I am putting together two group trips for 2006, including food, lodging, and transportation. We will use my RX9 hot air balloon to fly while we visit Sicily, Italy. The trip dates for 2007 are: 1) 3/22/07 to 4/3/07, for 10 nights - 11 days, and 2) 4/5/06 to 4/17/07, for 11 nights - 12 days. The tour would be for 12 interested friends per group (possibly 2 to 3 groups), a fellow balloonist and me, for this coming year, end of March and April trips. The temperature ranges between 50 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit that time of the year. Any friends who are interested in joining us, but do not wish to participate in the ballooning, would be welcome and we will accommodate them, too. Please do not bring your own balloons for the trip.

References from 2005 trip:

The Whole Island of Sicily is endowed with historic and natural attractions. Etruscans, Greeks, Romans, Normans, Spanish, Saracens, and other civilizations have all left their mark on this beautiful island. Nature has blessed Sicily with an abundance to see and experience, with its mountains, valleys, caves, caldaras, farms, ranches, vineyards, orchards, beaches, Volcano Islands, and Seaports. Check the links provided below, as it is impossible to explain it in this introduction. The links are directed to places that we may like to visit. However, since we are going to choose where we will go while we are there, you may want to study all of the link's pages. Some links provide information and pictures of the Whole Island. I am open to your questions and suggestions. This trip is not going to be completely prearranged as there are certain factors that will determine our choices, such as weather and distance from point to point on a given day. Exciting, isn't it?

As part of the arrangements, I am shipping my seven-passenger hot air balloon to our hotel in Ralcamuto to fly from the hotel grounds and various other points in the Provinces of Agrigento and Caltanessetta. A twelve-passenger van and a five-passenger pickup truck are going to be used to handle the traveling and other logistics. We will lease another van if we have enough people who do not wish to participate in the balloon excursions but want to join us on the rest of our adventure.

I was born in Grotte and raised by my grandmother. I am able to speak the dialect and regular Italian to an acceptable degree, and have many relatives there. I visited Grotte and many other parts of Sicily in September 1979, March 1995, April 2004, and February of 2005, in which time I made contacts and researched the area. My goal is to establish a permanent ballooning and tour business in the Grotte area by the end of the year 2007.

The town of Grotte (caves) is built on a large hill (collina). It is called Grotte because it is built over many caves that are also common throughout the surrounding area. It is an ancient town with about 8,300 very friendly and welcoming people. Grotte has become very much up-to-date in many ways, with cell phones, great looking cars, beautiful new homes and the like. However it still offers many rustic attractions, Fontanas, traditional shops, cafes, marketplaces, Piazzas, and old churches and buildings. There may still be two or three mules around. It has a spectacular countryside to fly balloons over and virtually open to launching and landing a balloon anywhere (see photos below).

Surrounding Grotte is some of the most natural and fertile agriculture in Europe. The Vineyards are boasted to grow the best eating and wine grapes in the world and are interspersed with citrus groves of Oranges, Lemons, Kiwi and even edible, Prickly Pear Cactus. In addition, many other varieties of fruit are grown there including almonds and olives. Greens, vegetables and diverse produce from local farms, meat from nearby Ranges and fish from the Mediterranean Seaports are brought in fresh daily. All very delicious, natural, and nutritious for our daily consumption along with the locally produced wines, cheeses, breads, and pastries.

Our hotel is called the Hamilton (named after Hamilton Ontario) in Ralcamuto, bordering Grotte, right off the main highway (see link to hotel). The people who own it are paesani (fellow townspeople) of mine and have given me a very good discount on lodging and meals (breakfast and supper). O yeah! Great Pizza, too. They are making other services available for us, including a launch site from the hotel grounds and an English-speaking driver and guide. South of the hotel, approx. 20kms away, are the world-renowned ruins and sites of Agrigento. There are at least a dozen other important points of interest within an hour’s drive in any direction. I have hotel brochures if you need one. Contact me at 508 853 6101 or E-mail me at bellavia63@charter.net to get one.

Amedeo (Mario) Di Stefano