lunch in local trattoria visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Villa Romana del Casale, to view the the richest and largest collection of Ancient Roman mosaics in the world dating back to the early 4th century AD. After 700 years of being buried underground, these multicolored floor mosaics have remained astoundingly well-preserved. Return to Catania in time to pack, do some last minute shopping or catch a museum. Dinner oyo.
Day 12 - Nov. 3 / Catania
After breakfast Departure from Fontanarossa Airport Catania. Check-out time at hotel is by 11am. We recommend you book a flight that departs around noon (11am – 2pm). We will offer only a limited amount of transfers to airport, therefore if you remain within our suggested time slot you can avoid having to wait at the airport for a long time if your flight departs very late, or having to reach airport by your own means, if your flight departs very early.
Do you know the land where lemon blossom grows?
Amid dark leaves the golden orange glows.
A gentle breeze drifts down from the blue sky, still stands the myrtle, and the laurel high.
Might you know it?
There, there Would I with you, oh my beloved, go.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
FUN. REAL. ENLIGHTENING.
PRICE INCLUDES:
- ACCOMMODATION
- ALL BREAKFASTS AND DAILY LUNCH OR DINNER
- ALL TRANSPORTATION MENTIONED IN ITINERARY
- ENTRANCE FEES TO ALL ACTIVITIES MENTIONED IN THE ITINERARY;
- WALKING TOURS THROUGH ALL THE TOWNS;
- 6 MUSHROOM FORAYS
*All activities are subject to change on the basis of which options are deemed to be the most suitable in terms of current culinary standards, the weather conditions on a given day, and other relevant criteria.