We drove a long and winding road today, up the mountain, down the mountain and across the mountain and it led us to something truly memorable.We met a gentle soul who gave us a magical experience just because he could, just because he wanted to share something special with some strangers.
We were up early and in the car by 10 a.m. I only thought I had driven on narrow roads until today when we drove up the slopes of Mt. Etna. I had to pull over numerous times to let a truck coming toward me squeeze past and/or to let a more confident driver pass me. I found myself in tiny alleys and sandwiched between buildings on roads that were so narrow you could barely call them roads. Having navigated these roads for a few days now, I’m feeling less terrified, though not necessarily more confident.
We made it to a main parking area for the Mt. Etna park. We had hoped to catch a cable car to a location higher up, but it’s February and the volcano is covered with snow, so that wasn’t possible without chains on our tires. Even so, the level we did reach offered incredible views of the villages and sea below. The volcano was invisible behind the clouds.
While in the tourist information office, Sheri learned about an ancient chestnut tree nearby, so we decided to visit that site. When we arrived in the parking area, there was a little paved road that led up the tree’s location. It had an incline and we didn’t think Betsy was going to be able to walk it. Sheri went up to the tree and after a while I joined her. The volunteer who looks after the site said it was okay to drive Betsy up in the car. That made all the difference because this was exactly the type of experience Betsy loves.
The Hundred Horse Chestnut is a local landmark and world record holder. Botanists estimate its age to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old, making it one of the oldest living things on the planet. It has survived countless eruptions of Mount Etna, thriving in the rich, nutrient-dense volcanic ash. While it looks like a small grove of trees today, genetic testing has confirmed that the three distinct trunks share the same root system, so it is a single, ancient organism.And it is still producing chestnuts.
The Hundred Horse Chestnut, known in Italian as the Castagno dei Cento Cavalli, takes its name from a local legend. According to the story, a queen—often said to be either Joanna of Aragon or Joan I of Naples—was caught in a violent storm near Mount Etna and took shelter beneath the vast canopy of this enormous tree. So wide were its branches, the tale goes, that the queen and her entourage of one hundred mounted knights were all able to stand beneath it at once.
Every legend needs a keeper, and for the Hundred Horse Chestnut, that person is Alfio Di Bella. A local artist and volunteer, Alfio was there. He invited us to cross the rope that surrounds the tree and get an up close look, while he told us all about the history and current state. It’s in good health based on the number of chestnuts on the ground. He has spent so much time with the tree that he sees shapes and faces in its trunks and branches, and points them out to visitors. He also is an artist who carves intricate images of owls and other items. He made that visit a wonderful experience.
We left there and went to the town of honey, Zafferna. We stopped at a great shop for a honey tasting and left with some pistachio, hazelnut and lemon honey and a nice bottle of rose wine produced in the Mt. Etna region.
Lunch was at a restaurant you couldn’t find unless you were looking for it. People don’t just pass by this place, It’s along the slope of the mountain and then down a road/alley only wide enough for one car, even though it’s a two-way path. I had to back up to allow a postal car to pass. It was local, not touristy, and it was fantastic. Sheri and I had the pappardelle with meat sauce and Betsy had a house specialty of pasta, sausage and mushrooms with pistachio cream. For a minute, we worried that Betsy had ordered a dish carne di cavallo, which is horse meat. Thankfully, no. We really don’t want to try horse meat. Every dish was delicious, as was the ricotta cake we shared for dessert. The server was a very handsome Italian man, but more importantly, he was so nice. It was fabulous.
We left there and went to the seaside town of Giardia Naxos. The view of the sea was gorgeous, but the town was mostly closed for the season. It was a seaside strip filled with tourist shops and rundown hotels, but that view was beautiful.
The evening ended with some leftover pizza and The Big Chill.
Tomorrow, we’re off the Mt. Etna museum, the town of Randazzo and a visit to a winery.
Kim & Betsy 
what a wonderful trip ! So interesting ! The chestnut tree is fascinating.
God bless that tree.