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Sicily is a big island, many toursits coming in groups often
making bus tours bringing them in a few days all over the island
rushing to see the most famous spots. On this tour we would like
you to enjoy places on the island that is out of the usual tourist
flows and see how people leave in smaller villages combining this
with some of the most famous places to see in the west part of
the island.
The Greeks built many Doric temples and magnificent theatres,
the Normans went on building with the Arabic and Byzantine traditions
creating amazing works of art which are decorated with fantastic
gold mosaics in Bizantine style after the Arabic iWe nfluence.
Day 1 Arrival
Arrival to Palermo airport, transfer to hotel check in and dinner
together
Day 2 Palermo – Monreale.
 start
the day with a sightseeing in the centre by local guide visiting
Cappella Palatina within Palazzo dei Normanni, where we find the
mixture of Byzantine and Arabic art. The Mosaics are considered
among the most important in Europe.
We'll make a visit in the art museum and after a lunch together
we drive to Monreale for a visit in the impressive Dome, where
one of the main attraction is the mosaic from 1100-1200 which
tells of happenings from the Old and New Testaments.
Day 3 Marsala - Erice - Segesta
Today we make an excursion towards the west coast in the area
of Marsala where you see wide shining fields where salt is produced
from the sea water, in the nackground you get a glimpse of the
Egadi islands. The famous wine Marsala is produced in this area
and we stop at a well known producer to make a tasting of the
wine combined with the local dishes. In the afternoon before returning
we drive up to the top of the mountain overlooking Trapani and
stop in the charming village of Erice known for ceramic production.
We make a stop halfway to Palermo to visit the imposing temple
of Segesta, evening and dinner on your oen in Palermo.
Day 4 Palermo
We start the day by another interesting sightseeing with local
guide, visiting the church La Martorana where there is a mosaic
showing Christ that puts the crown to Roger II.
The rest of the morning is left for free time for shopping and
why not pay a visit to the picturesque market "La Vucciria"
where you can enjoy Sicilian daily life activities and by Sicilian
specialities.
Day 5 Madonia and Castelbuono
 Today
we travel to the east up in the mountains to an area that today
is nature reserve, "Le Madonie". There are several medieval
villages and modern way of leaving has developed slowly compared
to bigger cities, this has an influence on the food traditions
so here you can enjoy dishes that you hardly find in any other
place on the island.
 Many
artisans still practice their work as they have done for centuries
and many survive on toursim, agricolture, olive oil production,
wine making, but one of the most interesting productions is the
so called "Manna" wich is taken from the linfatic liquid
of the trees. Making a cut in the bark of the trees a violet liquid
comes out but when it comes in contact with the air it quicly
hardens and becomes white and with a sweet taste. A producer will
meet us and bring us to a plantation to shoe us how the work is
done and what products are made with it.
Our visit ends with a lunch together in Castelbuono at a monastery
where we drink the wines produced and the typical food products
of this area.
Day 6 Selinunte - Mazara del Vallo
Today we make an excursion to the south where we make a very interesting
stop in Selinunte with ruins from With its eight Greek
temples dating from the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. and the
nearby Temple of Demeter Selinunte is one of the largest and most
important historical sites in Sicily. It lies on the southwest
coast on terraces sloping steeply down to the sea. The Acropolis
on the western terrace and the as yet unexcavated town to its
north lie between two small rivers, the Selinus (now the Modione)
in the west and the Hypsas (now the Gorgo di Cottone) in the east;
the harbors at their mouths have long since silted up.
After this visit we drive to Mazara del Vallo a town in
southwestern Sicily, which lies mainly on the left bank at the
mouth of the Mazaro river, administratively part of the province
of Trapani. It is an agricultural and fishing centre and its port
gives shelter to the largest fishing fleet in Italy.
We have our farewell lunch in a fantastic restaurant in the historical
centre and drive back to Palermo in the afternoon.
Day 7 Departure
Private bus bring us to Palermo airport.
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svenska 
Sicily western tour