We managed to escape the rain! We woke to a cloudy day with a weather forecast of significant rain. Most of our trek was on trails that were not to be hiked when wet due to treacherous path conditions. We were sent off with a fantastic breakfast full of fresh baked cakes and all the cafe leche we could consume. Our supplied lunches were more than generous including a litre of water and juice for each. Apart from the lack of beer and poor quality wine, this place at Rocca di Gonato was certainly a 5***** for the food. So we loaded up our daypacks with our lunch provisions, water rations and rain gear and headed off keeping a quick pace to try to stay ahead of the predicted rains. And we succeeded!
Todays trek took us from parkland into farmland and the scenery reflected it. The paths were now lined with cork trees, caper trees, yucca, cacti and very old olive groves. This time the trail rating of ‘easy’ was more accurate as the path, although still rocky, was much easier to traverse. I was very pleased with my knees being so cooperative on this trip.
We successfully followed the trail with no anomalies with one exception…. we had failed to realize that the lovely complex we passed, Agriculturo Bergi, was our accommodation for the evening. So we continued the additional 6.8km into Castelbuono where we searched for our lodgings only to realize what we had done. No problem as we had a chance to check out the ancient town with it’s dominating castle. We had time for a drink in the square and for some quick shopping before the shops shut for their midday break. Suzanne was on the hunt for a Sicilian pasta platter, as the ceramics here are sublime. No luck here unfortunately, but we found many ceramic ‘Basil Heads’. We had seen them on occasion throughout Sicily, and there were some lovely ones here. Although I was hopeful of bringing one home, the logistics of it proved too complex and expensive, so alas I will have to continue to grow my basil in my garden. But here is the story of the Moorish merchant from Sicily Inside and Out
The original folk tale behind the ceramic heads comes from Palermo and tells of a Saracen merchant who falls in love with a beautiful local girl. Together they start a passionate love affair until the girl discovers her lover has a wife and children waiting for him in his homeland.
In a fit of jealously and rage, she murders him in his sleep, cutting off his head so that her lover would stay with her forever. The girl uses the head as a vase to grow a beautiful basil plant. Others seeing her flourishing plant, forge themselves the colourful clay head pots in an attempt to recreate the bountiful fertility.
After shopping we thought we would taxi back. But alas, no taxis are allowed in the town of Castelbuono. So one more drink and this time we walked the 4.8 km road route back rather than retrace the trail.
Once again we had another lovely place to lay our heads – Paul did a great job finding this package! As it was end of season, the pool was too cool for most of us, but Dan and Suz partook. The Agritourismo Bergi was an active tourist farm with figs, grapes, plums, pomegranates and more surrounding us. Our dinner was centred around their produce. We had another multi course Siciliano dinner. Again the starter was a highlight, this time pasta with white sauce, a very bony buy yummy lamb dish, and a semi-fredo, sliced ice cream roll for dessert. The improved wine and availability of after dinner coffee here were much appreciated. Thank goodness we did those extra kilometers!
The forest walks look divine, the trees eery. Did you pocket some of the broken pottery?
Sadly we did not collect any of it. There were many conversations about what to do with the fragments however, but we mostly decided that the stuff we really wanted to craft required larger amounts and they were heavy to transport. Alas, I do wish I had brought a few small pieces for jewellery or such.
I was itching to comment on each photo individually, with appropriate oohs and aahs, they’re so beautiful, but I’ll have to settle for a blanket, “love your photos, love your composition, your doors, windows and trail shots”. They sent me scrambling back to my Italy photos to relive a wonderful trip; thanks for the trip down memory lane.