Caroline S Lawrence & Jeni Caruana Painting Workshop 3-day Sicily tour : 27 – 29 May 2016

27

May

22:39

Paint Malta and Go Sicily Travel proudly present this unique painting experience in the province of Siracusa in Sicily, where participants will be tutored by renowned Malta-based artists Jeni Caruana & Caroline S Lawrence, with the objective of returning back to Malta with two works of art depicting Sicily life, culture, scenery and people. Participants will have around 15 contact hours with one of the artists and may be accompanied by non-painting participants who will be able to avail themselves of an alternative programme during the painting sessions.

Jeni Caruana (www.jenicaruana.com)

CS Lawrence (www.paintmalta.com)

Full Programme

Friday 27 May 2016

05:00 Meet at Virtu Ferries port terminal

06:30 Departure on board catamaran for Pozzallo

08:30 Arrival at Pozzallo port. We then take a short coach trip to Marina di Modica in the town of Pozzallo for breakfast.

08:45 Arrival in Marina di Modica for cappuccino and cannolo (included in price).

09:15 Departure to Floridia

10:15 Arrival at our hotel, the 4**** I Monasteri Golf Resort (www.imonasterigolfresort.com) in Floridia, just outside Siracusa. After putting our luggage into secure storage, we will have a brief tour of the hotel, which is a converted Benedictine monastery, and its grounds, following which the painting participants will be given a preparatory talk by the art tutors and then be free to choose a spot from which to start their painting.

13.00 Packed lunch will be served.

14:00 Check in and allocation of rooms (The hotel will allow free early check in into the rooms subject to availability on the day). All participants will then have free time to rest.

Programme for painting participants:

16.00 Continuation of painting project under the guidance of the art tutors.

19:30 Dinner at the hotel     

Programme for non-painting participants:

16:00 Departure to Palazzolo Acreide.

16:30 Arrival in Palazzolo Acreide. Visit to the archaeological area and also to the historical centre of this UNESCO world heritage town. Time to visit the famous Dolceria Infantino, known for its exquisite local pastries.

18:30 Departure to the hotel

19:00 Arrival at the hotel

19:30 Dinner at the hotel

Saturday 28 May 2016

07:30 Buffet Breakfast at the hotel. Free time at the hotel to enjoy its grounds and facilities.

Painters will have two options:

Continue painting in the Monastery grounds or going to paint in Noto.

09:00 Departure to Noto

09:45 Arrival in Noto, which was built after the devastating 1693 earthquake and is now a UNESCO World Heritage town famous for its baroque architecture. Our Sicily-specialized tour manager will accompany us on a short 30 minute orientation of the historical centre, where we will see the Porta Reale city gate, the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the Palazzo Ducezio, the Duomo di San Nicola, the Via Nicolaci, where the famous annual Infiorata flower festival is held on the third weekend of May, the Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata and the Chiesa del Montevergine, as also various picturesque streets, courtyards and alleyways of this pretty town. The two artists and our tour manager will then guide participants as required to choose particular spots for participants’ Noto painting project. Non-painting participants will then visit the Monastery of Santa Chiara, the Palazzo Ducezio and its intriguing Hall of Mirrors, the Teatro Comunale and the old headquarters of the noble Modica di San Giovanni family.

13:00 Lunch in Noto (included in price) at the Cantina Modica di San Giovanni in the prestigious Via Nicolaci. The building used to serve as the administrative offices of the Modica di San Giovanni noble family and is now a trendy wine bar and trattoria. Lunch will consist of antipasto, a plate of pasta, dessert and coffee, followed by the award winning Moscato di Noto dessert wine produced by the Cantina Modica di San Giovanni. Free flowing local wine and mineral water during lunch.

The painting participants

14:15 The painting participants will continue with their painting projects.

17:15 Departure to the Hotel

The non-painting participants

 14.45: The non-painting participants will depart to Noto Antica, the old town of Noto which was destroyed in the devastating earthquake of 1693. Here we will see the beautiful Hermitage and Church of Santa Maria della Providenza, immersed in the beautiful countryside, before reaching Noto Antica, where we will go for a walk among the ruins of this once proud city. Return to Noto to meet the painting participants and have time for coffee in Noto.

17:15 Departure to the Hotel

17:45 Arrival at the Hotel, followed by free time at the Hotel

20:00 Dinner at the Hotel

Sunday 29 May 2016

07:30 Buffet Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Check out from the hotel and departure to Marzamemi.

09:45 Arrival in Marzamemi, a laid-back fishing village by day and also a vibrant meeting place. Orientation with the historical centre, including the cute alleyways, the main square with the two churches of San Francesco di Paola, the “Tonnara”, the rustic houses – some old and derelict which were once used as homes by the fishing community of Marzamemi and others done up and converted into chic and trendy restaurants, pubs, open-air bars, art galleries and self-catering holiday houses – as also the view over the Gulf of Syracuse.

Pinting participants

The two artists and our tour manager will then guide participants as required to choose particular spots for participants’ Marzamemi painting project. Non-painting participants will visit a traditional fisherman’s warehouse selling various types of local delicacies, including bottarga di tonno, cheeses, wines, chocolate, dried tomatoes and much more, followed by free time in Marzamemi.

13:00 6-course fish-based lunch (included in price) at a typical waterside restaurant in Marzamemi, consisting of Antipasto, plate of pasta, main course with contorno, dessert, coffee and liquer.

Painting participants

14.30. Painting participants will continue with their Marzamemi painting project

For non-painting participants:

14:30: Non-painting participants will visit the nearby Riserva Naturale del Vendicari, a fabulous nature reserve bordering the blue Mediterranean and, if we are lucky, we will be able to see at close hand the pink flamingoes which inhabit the tranquility of this nature reserve. We will also walk towards the old tonnara (tuna farm) and the old Norman tower. Return to Marzamemi and free time for a coffee and to meet the painting participants.

19:00 Departure towards Pozzallo and embarkation on catamaran

21:30 Departure to Malta..

23:15 Arrival in Malta

For all participants

Return Malta-Pozzallo-Malta catamaran trip

Covering costs of:

All taxes and port charges

*2 nights at 4**** I Monasteri Golf Resort (www.imonasterigolfresort.com) on half board basis in twin or double room

City tax on hotel stay

*3 course dinner at the hotel on Friday and Saturday, including unlimited local wine and mineral water Lavish buffet breakfast at the hotel on Saturday and Sunday morning.

*4 course lunch at the Cantina Modica di San Giovanni in Noto on Saturday, consisting of antipasto, a plate of pasta, dessert and coffee, followed by the award winning Moscato di Noto dessert wine produced by the Cantina Modica di San Giovanni. Free flowing local wine and mineral water.

*6-course fish-based lunch (included in price) at a typical waterside restaurant in Marzamemi on Sunday, consisting of Antipasto, plate of pasta, main course with contorno, dessert, coffee and liquer.

*Capucchino, Tea or Coffee and Cannolo (or similar) from a dolceria in Marina di Modica on Friday morning

*All coach transfers

*Service of experienced Go Sicily Travel group leader Mario Spiteri CPA

*And 15 hours Artist Tution fee all inclued.

Price: €595 per person includes:

Single Supplement: € 25 per night

2014 Trip to Modica Sicily