Live the enchanting Sicily

Live the enchanting Sicily

Charatteristics

·       Category:  Local culture, life, heritage

·       Duration :  10 days, 9 nights

·       Period:  to be customized according to the needs of the tourists

·       Accommodation: Hotels 3 stars/private houses

·       Type of trip: Travelling tour transported

Notes : The currency is the € = Euro. All the selected hotels offer the wifi service free of charge.

The trip

1^th  day

Arrival to Catania Airport and meeting with your courier. Accommodation in private bus and transfer to the hotel. Dinner in a small trattoria of the historical centre of the town. First impact with a ride of tastes that will last for the whole tour and will seduce with a swirl of unique aromas mounted up by the many cultures overlapped during the millenniums. Overnight at hotel in Catania.

2^th  day

Breakfast at the hotel and guided tour of the city where the Etna eruption of 1696 and the disastrous earthquake of 1693 almost cancelled the whole city, rebuilt according to a rational town planning scheme which designed wide streets and large squares easily attainable in case of new earthquakes. The Duomo square is the Baroque symbol of the reconstruction and reminds how the building style of churches and palaces customized, lightening,  the heavier leading architecture of the Spanish rulers. But the Baroque central quarter and Crociferi street, with the Ursino Castle and the Roman Amphitheatre, don’t hide the living atmosphere of the most modern and industrial city in Sicily.  

In the afternoon,  transfer to Ragalna CLC,  the first Centre of Local Culture that you meet, where you will be warmly welcomed by the local community and take part to a kitchen lesson, cook with them a dish of the dinner but mainly will be introduced by them to the culture which generated it. A dinner with the hosts and a trained participation to a local dance, illustrated as an example of popular expression in the ceremonies, will end an unforgettable evening.

Overnight at hotel in Ragalna.

3th  day

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Taormina, founded in the IV century a.c. by the Greeks. It shows many beautiful monuments: the Greek-Roman theatre, the medieval palace Corvaja (XI century), the Renaissance cathedral (XV century). But it’s fame is due to the discovery by Goethe and the young scions of the European aristocracy of nineteen century who came for the Grand Tour of Italy. 

They invite you to follow their traces walking along Avenue Umberto I where overlook ancient churches and palaces of an incredible mix of styles, from the Romanic to the Gothic, the Renaissance, the Baroque and the Rococo, according to different interpretations (Italian, English, Spanish). But, when you are admiring the details of these superb architectures, from the interstices between them, you have sudden perspectives of the sparkling view of the coast that will fill up your eyes in the squares of IX Aprile, of the Cathedral. And finally you will rest on the stands of the amphitheatre, suspended between sea and sky, from which you can see down below the whole coast.  Free shopping in Taormina.

In the afternoon, after the free dinner, before returning to the hotel, you will stay for a fast visit to Savoca, on the coast, and have a look to the places where were filmed many scenes of the “Godfather” by Francis Ford Coppola. You can also go down into the crypt of the Monastery of Capuchins where the corpses of the noble men of Savoca lay mummified. There, like in many places in Sicily, get evident the contrasts between form and spirit of the religion, between different behaviours of rich and poor men in front of the death, between religious rites and spirituality.

The return to Ragalna CLC for a typical dinner brings the surprise of an evening cheered up by  the performance of the “pupi”, the famous Sicilian puppets. Their histories of the day-by-day life and of the ancient duels between Christian and Arabic knights open a window into the popular legends and how are lived, even nowadays, the events in form of a fight between Good and Evil.

Overnight at the hotel in Ragalna CLC.

4th  day

Breakfast at the hotel and departure to visit Mount Etna, the bigger volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world. 

Will be possible a full tour by bus or also an easy hiking of 4 hours along the slopes of the volcano and the park of Etna called by the Arabs “jebel utlamat” the mountain par excellence. 

During the guided hike you’ll discover the beautiful Natural Park, temple of the biodiversity, characterized by urban landscapes, dense forests that maintain different unique plant species and wasteland covered with volcanic rock.

After the visit, you will reach Linguaglossa to visit a beautiful winery followed by a wine tasting and a dinner with delicious local products.

At the end, back to Ragalna CLC and overnight at the hotel.

5th  day

Breakfast at the hotel and check out.

Departure to Syracuse and accommodation in hotel. Guided visit of the Archaeological Park, one of the most important ancient Greek site of Europe, of the Latomia (stone quarry) and its grottos (Ear of Dionisos), of the Greek theatre. 

Early in the afternoon, visit of Ortigia, the island which is the oldest part of Syracuse, with its Apollo temple, the Cathedral, the Maniace castle, the Medieval district. Here you have in front of you all the history of Sicily and can understand the overlapping of the many cultures (by Sicanis, to the Phenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the Spanish, the French, the ... Italians) whose interactions created the unique Sicilian spirit.

Dinner in a small restaurant and overnight at the hotel.

6th day

Early breakfast at the hotel to leave for the animal reserve of Vendicari where in 1512 hectares on the sea, a whole ecosystem lives near important ancient vestiges from the Greek to the Byzantine ages.  Stunning landscapes, a thick vegetation which opens out of the blue on a crystal-clear sea, long golden beaches which in few meters change into overhanging rock-faces. From observation shacks you can observe migrant flamingos, herons, storks, resting before reaching their destinations. And then you will have a look at the “tonnara” of Vendicari, where the tuna fishes were slaughtered in a bloody rite.   

In the afternoon, departure to Noto and guided tour of the treasures of the baroque city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the highlights in southern Sicily. The town is built on terraces, which are connected by monumental flights of steps. Here you have  full immersion in the Baroque, walking along the avenue Vittorio Emanuele, crossing the Public Garden, entering the Franciscan Church and the Order of Santa Chiara Church, reaching the Piazza del Municipio with the City Hall in the Palazzo Ducezio and peeping into the Cathedral.  

You will see many monuments but will have the real feeling of how much of the Spanish domination has moulded in 560 years (except short interruptions) and, blending with other influences, has created the Sicilian culture not easy to understand even by the Italian “continentals”.

More, you will understand the birth of a self-made justice, initially in replacement of a void created by the progressive draw-back of the state Spanish Bourbon organization, but later (after the 1815) structured more and more, as mafia, into a criminal counterpart of the State.

The tour continues to Ispica CLC, dinner and participation with the local hosts to a musical entertainment expression of the popular culture. Overnight at the hotel.

7th day

Departure to visit Ragusa, a curious example of a town with double identity, where the original  Ibla, destroyed by the earthquake of the 1693, started to be re-built only forty years later in the same place and according the same structure as before the destruction. In parallel the New Ragusa was rebuilt following the “modern” criteria of the Baroque town planning and developed over the times. Whereas Ibla stayed blocked, suffered a continuous depopulation but maintained a fascinating medieval structure rich of baroque palaces and churches. 

The guided visit of Ragusa starts with its Cathedral and continues with “Archi” district, which homes four of the eighteen UNESCO monuments of the city. 

Return to Ispica CLC for a visit of the town like an open air museum, followed by a participative kitchen lesson of a local recipe.

The framing of the dish into the Sicilian traditions will complete the case history of the cultural riding started with the city tour and which will finish with a dinner with the local hosts. 

Overnight in Ispica CLC.

8th  day

Breakfast at the hotel and check out.

Departure for Agrigento. Along the road, the bus crosses Licata near the four points of landing of the Allies in the second world war and the start of the invasion of Italy. It will be able to let understand most of the evolution of the Italian political life after the 2nd world war.

Agrigento offers a double scenario: the magic “Valley of the Temples” of the last Greek colony in Sicily, an UNESCO World Heritage site, where is possible to understand the separation and also the links between political and religious power in the Greeks culture, transposed into the Roman political assets and which permeated the principles of the Occidental Democracies. 

Going up the hill, another chapter of this novel is the visit of the medieval city: Saint Spirit and the cloister, Rupe Atenea and the Norman Cathedral, where the people live and looking down enjoy the sight of the temples in the stage of the sea.

In the afternoon, departure to Palermo, accommodation in the hotel and dinner in a typical restaurant where will be tasted the specialties of the northern Sicilian food.

Overnight at the hotel in Palermo

9th  day

Breakfast at the hotel and start of the Palermo walking tour. You will enter the heart of the historic market, U Capu, where history, tradition and street food mix with the  voices and faces of the people of Palermo. Through alleys, palaces and ancient legends you reach the Norman Cathedral and among the gardens of Villa Bonanno and the ancient ruins of the Paleopolis you will enjoy the  Royal Palace and the splendid mosaics of the Palatine Chapel in which Arabs, Byzantines and Normans shared their knowledge, esoteric secrets, habits and life with great tolerance. Discovering medieval quarters, Spanish facades and courtyards of the historic mansions, a surprise visit will introduce you to the city into the city: the Hebrew ghetto of Palermo. Finally here you are at The Four Corners for a new cultural experience, the visit of St. Joseph of the Theatines, potent antagonists of the Jesuits. 

After a free lunch when it is possible to taste the best Sicilian street food, in the afternoon, the tour goes on through the famous Pretorian Fountain, also called the “fountain of shame” for its naked statues and San Cataldo of the Order of the Knights of Malta (XII century). Then you will cross the tiny streets of the Corporations of artisans to reach St. Francis of Assisi. From there, you will discover the richest and darkest centuries of Sicilian history stressed out by the social criticism of the Serpotta’s stuccos in the Oratory of San Lorenzo and by the scenes of the famous movie  “The Gattopardo” shot among the noble furnishings, collections and stables of Palazzo Mirto. 

Both these visit point out the definitive loss of power by the old aristocracy, set aside both by the new political and economic order introduced by the Piedmontese government with the Italy Kingdom and by the increasing underground criminal power of the mafia.

In the shade of the ancient Ficus Magnolioides of Marina Square in another surprise visit you will follow the footsteps of the Holy Inquisition.

Our walk ends in the  old port district of La Cala where you will eat the traditional Sicilian cannoli and gelati.

Overnight at the hotel in Palermo.

10th  day

Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Transfer to Monreale, the last and one of most beautiful jewels of Sicily. Here you can see and detect the influences of fully different cultural universes: Islamic, Norman, Byzantine and Romanic in a surprising artistic melting pot expressed in the Cathedral and its mosaics, in the cloister and in the Collegiata. 

The last images of the complex history witnessed by Monreale will stay for a long time in your minds to remind you that we must be proud of the past which moulded our soul and contributed to our being, who and what we are now. 

Transfer to the Palermo Airport and end of the Sicily Tour.

RATE PER PERSON (min 12 participants) € 1350

Single room supplement € 375

Rate includes:

• private 20 seats High Class bus with driver for all the duration of the journey
• private courier (Italian born, English speaking),
• accommodation in 3 stars hotels,
• half board basis (meals will be in the hotel or restaurant as planned),
• entry fee for all the monuments according to the program, official guides (in Etna Mount, Taormina, Noto and Ragusa, Syracuse, Agrigento, Palermo and Monreale and in all CLCs met: Ragalna, Ispica, Menfi)
• 1 wine tasting  + light lunch,
• the JustSicily 24h assistance.

Rate does not includes: Anything that is not present in "Rate includes".

Limitations in accessibility: wheelchair-bound people must inform the Tour Operator during the registration, to take care of.                

                 

Documents and information 

·       Passport:  for European travellers: passport or identity card. For not European travellers: visa according to the reciprocation laws with the Italian Government

·       Sanitary precautions: none

·       Climate: according to the period

·       Things to buy: original handicrafts, food specialties, mainly in the CLCs Centres of Local Culture,

·       You can combine this cultural trail with… a full visit of one day to the Natural Reserve Faunal Oasis of Vendicari.

TOUR OPERATOR

piazza Verdi, 53
90138 Palermo, Italia

Tel. +39 331 192 57 58

website www.justsicily.net    

skype justsicilytravel

·       ASK QUESTIONS: info@justsicily.net    

·       REGISTRATION: www.justsicily.net/live_the_exchanting_sicily/

Jerusalem tourism - challenges and opportunities

Palm Sunday in Jerusalem. Photo by Tarik Bakri. 

The Palestinian consensus is that Jerusalem is a tourism destination of the first degree. It is perceived to be the city that possesses the strongest competencies as far as tourism is concerned. The current reality, however, is that its hotel capacity has decreased by half during the past twenty years, and many shops inside the Old City have closed their doors, forcing their owners to look for work at Israeli establishments. So what is happening to the city? What can be done to overturn this decline, and who can and/or should do it?

First of all, it is important to understand that Jerusalem has been deprived of its hinterland as a result of the Wall that the Israeli authorities have constructed around the city. This deprivation has detached Jerusalem from the rest of the Palestinian body and impacted its economic, cultural, social, and central importance, characteristics, and dynamics. A quick nostalgic glimpse at Jaffa might help explain this decentralization or de-urbanization that Jerusalem seems to be suffering from. The Israeli Wall not only prevents people from nearby cities and villages from accessing the city and hence annulling its ability to serve its natural clients, it has the double-edged-sword effect of draining the city of its residents as they seek to spend their time and attend to their interest with their counterparts in other Palestinian cities, rendering Jerusalem a town that is suffocating. The influx of visitors into the city is mostly international and is subject to the seasonality of Christian pilgrimage, the main source of business in the city, and the Islamic market, which is limited and occasional.

Secondly, due to the political setup dictated by the Oslo agreements, the Palestinian government has very limited intervention in the city. Its ability to act as a reference for the residents of the city, addressing their needs, aspirations, challenges and plans, is hampered by this fact. The Israeli authorities, on the other hand, have their own plans for Jerusalem, which for the most part don’t take into account Palestinian economic, cultural, and touristic well-being as indicated by the tragic decrease in the number of hotel establishments and room capacity. Civil society organizations, educational, cultural, and religious establishments have moved in to close the gap. Although this sincere and well-appreciated effort is pivotal for the city, it is fragmented and poorly coordinated.

Hence, the situation in Jerusalem is impacted by a number of imposed threats and mounting challenges such as the Israeli-imposed siege of the city, the absence of a governmental body to cater to its well being and aspirations, and the seasonality of its business. The situation is further compounded by the negative perceptions of travel to Palestine and the area, the lack of unique and differentiated programs, the frail competitive advantage, and the instability of the political situation.

Based on the above, the way to move forward in Jerusalem tourism has to take into consideration a plan that is based on three strategies: protection, competitive capacity, and promotion.

Protection reflects the need to preserve Palestinian culture, identity, and existence in the city. This requires programs that help sustain the existing establishments, including those that focus on rehabilitation, furnishings, trainings, and institution and capacity building of both the individual business and the establishment or organization.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Photo by Shareef Sarhan.

Competitive capacity can be enforced with new packages and offers for discerning visitors. Jerusalem needs a set of new products to challenge the overwhelming seasonality that overshadows its tourism. Competitiveness is about differentiation. It is about a uniquely identified Palestinian product in the city. It is about how the Jerusalem community is able to utilize its human, cultural, economic, and social resources and capacities. Once achieved, competitiveness is a key for sustainability.

So what are the main sustainability elements the city should aspire to realize? Understanding these elements and decoding them into practical and genuine initiatives is pivotal to achieve success. The first is the ability of its various sectors to work together, based on the notion that tourism doesn’t belong to the tourism industry alone but to all sectors that are directly or indirectly linked to its value chain, such as the commercial, the cultural, the religious, the educational, and the IT sectors. The second is the role of the community not only as a beneficiary of the tourism, economic, and cultural action but also as an active participant in the planning process for the tourism package and development.

The third element is the need to diversify the tourism offer. It will be difficult to create a viable, developing tourism industry in the city if it confines itself to one product and one market. Finally, in order to create a unique Palestinian tourism offer in Jerusalem, it is necessary to enhance the supporting sectors, including culture, women’s and youth activity and production, and local handcrafts and artisan workmanship. Needless to say, the role of the various cultural festivals and exhibitions in attracting visitors is imperative, and it impacts both the domestic and the international. The domestic includes Jerusalemites, expatriates, and Palestinians from every location that has access to Jerusalem.

Photo by Shareef Sarhan.

The third strategy is promotion and branding. The Jerusalem community, through its organizations and coordinated efforts, has the ultimate responsibility of building its competencies, promoting its offer, and enhancing its well-being. There are two ways to accomplish this endeavor. The first is direct and requires that the community’s tourism leadership find ways and resources to position Palestinian Jerusalem on the international and regional tourism maps. The second is networked and is based on the establishment of a set of relationships with local, regional, and international organizations that are involved in activities similar to the ones being created in Jerusalem. Cultural production, for example, can be networked with similar offers and activities in other countries that aim to promote culture. People who are seeking culture can find the Jerusalem offer intertwined in the respective circles. The various Jerusalem activities can find their place in pertinent platforms throughout the world, based on a scheme of networking, synergy coordination, and partnerships.

♦ Palestinian civilization is a sophisticated, well-documented and enchanting reality that has its print on many of the surviving cultures and civilizations of today. There is no better place than Jerusalem to live and experience such a diverse cultural, architectural, demographic, and human mosaic.

To further address Jerusalem tourism competency, consider the cultural and demographic mosaic of Palestine, which can best be explored in the Old City of Jerusalem. This small area brings together a rich mixture of cultures, ways, and traditions. Jerusalem can best be understood through the eyes of this diversity. Gypsy, African, Moroccan, Afghani, Kurdish, Syrian, Egyptian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, and Arab, as well as a multi ethnic Jewish community (just to name a few) all have a story of Jerusalem to tell and, when combined, provide a unique cultural identity that waits to be explored.

In addition, Jerusalem conceals an array of architectural-heritage medleys from Roman times through major empires such as the Byzantines, the Umayyads, the Abbasids, the Crusaders, the Ayyubids, the Mamluks, and the Ottomans. Women have built some of the best monuments and institutions in Jerusalem. Although Arab Islamic society was primarily patriarchal, some women had a clear role in many facets of life, particularly those who were close to the ruling authority, such as princesses, sultan’s wives, or mothers or wives of rulers or influential people.

Tourists visiting Jerusalem. Photo by Tarik Bakri.

The Mamluk era, with its characteristic stability and calm, saw clear activity by women, represented by the establishment of public and private buildings and structures. The largest house or palace representing civil architecture in Jerusalem is attributed to a woman, al-Sitt Tunshuqal-Muzaffariyya. Also, the largest and greatest social charity organization from the Ottoman era, known as Al-Emara al-Amera is attributed to the wife of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman al-Qanuni (Suleiman I or Suleiman the Magnificent). She was famously known as Khassaki Sultan, and her building structure houses what is considered one of the greatest organizations, not only in Jerusalem, but also in Palestine and the Levant.

This uniqueness is what Jerusalem tourism needs. These elements can be integrated in the main current tourism offer, and they can be promoted individually in order to attract niche markets that might fancy the new potential to explore a city such as Jerusalem. Is the Jerusalem Palestinian community up to the challenge?

Raed Saadeh

Greece as a World Heritage site

Meteora, Thessaly

Because of its geographical position, Greece was a crossroad of civilisations that had left their traces everywhere: the architecture of the museums and settlements, miniature art, daily life, nutritional customs and in all forms of popular art in the various regions of the country. The visitor can come into contact with this multihued and impressive mosaic through trips into historical, cultural, artistic and folkloric traditions.

According to the UNESCO’s official website:

"The monuments included on the World Heritage List are selected and approved on the basis of their value as the best examples of human creative genius. They exhibit an important interchange of human values and bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or has disappeared. They are directly linked to important stages in human history and for this reason they have outstanding universal significance and are a part of mankind’s common heritage".