A free night in Sicily sounds amazing. Booking it is complicated.

BY ANDREA SACHS The Washington Post

If you’re considering a trip to Italy — and you have deep reserves of patience — Sicily’s tourism office will pay for a chunk of your stay to include the dreamy Mediterranean island in your plans.

Under its See Sicily program, Visit Sicily offers a free night’s stay, a complimentary excursion and a discount on an airfare or ferry ticket. After the tourism office unveiled the travel promotion two years ago, it’s back for 2023.

Andiamo, right? Not so fast.

The deal is riddled with confusing details and caveats, including two blackout months in the summer. I spent days trying to arrange a test booking before making any progress.

Visit Sicily created the package to boost tourism, which withered during the coronavirus pandemic. Compared to 2019 figures, tourism in Italy fell by 61 percent in 2020 and 58 percent in 2021, according to the U.N. World Travel Organization. In 2019, about 65 million people visited one of the world’s top tourist destinations.

The deal, which is outlined on Visit Sicily’s website, seems straightforward enough. Book two nights at any of the dozens of participating accommodations and receive a third night free. You can also double the rewards with two free nights on a sixnight stay.

Additionally, you get to choose a “tourist service,” such as a guided walking tour or a diving trip. As a further incentive, the tourism office will throw in a voucher that claims to cover 50 percent of your air or ferry expenses.

But don’t start packing your Dolce & Gabbana caftan yet. You’re about to begin trading emails with travel agents working on Italian time.

The fine print for See Sicily offers

The promotion runs through Sept. 30, but July and August, two of Sicily’s most popular months, are blacked out. Some of the lodgings, which range from hotels and apartment rentals to bed-and-breakfasts and campsites, are closed during the slow season covering parts of winter and spring.

One of the most notable — and burdensome — requirements is that you must book through a travel agency in Sicily.

The math for the travel discount also does not add up. According to the website, the rebate is capped at $109 for domestic or continental flights and $217 for international airfare. That won’t cover half of most transatlantic tickets, which can cost about $900 in the offseason and $1,600 or more in the summer.

“Overall, it’s probably not worth all the effort,” said Steve Perillo, president and owner of Perillo Tours, a New Jersey-based tour operator that specializes in Italy, “and it has to be booked directly with Sicilian travel agents or hotels, and who knows what exchange rate they’ll charge your credit card.”

Of course, any travel deal, especially one for Sicily, which is known for its ancient ruins, silky beaches, caponata and Marsala wine, is worth some effort. Or at least an attempt.

“To some people this would be an attractive promotion,” said Ann Castagna Morin, an Italian American travel adviser based in Massachusetts, “[like] independent travelers who are comfortable exploring on their own.”

What happens when you try to book

The tourism office provides a long list of travel agencies affiliated with the deal; some even have “See Sicily” in their email address. The companies are organized by city, such as Palermo, Enna and Trapani. When I unleashed my first dozen inquiries, I received one response.

The agency reiterated the package details, including the confounding bit about the discount, and asked me about my vacation style (active, relaxed, foodie), preferred category of lodging (depending on the number of meals) and choice of outings: an “exciting” trek up Mount Etna or a city walking tour?

I immediately replied, but I never heard back from the company that signed off as the “Take it slowly Team.” (The tourism office sporadically emailed me back but several of my questions remain unanswered, such as further clarification of the travel voucher.)

I submitted another round of inquiries the following evening, so Sicily would welcome the new day with messages from me.

I eagerly opened an email from Ulisse Tour Operator in Palermo. Anna Maria Ulisse advised me to research flights and share my findings with her, so that she could book it. But she never replied to my follow-up questions.

The next night, aware of the desperation creeping into my text, I tried again, hitting up a new batch of agents.

I scored the most success this time around. One agent replied, confirming my email address. Dimensione Sicilia in Catania sent me tantalizing videos of the island and of a self-drive tour, plus a few itinerary ideas.

“You could spend the 3 nights in Palermo, the capital city, very [rich] in art and monuments and have a free visit of Palermo or spend the 3 nights in Catania, the second most important city and get an excursion on Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe or visit the lovely Taormina,” Daisy, an employee, suggested.

For Tineke Younger, cooking was more than something to learn. It was

The 21-year-old admits she was Walkersville High School — until she was introduced to a culinary program. Now, Younger is on her way to see if she’s got what it takes to be the “Next Level Chef.”

Younger has been cast in the second season competition, which premieres Feb. 12. The show also is available on “Next Level Chef” is hosted by celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsey, Nyesha

Richard Blais with a top prize of $250,000 and a year of mentorship with the

Younger, along with 17 other contestants, are split into teams, with each mentor groups. She was placed on

The stage is set up in three levels: a top kitchen (with the best appliances and kitchen tools), a standard commercial kitchen and “the basement,” where the stove barely works and chefs lack standard appliances. Every round is themed and the contestants have 30 seconds to grab ingredients from a large platform. The top kitchen gets first pick, while the basement contestants have to take whatever is left.

All of the final dishes are tasted by the judges. The best dish overall saves the entire team. The remaining two teams’ mentors must choose a chef who then competes by creating a dish, and one is eliminated. This continues until the last chef is left standing.

Cooking Up A Career

During her sophomore year, Younger visited Frederick County Public Schools Career and Technology Center to shadow the cosmetology school.

“I had terrible grades, and I just wanted to find a passion for something,” Younger said during a phone interview from her home in Augusta, Georgia. Unfortunately, cutting hair wasn’t it. “I absolutely hated it,” she said. “I was like, ‘This is not for me,’ and on my way out, I smelled the food down the hallway.”

That’s when she inquired about the school’s culinary program and was told students get to miss half a day of school — and eat, which sounded like a win-win to her.

She returned to the school, this time to shadow the culinary program, and said it was love at first sight. She applied, was accepted, and started the program during her junior year.

“Everything changed. I had been getting Ds and Fs. I even got a D in PE. I wasn’t applying myself. I didn’t care about school,” she said. “As soon as I found out that I was actually good at cooking and it was something I liked, my grades turned around. My behavior also turned around, because I wasn’t the best kid. I was getting in trouble and [sent to] the principal’s office. But my behavior turned for the good, because I found my passion.”

After CTC, Younger continued her culinary education at Frederick Community College Monroe Center: Hospitality, Culinary & Tourism Institute.

She graduated in 2022.

Before her training, she said she cooked basic dishes, like spaghetti and chicken breast. She hadn’t even cooked a steak before she started at FCC. She still remembers the first meal she was proud of.

“It’s so stupid,” she said with a laugh. “I made a California club sandwich. I have pictures of it because I was so proud of it. Looking back, I’m like, it’s literally a sandwich, girl.”

Tiktok Star

In 2021, while working at a restaurant and going to school, Younger rebranded her TikTok page. One night she asked her boyfriend what he wanted to eat. He said steak and mac-and-cheese. When she began cooking, she decided to record herself.

“I thought it would just be fun, so I recorded it and posted it the next day,” she said. “It was 14 million views and I had gained 300,000 followers. It blew up over Twitter, over Instagram, over Snapchat. It was insane. Celebrities were reaching out.”

The most views she’s gotten on a post was 25 million for a fried chicken sandwich she made for her boyfriend.

With a 27,000 following, Younger caught the attention of the producers of FOX’s competition show “Next Level Chef” for its second season. They reached out to her and told her they thought she would be a good contestant. After graduating HCIT, Younger had landed a job at Disney Culinary Internship Program and was just two weeks from starting at Disney World when she received that call.

“It was a decision I had to make, but it was a pretty easy decision,” she said.

Younger admitted she hadn’t seen the show before she said yes but quickly binged the first season in a week. She also prerecorded a bunch of videos so her fans wouldn’t question where she was while “Next Level Chef” was being filmed.

A week later, Younger was in Las Vegas and competing with the other contestants — a mixture of trained chefs and home cooks turned social media influencers.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been starstruck before, but I couldn’t control myself … I was like, oh my gosh — I’ve been watching Gordon Ramsay since I was 8 years old.’ I was watching ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and ‘Master Chef’ and ‘Master Chef Junior,’ and Gordon Ramsay is in front of me and he’s about to taste my food in a few minutes. This is nerve-racking.”

As a member of Team Blais, Younger was excited to work with the former “Top Chef” contestant Blais because “he’s all about flavor,” she said. “I knew he was gonna help me improve my flavor and find unique ways to infuse flavor, because that’s all Richard Blais. He finds the most unique and weird ways to infuse flavor. I was so excited to have him as a mentor.”

Although Younger isn’t allowed to spill the beans on how far she got or who won season two, she said the contestants are all “like a big family” now. She even has plans for some pop-up events with fellow Maryland contestants.

Being on the show also made her a better chef, she said.

“It taught me to take risks,” she said. “The whole experience on how I even got on the show was because I took a risk. I didn’t play it safe. If you’re not out of your comfort zone, then I don’t think you’re a good chef. I feel like you have to be out of your comfort zone the whole time. That’s how you improve.” Her biggest takeaway, she said, was to stop second-guessing herself in the kitchen.

She said being on the show was like being back in culinary school, “except you have Gordon Ramsay, Richard Blaise and Nyesha Arrington as your teachers. The whole time, I just wanted to become a better chef.”

Amazing Tablescapes — through Feb. 12, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts Atrium, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. Creative tablescapes displays. People’s Choice Award announced on Facebook at 5 p.m. March 1. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-739-5727 or wcmfa.org.

”Natural Selection: Experiencing Change” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Paintings by S. Manya Stoumen–Tolino. The idea of natural selection belongs to human ideas about how organic forms evolve and endure, or not. In this series, Stoumen-Tolino reflects on major forms, lines, and color experienced in the natural world that express the inherent changes constantly occurring in all living things. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-6980656 or delaplaine.org.

”Drifting Through Deep Time” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Photography by Keith Kozloff. A reflection on “deep time,” a term applied to how we conceive of geological timescales. Constructing a photographic narrative loosely based on the protocontinent Avalonia, his work is a reflection on human attention and humanity’s capacity to understand Earth’s life support systems. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine. org.

”Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”

— through Feb. 26, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Features nine artists from the Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association. Call 301-473-7680 for gallery hours or visit frederickuu.org.

“Community Threads: Connectivity through Creativity” — through Feb. 26. This exhibition was curated as a vignette showcase that reflects the array of creativity within the Frederick County Art Association, with work by 16 members. Opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 11. DISTRICT Arts, 15 N. Market St., Frederick. Districtarts.com.

”Natural Selections” — through Feb. 26, NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick. Works by artists

Melissa Penley Cormier and Caitlin

Gill investigate the natural world as metaphor. Cormier uses photography and installations to document and explore how we mark time. Gill uses printmaking, sculpting, drawing, collage, painting and fiber to create artwork that explores ideas of identity, femininity and domesticity. Cormier’s projects center around looking closely and carefully. Gill’s work examines the patriarchy the male gaze and gender through animal and insect portraits. Artists’ talk 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 16. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. 240-367-9770.

Brad Blair: “Divergent Entities” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Artist talk on Feb. 4. Blair’s curiosity of the unknown, paired with a strong imagination and an inquisitive mindset, leads him to create art what provides wonder and examination. His ceramic work in this exhibition are obscure oddities that help convey a message regarding this mysterious life we live, in a universe yet to be explored fully. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

“When A Tree Falls” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Selected woodturners from throughout Maryland join artistic forces with local Frederick artists for a treethemed exhibition of handcrafted woodturnings, presented alongside paintings, carvings and prints. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-6980656 or delaplaine.org.

”Home Free: A Farewell to California” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. The photographs in this exhibition are a part of Brandon Oleksy’s final farewell to the state he called home for as long as he can remember. The collection comprises scenes that he and others residents passed a thousand times, and are both a remembrance of place and the start of calling a new place “home.”

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-

698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”The Magic of Threes” — through Feb. 26, The Mansion House Art Center & Gallery, 480 Highland Ave., Hagerstown City Park. Valley Art Association members exhibit. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. 301-797-2867 or valleyartassoc.org.

”UNSHUTTERED: Celebrating Photojournalism of The Frederick News-Post — through April 1 at the Frederick Book Arts Center, 217 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Curated by Nancy Luse, the show celebrates the News-Post photographers during the era of film. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. 301-228-9816 or contact@ frederickbookarts.org.

”Together We Rise” — through Feb. 28, EastSide Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. A world traveler, most of Kianna Nobles’ photography captures the world from Iceland to South Korea to France. She also does portraits and street photography. This month, she is focusing on Black History Month with guest artists Gaby Nobody (Gaby) and Big Stratus (Jasmine). 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. eastsideartists313@gmail. com.

“Mingling Echoes” — through March 3, Phaze 2 Gallery, 98 West Campus Drive, Shepherdstown, W.Va. Work by Lauren Koch, adjunct professor of sculpture who incorporates found and repurposed objects from a personal collection amassed over the past three decades from many places. 304-876-5159, eboggess@shepherd. edu, shepherd.edu/art/phaze-2gallery.

”Scents of It All” — through March 3, Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. Explore the artists interruption of scent, evoking emotional memory and transporting self through space and time. Noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. 301-215-6660 or bethesda.org/bethesda/gallery-bexhibitions.

”Behind the Fold” — through March 5, BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. Showcasing the works of nationally known sculptor, amateur magician, and former Carnegie Melon professor, Dan Droz. Artist talk Feb. 25. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. 301-528-2260 or blackrockcenter.org.

Cumberland Valley Artists and Photographers Exhibitions — through April 23, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. This juried exhibition features 95 pieces of art and photography from artists who live in the Quad-State area. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 301739-5727 or wcmfa.org.

”Structures 2023” — through May 5, Crestwood Center, 7211 Bank Court, Frederick. Original works of art, including oil, watercolors, mixed media, acrylic, photography, and wood carvings from some of Frederick’s most talented artists. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240-2151460 or frederickhealth.org.

“The Hot Button” — through August, Hot Button Gallery, 129 E. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Carol Williams exhibits textiles and poster art that reflect her passion for social responsibility through artistic communication. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The artist will be available for conversation at these times. anothercarolwilliams.com.

Photographer Joshua Rashaad McFadden

Explore and celebrate Black life in the United States through the eyes of photographer Joshua Rashaad McFadden on Feb. 9.

He will give a lecture from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. in the Marinoff Theater at Shepherd University and will read from his book “Joshua Rashaad McFadden: I Believe I’ll Run On,” from 5 to 6 p.m. at Four Seasons Books, 116 W. German St., Shepherdstown.

McFadden’s photography explores themes related to identity, masculinity, history, race, sexuality and the exploration and celebration of Black life in America

McFadden has mastered a wide range of photographic genres — social documentary, reportage, portraiture and fine art — and has used the medium to confront racism and anti-Black violence. His work includes a series of impactful photographs devoted to the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

McFadden is an assistant professor in the Rochester Institute of Technology School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. His book was published by Yale University Press in association with the George Eastman Museum, Rochester, New York, in conjunction with his first solo museum exhibition.

Both events are free and open to the public.

The Marinoff Theater is on the campus of Shepherd University at 301 N. King St. in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

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