From Palermo, we traveled south to Agrigento through wheat-growing areas once known as the bread basket of the Roman Empire. En route, we stopped at the Tasca d'Almerita estate of Regaleali. Here we enjoyed an amazing cooking lesson in the cuisine of the area by Fabrizia Lanza, daughter of renowned chef and cook book author Anna Tasca Lanza. She made the preparation look easy, but we all suspected her skill were well honed.

We spent the night in Agrigento in the beautiful Hotel Villa Athena located adjacent to the Valley of the Temples. The temples are Greek dating back to the 5th and 6th century BC and are dedicated to Zeus, Heracles, Concord, Hera and others.

From Agrigento we traveled east to the coastal city of Siracusa. As we traveled east we passed through miles and miles of hot houses reinforcing the agricultural strength of Sicily. En route, we stopped for lunch and a tasting at Donnafugata in the Vittoria wine region. Owned by the Rallo family, this winery moved from fortified Masalas to more "table wines" that helped revolutionize the Sicilian wine trade.