Sept 28-Oct 4
Susan Van Allen joins Country Walkers for their
Bellissima Sicily and the Aeolian Islands Adventure
(Moderate Walking: 5-9 miles a day)
We’ll set out on early autumn mornings, in that rosy golden light,
surrounded by such beauty—from ancient ruins in Syracuse to intricate
baroque buildings in Noto, the sparkling sea, dramatic Mount Etna and
those bewitching Aeolian Islands. Just thinking about the meals I had
the last time I was there sends me into culinary ecstasies—tantalizing
pastas—-such as “alla Norma” with its rich tomato and eggplant
flavors. And there’ll be fresh caught tuna, delectable sweets, and
granite—fruit ices that joyfully zing the tastebuds.
What’s extraordinary about this walking route, and what makes it so
appealing to a gal like me, is that every day we’ll be experiencing
places that are layered with ancient myths and spiritual treasures,
featuring divine females. For starters, according to the Ancient
Greeks, Sicily is blessed by Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. They
believed she sprinkled seeds all over the island, so wheat, olives,
eggplant, and loads of other goodies would flourish under the island’s
blazing sun.
We’ll have the thrill of touching the columns of the Goddess Athena’s
temple on the island of Ortygia. Birdsongs will serenade us as we
explore the Baroque town of Noto, on land that was consecrated to
Persephone—the beautiful daughter of Demeter who the ancients thanked
each year for bringing springtime to them. We’ll be boating around the
Aeolian Islands, where naughty nymphs once lured Odysseus off course.
And always, we’ll hear the call of Italy’s leading Goddess: Venus,
Patron of Love and Beauty. Softly, she beckons, “Come on, relax, enjoy
my beauties, my tastes, my pleasures…”
