6-1 : Travel to a Mountain Village. Meet sheep and have lunch

So: from this sea-side resort of Montallegro, we are actually closest to the town of Agrigento. We went from here up into the mountains to the small town of Caltabellotta. Population: 2000. Little winding streets going up into the mountains. Eventually we arrived at an overlook that was truly spectacular. First: the old abandoned monastery, and then the view of the town from above. It was fun to see “Castle Rock” and the way the town was built up on the hillside below it.

We enjoyed seeing the sheep grazing up on the mountain, and then spent some time at their main church on the hill. Peaceful and filled with importance. From this point, we drove down into another part of the town and went for an olive oil tasting. It is too early to harvest the olives, but we did have an interesting tasting and enjoyed the lesson. As we left the shop and walked down the street, we stopped at the sculpture studio of a famous artist: Salvatore Rizzuti. He sculpted pieces for the church we just saw as well as many others. He was charming and allowed us to take photos in his studio/workshop (which is currently in “recovery” from a water accident!)

Last stop: the farm of Pedro who makes cheese; has a herd of sheep and has a new baby girl! The lunch was fun and (of course) all locally grown or harvested. Caponata. Olives, cheese, bread, honey and a rice with sausage dish. Not to mention the fresh ricotta.! His sheep came filing down the pathway at the end of lunch, just in time for us to see them before boarding the bus.

Back at the hotel we had enough time to change, walk down to the beach and take a small dip in the Mediterranean Sea. On the deck at the sea we enjoyed time with tour friends and made sure the bar was not neglected! We had a light supper at a restaurant on the beach and then time to pack for our take-off tomorrow morning.