June 9, 2024
I did two morning walks today since we were leaving later than normal and it was a beautiful morning. The second walk included the people garden which is a place that locals go to enjoy a coffer or a sandwich and be one with nature. On the way back to the hotel in from of the Doma I saw a women with two camera taking pictures. We greeted each other then we started chatting. She is a professional photographer from Boston who is in Sicily shooting a project called ‘Kindness” based on her late mother’s phrase “Kindness costs nothing so we can all afford it”. I so love that phase that I wanted to share it with you. Image our world if we all practiced kindness!!! It is truly the people you meet in your travels that can impact your life.
Today we drove into the Sicilian countryside and through the UNESCO-protected Val di Noto valley, where we will visited a local family on their farm. Set against the rugged peaks of Modica, the valley is both an agricultural oasis and powerhouse. Home to a mix of small-scale and large-scale production, this area is one of the biggest exporters of greenhouse produce in all of Europe, as well as one of the primary sources for milk, dairy, and meat production. The farm we visited is focused on organic farming and sustainable land usage.
When we arrived at the farm, we were welcomed by our hosts and had a chance to learn about their cultivation philosophy and their experience in the agricultural business. Then, we headed out on a tour of the property. Our first stop was to feed the pig and that turned into a bit of a disaster as we got distracted talking and the pig got out. It was hilarious as some people tried to help chase the pig and it made it worse and the song who let the pig out was playing in my head!!! Once everyone stopped chasing the pig she was enticed back into the pen with a loaf of bread. We continued on visiting the other animals without further incidence!!!. It was really hot so we did not last long in the fields.
In the late morning, we returned to the farmhouse and roll up our sleeves for a cooking lesson. We learned how to make Sascha pasta, that is then cooked in a wood fired oven. We then shared a meal with the family with lots of interesting conversation and yummy food.
Back in Ragusa a group of us headed up the steep hill in the heat of the day to take the train ride around the city. The train is Ragusa version of a hop on hop off bus and was a fun way to navigate through the steep hills. We are in Italy so of course we treated ourselves to gelato afterwards.
It was one of my fellow traveler’s birthday so we celebrated with an impromptu party where we shared wine and snacks then off to dinner at a rooftop restaurant to complete the day.
