Travel Agent Review: Italy Luxury Tour, Puglia & Sicily, Architecture, Chapels, Jeep Tour, Food & Culture, Neighborhoods

It's difficult to say what was most enjoyable or memorable since the entire experience was very special. Our driver in Puglia showed us such great warmth and hospitality that we felt as though we were visiting with a friend.  Knowing that we were interested in photography, our driver took us to some terrific locations and chose scenic routes whenever possible.  We were pleasantly surprised by the variety of sights in Puglia, from the Baroque architecture of Lecce to the trulli of Alberobello, the white village of Ostuni to the Byzantine chapel of Otranto, and the lovely coastline of Polignano a Mare, there was so much to see.  A particular highlight was our day trip to Matera in neighboring Basilicata.... a remarkable piece of ancient culture and history.  
Then there was Sicily..... the extraordinary Palatine Chapel in Palermo, the ancient castle or Erice and the Greek temple of Segesta, all memorable.  We loved the hotel villa in Agrigento, the temple view from our room, and a lobster risotto that is the stuff of dreams!  Siracusa and the historic center of Ortigya were easily explored on foot from our hotel, and we spent the day happily wandering and discovering.  Finally, from Taormina we took a full day Jeep tour of Mt Etna with a visit to a winery and a delicious lunch, the perfect relaxing end to our trip.