As we left Agrigento and headed to our first wine tasting at Occhipinti the sun was not shining, in fact it was our first, and not our last, day of rain. That did not dampen our spirits. Arianna Occhipinti, the owner, has worked in the wine industry since the age of 16 and by age 22 started labeling her own wines. She is known for her SP68 red wine which is a blend of two varieties. We had the pleasure to taste both her white and red wines. You might want to try to buy some of her wines which are available in the states at select wine stores..
After our delightful tasting we headed east to Siracusa and our new resort hotel: Grand Hotel Minareta for the next two nights.
We arrived and it was still raining but not enough to stop us from exploring this seaside resort. Our view was overlooking the waters. Siracusa at night was splendid. This resort offered us a rocky beach, a jacuzzi terrace, pool, a spa and beautiful gardens among the 77 rooms which offer terraces so one can watch the sunsets in the evenings. You can venture into town or dine at the resort. What more could one expect, but maybe some sunshine.
Siracusa has much to offer its tourists. One can use this town to visit other nearby towns such as Noto and Raguso and Catania
Our first morning began with a tour of the archeological park. We waiting in the market area for the downpour to stop and when it did we walked the short distance to the park. Within the park is a Greek Theatre, a deep quarry called the Latomia del Pariadso and a huge cave called the Ear of Dionysius ( in Italian it is Orecchio de Dionisio).
There was more to see but we decided to head to Noto to explore this Baroque town and come back to Siracusa later in the afternoon to visit the cathedral.
The beautify in this town is in the golden colored stone buildings with wonderful facades and fancy balconies. Here is where I took everyone for an arancini tasting and then on to Café Sicilia for the best gelato tasting ever. We were delighted to meet Corrado Assenza the owner who has appeared on Chef’s table episode 2. I encourage you to watch it!
