Food lovers will embrace Sicily with its abundance of fruit, vegetables and stunning seafood.

Our journey started in Palermo at the Hilton Villa Igiea www.villaigiea.hilton.com a landmark property and an oasis in this bustling and chaotic city. Designed by architect Ernesto Basile, the hotel is a good example of Art Nouveau and the stunning gardens provide an exceptional view of the water.

Seafood stands pop up frequently along Palermo’s roadsides and the large vegetable market was a sight to behold. A particularly good place for Sicilian food is Bellotero, where a starter portion of pasta is the equivalent to a meal. I also witnessed some of the most amazing pasta dishes being served out of tiny windows in alleyways.

After a few days we journeyed along the west coast toward Agrigento, home of the Valley of the Temples, an absolutely stunning site to experience just as you approach the city. It’s one of the best examples of Greater Greece, with 5^th century BC Doric temples.

Not far from Agrigento was Mandranova, www.mandranova.it/ a working olive farm that would be our home for the week. Our hosts Silvia and Giuseppe di Vincenzo have incorporated many modern touches in the old buildings and have done a remarkable job of restoring others, including two villas on the property and a B&B.

Guests who stay for dinner dine outside in a lovely courtyard. Siliva provides comforting local dishes that epitomize the Mediterannean diet and guests have an opportunity to take classes with her in the afternoon, the results of which go toward the evening meal. Their olive oils are always available at the table and in the kitchen, and Giuseppe ceremoniously drizzles it on your plate at dinner so that you can dip your bread in it. The local wine offerings are particularly good.

Mandranova was a good home base for the week and enabled us to venture to such seaside towns as Licata, where we had a spectacular meal at  L’Oste e il Sacrastano www.losteeilsacrastano.it, and San Leone, a bustling seaside spot on weekends.  We enjoyed fabulous gelato and a wonderful meal at  Trattoria Caico.  The chef/owner displayed platters of just-caught, fresh fish that would be prepared for dinner.

Inland, one of Sicily’s historial gems is Villa Romana del Casale which houses some of the best preserved mosaics in the world.  Nearby is Morgantina, an archeological site that dates from the 3^rd century BC.  It’s a former Greek city that was at the height of its powers in the 4^th century BC.

On our last evening we dined in the little seaside town of Cinisi, close to the Palermo airport.  What a way to end our trip -- with the best meal we had during our time in Sicily. Award-winning chef Giuseppe Costa of Ristorante Il Bavaglin prepared a seven-course tasting menu that featured the best ingredients Sicily has to offer.