Sicily for food and wine.
Sicily is one the best Mediterranean island destinations, even if you
don’t consider it a gastronomic attraction. You’ll enjoy fabulous food
with lashings of rich history and culture against a stunning natural
backdrop. Strolling through any of the local food and produce
markets is an experience in itself as you are confronted with
beautifully presented fish, fruit, vegetables and even packaged
delights. Sicilians love their food and wine and you’ll find their
passion translates into the many restaurants, cafes and bars.
Acclaimed food and wine author, Sally Hammond, author of “Just a
Little Italian” explains why she loves Sicily.
“Sicily has been over-run and colonised by many nations over its
long history. Ancient Greeks and Romans, Goths, Vikings, Turks,
Spanish and North Africans have all had a hand in the mixing pot
which now constitutes Sicilian cuisine.
“So in western Sicily you’ll see signs announcing couscous is being
served that day, in the south, it’s almond granita (a flaky ice) and a
sort of brioche for breakfast, and some of the best chocolate, while
everywhere there are food markets that would be at home in the
Middle East.
“In the countryside expect to see prickly pear laden with red fruit
on the roadside and olive and orange groves. Sicily is a fragrant,
colourful, absolutely delicious island.”
Palermo and Messina are the popular ports, but cruises also stop
at Catania. Well serviced by all the major cruise lines like MSC, Costa
Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, and NCL.
Official tourism site: www.italia.it/en/discover-italy/sicily.html.
Réunion for dramatic scenery.
Characterised by an aggressive, still active volcanic landscape,
Réunion is the Hawaii of the Indian Ocean with towering, thickly
wooded peaks and a couple of decent beaches.
Almost overlooked by its better publicised Indian Ocean neighbours,
Mauritius and Madagascar, Réunion is small enough to be romantic
and civilised enough to offer a comfortable, European style experience.
After all, it is part of France, yet with a sultry and tropical Creole
flavour.
Réunion’s interesting, predominantly French colonial history, serves
as a fascinating counterpoint to the jaw-dropping terrain on this 2500
square kilometre island. A ‘must-do’ among the serious trekking
community, it is mentioned in the same breath as the Himalayas and
New Zealand, with the three “cirques” (natural amphitheatres)
providing stunning venues for energetic strolls. The Cirque de Salazie,
the Cirque de Cilaos and the Cirque de Mafate each evolved from the
original Piton des Neiges volcano (3000m) that formed the island.
There is also fascinating hiking around the still-active Piton de la
Fournaise, a shield volcano on the eastern end which rises more than
2631 metres.
Most of the population is arranged around the coastal perimeter, but
three tiny villages form superb little micro-destinations on their own;
Cilaos, Salazie and La Nouvelle (in the Cirque de Mafate), which is only
accessible only by foot or helicopter.
There are around thirty cruise visits to the island annually with P&O,
MSC and Silversea the most regular. The main port is Pointe des Galets.
Official tourism site: www.reunion.fr/en/.
