Pleasant tour of the Etnean paths, on the back of beautiful donkeys, maximum expression of the true Sicilian who loves to do everything always very very slowly.
Today is a beautiful summer day, the hot sun of Sicily caresses us as if it wanted to lull and accompany us and so, we decide to go for a walk in the countryside of Linguaglossa, not “a cavaddu e causi” as we Sicilians say (on foot), but on the back of three splendid and docile specimens of donkeys. We meet up with Salvo which welcomes us in a typical Sicilian context, between the countryside and the sciara (lava stone). He tells us how he decided to take care of this activity together with his splendid donkeys, he introduces them to us and helps us to get on the saddle: Gina, the youngest and most upset, is up to Roberta, the most intrepid of the three; Nadia, the wise, guess who? Daniela, of course! And Stella, the most peaceful, to sweet Patrizia who took advantage of this day to continue with her pet therapy.
The sun burns, but a slight breeze refreshes us a little. We begin our tour with the donkey, one of the most docile and intelligent animals, an emblem of the true Sicilian who always likes to do everything very, very slowly! Our walk is full of emotions: we immerse ourselves in nature and Salvo enchants us and makes us move with anecdotes of lived life, telling of his grandparents and the days he spent as a child in these places, which transmitted him the love for his land and his animals.
We also live a moment of meditation, when we are asked to close our eyes and let ourselves be carried away by the donkeys: a wonderful sensation that captures young and old! Families remain incredulous because during this activity their children have the opportunity to experience sensations of the past, but also adults become children and that is all that makes this journey magical! We reopen our eyes and, despite being Sicilian and having seen it thousands of times, we cannot help it exclaiming “wow” at the sight so imposing and majestic of “Idda”, our Etna! What a show!!!
We continue our tour between the barren vegetation and the famous “ruvetti” (thorns); but the beauty is also this, to come into close contact with unspoiled and wild nature. After a short stop and another story, we cross the tracks of the Circumetnea railway to arrive under a mulberry tree, of which we can savor the fruits in total freedom. We let you imagine the irresistible and sweet taste of mulberries collected and eaten directly from the tree and riding the donkey: the taste is even better!
But our tour has not ended yet and we return via another path where the many scents of wild plants expand in the air, from fennel to artichoke, wild mint, blackberries, and many others: a real riot of colors and scents!
Just before arriving, our guide slows us down, asking us to close our eyes again and let ourselves be carried away by Gina, Nadia, and Stella as if we were butterflies. We arrive at the refuge with a slow and calm pace: the emotions have managed to take over, but what awaits us after giving them the right food reward for the good work done, is a barbecue, of sausage, meat, onions, and a lot of good wine.
Magic day for us Isolane!!!
We are ready for a new experience … and you?
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