We had left off at our arrival at Serra Guarneri. Some volunteer girls from the structure welcome us, busy preparing our dinner; we greet them and settle into our simple but warm and welcoming rooms, with comfortable beds and plenty of light. We freshen up for a moment and join the group to watch a magical sunset: the red sun kisses the sea, creating an atmosphere that leaves everyone speechless!

We move under the porch where we all gather for dinner. Right away Giuseppe, the manager of the structure, involves us in the organization, allowing us to set and clear the table… “here we are all a family, and everyone contributes without waiting for someone else to give instructions.” We feel at home!

Dinner, sunset and early evening

Dinner, served under the porch at a long wooden table, is a succession of delicious local zero-kilometre products: from cheeses with jams, to salami, ham, vegetables, then an excellent couscous with chickpea soup, plenty of good wine, and finally a soft lemon cake. During dinner, Giuseppe tells us about himself, the structure, and the life they lead in this magical place. His motto: “life is the time that passes between one meal and the next!”

Sourdough starter and night at Serra Guarneri

After dinner, we experience a moment linked to tradition that takes us back in time, to our childhood: we go inside and prepare the sourdough starter, with water and flour, adding a small portion of sourdough previously prepared by Beppe and Maurizio, completing everything with flax seeds. It will rest and ferment overnight: tomorrow we will bake bread!

Breakfast and bread preparation

When we wake up, a rich breakfast awaits us made of genuine products, bread and jam, homemade cakes, fresh fruit and yogurt, juices and coffee—we cannot give anything up. Everything is delicious!

Our activities begin with a good arm workout: it is time to knead the bread. In turns we mix water, flour, and yeast inside the maidda (in Italian madia, a container carved from a single block of wood, rectangular in shape with raised edges, where bread was traditionally kneaded in rural homes).

Nature excursion and discovery of plants

For some of us it is a return to childhood, when we made bread with our grandparents or family friends; for others it is a completely new experience, but for everyone it is a fun and special moment. We finish kneading and, all around the table, each with our own dough ball, we start shaping the bread, then place it under blankets to keep it warm and let it rise until the afternoon.

While waiting for the bread to rise, we go around the countryside to discover the territory and the characteristics of the local plants. We immerse ourselves in a lush natural environment, rich in trees, plants, and colorful flowers, breathing fresh air and enjoying the warm May sun.

We stop in an area full of cork oak trees, and Beppe explains their characteristics; it is a Mediterranean-origin tree, widely spread in the wild. In these areas it forms one of the most important forest systems from an ecological, landscape, and economic point of view. Cork oak woods are not used for logging trees, but for harvesting the bark, used not only to produce wine bottle corks, but also in eco-friendly construction. In nature, its bark has a protective function, being fire-resistant.

Continuing our walk, he shows us a bush of Cistus… (text unchanged)… It is also a plant that defends itself from fire, typical of very dry areas. Another plant with special characteristics is Erica arborea… (text unchanged)… helping the forest regenerate after fire.

Reflection: “What kind of tree are you?”

After these interesting discoveries, some photos, and collecting small bouquets of flowers to decorate our dinner table, we stop for a moment to reflect on another aspect of our lives and we are asked: “What kind of tree are you? How do you react and face the difficulties that life presents? Are you Cork, Cistus, or Erica?”

Each of us, after a few seconds of reflection, answers by revealing emotions and rediscovering an important part of ourselves. Truly interesting!

Afternoon: forest, ridge and return

It is time for lunch, and when we return we are welcomed by a delicious meal of excellent starters, pasta, good wine, and conversations. We are all very full and, to digest a bit, some of us decide to go for a walk in the forest, while others prefer to rest.

Once we enter the woods, we feel an amazing sensation! Beppe suggests we take off our shoes and continue a short stretch of path barefoot… and of course we do it! A close contact with nature, whose energy flows through the whole body!

We put our shoes back on and continue along the uphill path to reach “the Ridge”. A spectacular view stretches over the entire valley all the way to the sea; we can even see nearby villages. We relax for a while in the sun, caressed by a light breeze. On the way back, we meet cows grazing peacefully with their calves.

Bread, Coaching Mediterraneo and music

We are ready to bake the bread, and while we wait for it to be fully cooked, we take another moment of sharing to learn more about Coaching Mediterraneo… (text unchanged)… After a chat and reflections, we cannot miss the sunset moment!

Everyone to the wood-fired oven… it is time to taste our bread, accompanied by olive oil and the traditional photo with our loaf.

During dinner, Emilio invites us to express our thoughts on desire: “What is desire for you?”… (text unchanged)… The evening continues with music, with Emilio on guitar, Beppe on djembe drum, and Stefano on clarinet.

Return and visit to Cefalù

Sunday morning: it is time to get ready to return home… It was a weekend full of emotions, tradition, reflection, and new discoveries, full of nature, fresh air, and soul regeneration!

We Sicilian islanders, still full of energy before heading home, take a short walk in Cefalù, where we will surely return to discover new corners and experiences to offer travelers. Of course, we take the traditional photo in the most famous viewpoint of this beautiful town.

We would have loved to stay a little longer, but our weekend was truly intense, so we decide to get back in the car and head home.

There is a great desire to stay a little longer but our weekend was really intense so we decide to get back in the car for home.

We are ready to relive this experience … are you?