Cooking & Gardening with the Bonajuto Family
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Port
Catania, Sicily, Italy
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All,61
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$189.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 6 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Syracuse sits on the ancient ruins of a Greek city that once rivaled Athens. Visit the city's Greek theatre from the 5th century BC. At the Ear of Denys, encounter the artificial ear that enabled the tyrant Denys to overhear the talk of the prisoners he confined in a lower room. See the Arethusa Fountain and visit the 7th-century cathedral built on the foundations of a former pagan temple.
Cooking & Gardening with the Bonajuto Family
Blessed with an all-consuming passion for good food? Wonderful! This epicurean outing is designed just for you. Visit the Villa Trinità Estate to explore Sicilian cuisine -- a literal melting-pot of Greek, Spanish, French and Arab influences. Married with a bounty of local fish and home-grown vegetables, these create a delicious culinary culture.
Make your pilgrimage to the town of Mascalucia, six miles north of Catania and perched on the slopes of Mount Etna. Roman farmers once tilled the soil here before it was buried under volcanic lava during the 1382 eruption. Centuries later, the Bonajuto family purchased the land and the 17th-century villa and, today, the soil has blossomed with new life.
You'll meet the owners of the estate and tour the garden, which boasts a large collection of palm trees, succulents, flowers, shrubs, exotic fruit trees and a citrus grove. Then, join Salvatore and his wife, Donna Maria, for a cooking demonstration. Many time-honored Sicilian recipes are influenced by the island's various conquerors and thus include rice, saffron, raisins, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, pine nuts, cinnamon, and olives.
Enjoy lunch in the villa's relaxing garden setting and, if time permits, relax around the private swimming pool in the quiet of the Barone Bonajuto Estate, accompanied by hearty Etna wine and lively conversation.
Take home wonderful memories and a recipe that you can share with friends and family.
Notes:
Wear comfortable walking shoes. Mt Etna is an active volcano and erupts on a regular basis; participate at your own risk.