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Destination: Sicily

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Video: Cruising to a Carthaginian Stronghold in Sicily

Our Best of Sicily Tour group sails through salt flats and across a lagoon. Our destination: the fabled island of Mozia, 2,500 years ago a Carthaginian stronghold. Before this visit, I knew nothing about the impact of Carthage in Europe (in part because losers don’t get to write history). Mozia — a name I had never heard of — is a fine example of how many surprising charms and treasures Europe hides…even for a guy who’s supposed to know this continent.

This is Day 10 of my A Hundred Days in Europe series. As I travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences in Sicily, Naples and the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Portugal, Paris, Ireland, the heart of England, Scotland, Germany’s Black Forest, Alsace, the great cities of Switzerland, and more. I never know exactly what’s next…but it’s always fascinating and inspiring. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: Sicilian Churches: A Chronicle of Drought, Pestilence, and War

At the western tip of Sicily, Erice’s church is stony on the outside, lacy on the inside. While the Romantic, uber-Gothic interior only dates from the late 1800s, the church itself is clearly much older. Exploring the church, I find a plaque listing the handful of times in the last 500 years when impending disasters merited taking the town’s top relic down from the altar and parading it through town to gain God’s favor and be spared the ravages of drought, pestilence, and war.

This is Day 9 of my A Hundred Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences in Sicily, Naples and the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Portugal, Paris, Ireland, the heart of England, Scotland, Germany’s Black Forest, Alsace, the great cities of Switzerland, and more. I never know exactly what’s next…but it’s always fascinating and inspiring. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: A Sicilian Lunch with Maria

An exciting dimension of our Best of Sicily in 11 Days Tour is a daily banquet of delicious, fresh, and seasonal local cuisine. Here’s an example of the meals our guide, Alfio, is dishing up almost daily — as introduced by our host and chef, Maria Grammatico. Maria is a legendary cook in Erice (on the far-western tip of Sicily), and she was delighted to introduce us to her favorite dishes. The African influence (couscous in Italy?) is a reminder that we’re just 100 miles from Tunisia — home of the once-upon-a-time rulers of this region, the Carthaginians. The few seconds at the end of this clip, when our entire group digs in, really captures the experience.

This is Day 8 of my A Hundred Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences in Sicily, Naples and the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Portugal, Paris, Ireland, the heart of England, Scotland, Germany’s Black Forest, Alsace, the great cities of Switzerland, and more. I never know exactly what’s next…but it’s always fascinating and inspiring. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: Greek Temples of Italy

I’m three days into the Rick Steves’ Europe Best of Sicily in 11 Days Tour, and each day has been filled with learning. I love being steep on the travelers’ learning curve. And for me, Sicily is a land of eurekas. Our tour just enjoyed our guide’s explanation of a majestic Greek-style temple. Here’s a quick summary of what I learned.

This is Day 5 of my A Hundred Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences all across Europe. I never know exactly what’s next…but it’s always fascinating and inspiring. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: The Piazza Is Where It’s At

Since ancient Roman times, the piazza has been integral to the fabric of Italian life. Here, in the land of a thousand bell towers, it seems every person is in love with the sound of their own town’s church bells…and feels at home with their neighbors on the piazza. The tour guide for my Best of Sicily in 11 Days Tour, Alfio di Mauro, explains why.

This is Day 5 of my A Hundred Days in Europe series. As I lead tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences all across Europe. I never know exactly what’s next…but it’s always fascinating and inspiring. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.