Sicily & Naples with Michael Schwartz

Benvenuto a Sicily! We meet up with Michael and our fellow adventurers in historic Catania, then dive right into the epic market scene. We’ll sample some of Sicily’s finest street foods as fishmongers hawk fresh swordfish and octopus hauled in overnight, followed by a local trattoria lunch.

Afterwards, we head to nearby Siracusa, a seaside wonder basking in 2,700 years of history with deep Greek, Roman, Byzantine and North African influences. We’ll have free time to wander through ancient sites like the monumental (still in-use) Greek theater—built in a hillside for perfect acoustics over 2,000 years ago—and around dreamy Ortigia, the cobblestone island that still lives like a village. Later, we’ll regroup and join the locals on a passeggiata, or evening walk, on the promenade for an unforgettable first sunset together over the Mediterranean on way to a for an unforgettable welcome dinner at elegant, impeccable Ristorante Dom Camillo.

After a grand breakfast, we explore nearby hill towns with sloping alleyways and sun-kissed cathedrals, each as rewarding, and historic, as the next. In Ragusa, we get a full-on exposé of traditional Sicilian cheeses at the CoRFiLaC Laboratory, where we find out how to taste cheese like pros and see all stages of the best Sicilian cheesemaking.

Next is a meet-up at one of Italy’s most respected tomato growers, Casa Morana, where we’ll learn how they make epic tomato sauce and sit down to a picnic lunch on the farm. Then we stop in Modica to cap off lunch with something sweet, before returning to Siracusa to explore its lit-up lanes on our own.

After breakfast, we pack our things and move our Sicilian adventure to an active volcano over twice the size of Mt Vesuvius. At nearly 11,000 feet, Mt Etna is a towering green mountain that sometimes glows red. We’ll hike its craggy fissures with a local volcanologist who shares the ins and outs of Etna’s fascinating history.

Appetites worked up, we’ll move on to one of the area’s top-notch vineyards set atop the volcano’s slopes with panoramic views. At Tenuta San Michele, we’ll meet the winemaker, sip juicy reds and rich whites, then lunch on the best charcuterie and aged sun-dried tomatoes under the golden Sicilian sun. For the night, we’re sticking around Etna’s shadow. We set up in an intimate boutique hotel in a village at the volcano’s foot, where we can toast our day under a starlit sky.

Don’t sleep in today! Rise early for breakfast as the morning mist hangs over the volcano. Then pack up a sun hat, as we begin the day with a private boat ride along the breathtaking rocky shorelines and beaches of the Ionian Sea. It’s surreal scenery, as we see inside Grotta Azzurra, a sea cave with crystalline waters that glow blue. We enjoy a specially prepared lunch at sea, then dock to explore the lovely historic city of Taormina’s medieval lanes and churches, and its epic hilltop Greek theater with a full coastline panorama below.

We’ll have an afternoon full of Taormina’s endless appeal. Sit with an espresso in vibrant piazzas, browse shops in the alleys bursting with life, pop into a Gothic cathedral, and take some gelato to cliff-hugging terraces overlooking the sea. We’ll return to our hotel by the volcano for another star-lit night under Mt Etna’s gaze.

Our adventure of southern Italy moves on today, as we catch a short internal flight to a buzzing Mediterranean capital under the watch of Mt Vesuvius. We’ll jump right into Naples’ irresistible energy with a chef-led tour of its iconic regional dishes including, of course, its most famous creation: pizza! We’ll stop to savor slices at Naples’ most beloved pizzerias and learn the history of the world’s favorite pie alongside tastes of regional specialties and sfogliatella pastries.

Naples is a blast after dark, and the evening is yours to explore its hipster bars with DJs spinning vinyl, and cozy intimate restaurants with wine lists as long as the night. Enjoy!

After breakfast we’ll find more of Naples’ storied appeal outside our door, and learn why Neapolitan pizza is not just to-go street food—it’s an art form, with a rich history dating back to the 1700s. The ‘modern’ pizza was invented here in 1889, when King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples. The story goes that a local baker crafted a pizza in honor of the queen, with colors inspired by the Italian flag: red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella), and green (basil leaves)… and so the classic Neapolitan pizza was born! We’ll sit for an immersive, hands-on pizza making course with a wood-fired oven to craft different types of Neapolitan pizza, alongside Michael and a local pizzailo (pizza maker). Have your appetite ready.

For dinner, we’re the star guests at one of Naples’ top restaurants, Michelin-starred Palazzo Petrucci in Posillipo, where we’ll settle in for unforgettable courses and plenty of wine to toast our journey together. The night ends whenever it ends!

This morning, we’ll breakfast together and then say goodbye to Michael, pack up all we’ve collected, along with new memories, and head to the airport. Ciao!