Sicily, Land of The “Godfather”

Sicily plays a major role in every gangster movie I’ve ever seen but few people know that it is the place to see some of the best preserved Greco-Roman sights in the Mediterranean. And people also rave about the excellent food and wine (including my daughter’s Venetian father-in-law).

It takes a little searching to find a tour that:

- Is relatively inexpensive; and

- Includes more walking and hiking than just sitting on a bus

With that in mind, I went looking in my favorite “Explore” catalog to see what they had in Sicily. There it was….an offer we couldn’t refuse. A 10-day trip called “Classical Sicily” starting in Syracusa (no, not Syracuse, NY) and ending in Taormina with a stop at Corleone (there really is such a place), the center of the “Godfather Region.” It included day-hiking, and was just long enough to hit the major sites…this was for me!

We’ve taken 14 trips with Explore over the years, a U.K.-based tour operator with vast numbers of destinations around the world. Their trips are reasonable and we always enjoy traveling with the “Brits.”

Booked through Adventure Center, an American representative for several U.K. tour companies. You can book directly on the Internet with either Adventure Center or Explore – costs are the same either way. We started working with Adventure Center about 10 years ago, B.I. (Before Internet) and have continued booking through them.

But now, how do we get there?…