Say Italy! specializes in offering distinctive and exciting culinary and cultural tours of Italy. A one-week Taste of Sicily tour is the first offering this year, to a lovely hillside agriturismo (farm/estate) near the town of Messina. The estate, Torre di Marmora, takes its name from the majestic watchtower on the grounds, built in the 1500's as part of King Charles V of Spain's fortification of Sicily. There are spectacular views from the tower and from all apartment terraces of the breathtaking Tyrrhenian Sea, the Aeolian Islands, and hillsides lush with herbs and wildflowers.

Sicily is a land of rolling hills and mountains covered with lemon, orange, olive, and almond trees and lovely vineyards. You will be immersed in this place of hospitable people, wonderfully simple food, and the beauty of the countryside and surrounding Mediterranean Sea. The island traces its beginning to 1500 BC, and its culture, architecture, and cuisine have been influenced by its many conquerors and rulers, including the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Byzantines, Normans, Spanish, and finally, after the unification of Italy in 1860, the Italians. It is known as "the crossroads of the greatest ancient civilizations".

Please join us for our one-week Taste of Sicily tour! We are delighted to offer you the opportunity to be guests of the Feminó's, a Sicilian family steeped in the tradition of family warmth, wonderful food, smiles, laughter, and conversations of which memories are made. Cooking classes will include time-honored Sicilian recipes handed down through generations and taught by Elena Feminó. Included in your stay will be excursions to the stunning seaside city of Taormina and to the charming city of Santo Stefano di Camastra with its famous ceramics museum, and, depending on the time of year, visits to see winemaking, olive pressing, cheese and bread making, or to picturesque markets for fresh fish or fruits. Enjoy the excellent stable nearby for horseback riding, sun and relax on the beach, or swim in that deep blue sea. There are also tennis courts, a soccer field, and a children's game area within walking distance. Something for everyone!