Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job - BBC

In the first episode Amanda and Alan head into the heart of western Sicily to visit their new homes situated in the Medieval town of Salemi, just over an hour from the island’s capital, Palermo. Upon arrival, Amanda and Alan talk fondly of Salemi, aweing at its charm and grandeur, saying “everywhere you look there’s just stunning architecture.” 

After some hard work clearing out the properties Amanda and Alan take a well-earned break with an Aperol Spritz in the quaint town square. Salemi is also home to the marvellous Sicilian marble used for their kitchen’s counter tops and is a desired material all over the world.  

If you want to experience Sicily like the locals and enjoy a slice of Amanda’s Dolce Niente, the art of doing nothing, Salemi is well worth a visit. After some tilemaking for the bathroom, Amanda also enjoyed some local Italian lessons from her new neighbour who runs her own microbrewery in Salemi. Why not grab a drink there on your visit?

For a bustling atmosphere, the island’s capital is definitely worth a visit. This ancient port city and UNESCO World Heritage site is home to Italy’s largest opera house as well as some of the country's best beaches. Due to its southerly location Palermo is one of one of Europe’s warmest cities and guarantees long hot summers.  

While Alan is hard at work, Amanda embraces the local culture and heads to sample some of Palermo’s culinary delights. After some more work to the house, Alan, and Amanda revisit Palermo to do some shopping at local flea market, Piazza Marina, situated by the capital’s harbour.  

The first episode shows the pair travel to Marsala to try some water sports and Amanda and Alan return later to finish their day perfectly at Marsala Salt Pans, famous for the best sunsets in Sicily.  

Amanda goes for an aromatic Sicilian dish, couscous alla trapensese with the locals, before wine hunting here later in the series. Marsala has an interesting old baroque quarter and is famous for its fortified cooking wine, but Sicilians believe Marsala wine is delicious in its own right. Amanda and Alan attend a local wine tasting at a traditional vineyard to find an authentic drink for their kitchen party.  

In their quest to embrace local traditions, Alan arranges another excursion to the Salt Pans of Masala in episode three but this time for a Spa trip. The Phoenicians created the Salt Pans 2,700 years ago and the high concentration of minerals is said to have healing properties. 

Episode five, sees another trip to Marsala as Amanda and Alan visit the gardens of the biggest wine producers in Sicily, 800-acre Donnafugata, to explore and join in with the harvest.   

As the sun sets on another Sicilian day, Alan whisks Amanda to the mountain top town of Erice, allegedly home to the most breath-taking views of the whole west coast of Sicily. This medieval town has 60 churches, 2 castles and is the perfect place to get lost among the ancient, cobbled streets as you explore the area.  

For Alan’s birthday, the pair head to the post-card perfect port of Castellammare del Golfo, renowned for its seafront castle. They enjoyed a private boat trip, with a picnic and dip in the opulent waters. The voyage took them along the Zingaro coastline, a protected nature reserve stretching 7km. 

The series also shows Alan go shopping in the nearby town of Alcamo. This large town has an impressive castle with a wine museum and interesting churches to marvel at.

In a bid for inspiration, Alan heads north of the island to Termini, a town famous for its ancient thermal springs and it is just half an hour from the seaside town of Cefalu.’  Embrace the local culture with a walk through streets lined with craft shops or spend long sun-drenched days on luxurious beaches.

For some creativity and horse riding, the pair head 15 miles south to Selinunte. Famous for its ancient Greek city and rich legacy, Selinunte is worth spending some time wandering around and uncovering its history. Amanda and Alan ride past the Temple of Hera, the goddess of women. This is the biggest archaeological site in Europe.

Alan heads south to Sciacca, the Sicily’s ceramic capital, where stoneware making traditions date back to 200BC. Sciacca is off the beaten track and offers untouched authenticity to visitors. This town is steeped in history and has some interesting sights such as a medieval castle and walled old town with baroque style buildings and a quaint fishing port. 

In episode two, the renovation is well underway and the team head to artistic Menfi for a Sicilian sundowner as they marvel at Sicily’s greenery. 

Explore some of the island's other breath-taking regions.