Although with just four Alfas and one jeep the event was not as well attended as had been hoped, it turned out to be a fantastic experience nonetheless. For three of the drivers, it was the first time they drove their own car overseas. What with Malta’s ever overcrowded roads, bad surfaces, speed cameras and all sort of traffic nuisances, the trip proved to be motoring heaven, with the highlight being driving up to one of the highest accessible places on Mount Etna.

 

Fortunately everything went smoothly and according to plan, with the only hiccups being one puncture and a power steering that decided it too was due for a holiday. These were only minor inconveniences and did not detract at all from the wonderful driving experience that is Sicily. So close and yet so largely unexplored by most Maltese.

 

The group was made up of Sunny Agius and son Keith in their Alfa 164, Adrian Ciantar in his Alfa 75 accompanied by fiancée Estelle  and two friends,  Ian Ellis in his Alfa 147 accompanied by Andrew De Domenico, Ronald Muscat Azzopardi and wife Lorraine in their 916 GTV and John Visanich in his Suzuki Samurai accompanied by nephew Ruben Galea.

 

 

A very early start was made to board the 7.00am fast catamaran to Pozzallo, and by 5.30am all five cars were lined up at Valletta Waterfront. Sea state was perfect and by 9.00am the cars were on the quay at Pozzallo. The group proceeded in convoy to its first destination Piazza Armerina, passing by Modica and Ragusa on the way and savouring the stunning scenery of hills and valleys. 

 

Strangely named “Piazza” Armerina, this is in fact a typical old Sicilian town, with many very narrow winding roads. Lunch was taken al fresco in the small piazza in front of the Duomo. One amusing moment came when, on trying to find our way out of town, the Garmin GPS took us up a very narrow street which was blocked at the far end with road works. Just imagine backing the 164 down that one!

 

Next stop was the city of Enna, known as the “navel of Sicily” due to its central location in the Island. The motor racing circuit of Pergusa is just outside the city, so naturally we had to pay it a visit, even though it was deserted. With the track winding its way around a lake, one would think this was a nature reserve were it not for the deserted pit garages and spectator stand.

 

Enna is situated on the level summit of a gigantic hill and commands magnificent country views all around. We savoured espressos and cappuccinos again al fresco in one of the piazzas, after circling it several times to find a parking spot. One lesson we learnt for future reference is that one shouldn’t be too ambitious with a day’s touring programme. Places like Piazza Armerina and Enna easily merited at least two hours each to see the sights and perhaps even visit one or two places of interest. Unfortunately we did not allow this sort of time, and by 3.30pm we were moving out of Enna to get on the autostrada to Catania, which is a good two hours away depending on what car you’re driving. Ian in his 147 1.9JTD lost us at one of the traffic lights just outside Enna, but he was the first one home having no Suzuki jeep to slow him down.

 

All the cars were finally at our destination, the Scilio Wine Estate on the slopes of Mount Etna, shortly before 6.00pm, with all drivers very tired but smiling from ear to ear. After meeting our hostess Elizabeth Scilio who happens to be Ian’s sister and is married to the owner of the Estate, we settled into our rooms, showered and went to the restaurant for a typical Sicilian dinner.

 

 

The Tenuta Scilio di Valle Galfina vineyards lie on the North Eastern slopes of Mount Etna at an altitude of approx. 650 metres above sea level, in the Etna DOC region. This vine growing area goes back to antiquity, and the fine art of viticulture has been handed down from generation to generation. The Valle Galfina valley with its volcanic soil, its peculiar microclimate and low yields produces very high quality wines. The wines of Tenuta Scilio are made exclusively from the organically cultivated vineyards of the estate from indigenous Etna vines, combining the Siclian traditions of winemaking with the most modern technology.

 

The Scilio family who own and run the 25 hectare estate have given a modern and rational concept to both the cultivation of the vineyards and winemaking but at the same time keeping in mind the experience and hard work of the previous generations. This is most evident in the love and respect they show in the cultivation and care of the vineyards and cellar, conscious that only this can lead to significant results.

 

The Valle Galfina Etna wines refine in the old cellar of the farmhouse which dates back to the year 1815. During this delicate phase they develop their characteristic traits: the velvety elegance of the Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Capuccio in the red and rose’ wines and the refined bouquet of the Carricante and Catarrato grapes in the whites. Not only is this the product of a year’s hard and intense work in the vineyards, but also a long and hazardous venture between man and the volcano that continues from one generation to another. (www.scilio.com)

 

 

It is incredibly peaceful at Scilio Wine Estate, the perfect place for those who want to escape from it all and just relax. We woke up to grey overcast and rain showers, but the predictions were for clearer skies later in the day. After a very leisurely breakfast, we set off for the neighbouring village of Linguaglossa, barely two kilometres away. We easily found Pagano, the local tyre and wheel service station, and left the 164 wheel with him while we went for a stroll in the village. Tyre done and collected, we headed back to Scilio for the first item on today’s agenda – a guided tour of the winery. The wine pressing and fermentation process is housed in some of the old original buildings, but new facilities have been built recently. The machinery is now all state-of-the-art. The visit ended with the placing of orders for Scilio wine and olive oil to take back home.

 

The climb up Mount Etna was the main item on the day’s itinerary, but first we planned to visit Zafferana and then Nicolosi, two Etnean towns. Zaffarena is situated on the Eastern slope of Mount Etna, on the upper part of Valle del Bove. The town is mainly a summer resort with views of landscapes toward both the mountain and the sea. Along with Nicolosi it is now regarded as one of the major tourist stopping points for trips up to Etna’s summit.

 

As we were driving down the main street looking for a place to park we passed by the town church, from where a newly-wedded couple had just emerged. Guess what the wedding car was? It was a lovely silver Brera. Now that’s what I call style!

 

After lunch at a restaurant on the square by the church, we were off for Nicolosi, from where we would start our long climb up Etna. However today Nicolosi had a different attraction. It was hosting a hill climb (8° Prova del Campionatao Regionale Siciliano UISP 2008) which was also being contested by no less than 12 Maltese participants in various types of cars, including several single-seaters, a Lotus Elise and a Delta Integrale. The actual race was on the following day, Sunday, but Saturday was scrutineering day.

 

 The paddock area by the side of Hotel Gemmellaro was a very busy scene with everyone milling about the cars and making last-minute adjustments and preparations. There were a number of specially prepared Alfas and many interesting cars but unfortunately time was now really getting on and we had to get going to reach Rifugio Sapienza, on Etna’s Southern face.

 

 

You haven’t been to Sicily if you haven’t ventured up Mount Etna. I had  been to Sicily several times but never to Etna. This time I was determined to set things right. We followed the three kilometre hill climb route up road SP92 till the finish line and then continued going up the never-ending, winding road. I have no idea how many tight corners we negotiated till we reached the top, but the cars behaved perfectly. 

 

The scenery is breath-taking. As you gain altitude you notice changes in the climate and the vegetation. Etna, at 3,340 metres the highest volcano in Europe, has three distinct belts around its sides. The lower slopes are characterised by verdant citrus groves orchards and vineyards. Further up one finds chestnut, beech and pine woods. At the higher altitudes it’s an almost desert-like scenery, except that the predominant colour is black and not sand.

 

Thanks to its considerable height, la Montagna (as it is simply called by the locals), is covered with snow for seven months a year, giving it a splendour that one never tires of admiring. Unfortunately our visit was too early in the season for this type of scenery.

 

Continuing our slow climb, with forests on both sides of the road, the light got duller and duller as we approached the grey clouds hanging around the top of the mountain. It was altogether a new experience driving up through the clouds, similar to driving in fog. For us first-timers one could not help feeling a bit apprehensive. But then, almost suddenly, we were out of it and into bright sunshine. The feeling was intense as we could see Catania many kilometres below us though gaps in the clouds.

 

Finally we reached Rifugio Sapienza, parked the cars and wasted no time to board the cable car which goes up several hundred more metres. We reached the end of the line, got out and, at an altitude of 2,500 metres, were greeted by very cool, fresh air, making us very glad we had brought along our winter jackets. At this altitude it’s almost like a lunar landscape, except that it’s all black or dark grey.

 

It was now past 5.00pm and the cable cars had shut down for the night. This meant descending in one of the massive 4x4 Mercedes minibuses via the rough lava track that winds its way beside the cable car line. We were taken part of the way up before the driver turned the bus around and started the slow descent to the Rifugio where a very welcome hot cappuccino awaited us.

 

We took a different route down the Mountain which was equally spectacular. This took us straight to Zafferana and in no time at all we were on our way home for some eagerly awaited dinner.

 

 

Breakfast was going to be at a very lazy 9.00am, so by 8.00am Ruben and I were down at Linguaglossa looking for an open cafeteria. Sure enough we found the typical Italian type with many locals leafing through the Sunday papers over their espressos and croissants. A convoy with at least 15 original FIAT Cinquecentos passed by the café, drawing many admiring looks. We joined the others back at the Estate for a leisurely breakfast and then we were off to collect the wines and oils we had ordered, pay our bills, pack the cars and off we were.

 

Today we decided to split as there were different ideas as to how to spend the day before meeting up again at Pozzallo for the ferry back home.

 

Ian and Andrew decided to go and watch the hillclimb, Adrian and his team went for some shopping while Ronnie and Lorraine decided to take a leisurely drive down to Pozzallo and stop at Noto on the way. The jeep and Alfa 164 teams stuck to the original plan and went to visit the Gole dell’Alcantara.

 

We said goodbye to our hosts and went our separate ways. We drove up Linguaglossa’s main street and up the hills that we could see every day from our window. A spectacular valley view greeted us on the other side, with the town of Castiglione di Sicilia perched on the side and top of a hill, as many Sicilian towns seems to be. After a few more kilometres we arrived at the Gole.

 

 

The Alcantara river originates on the slopes of Mount Erna at an altitude of 1,250 metres. An ancient and particularly violent and abundant eruption from one of Etna’s craters (now no longer active) caused the formation of spectacular lava formations. In time the river cut a deep gorge, where the curious but perfectly formed lava masses can be seen. Know as the Gole dell’Alcantara, the gorge is about 400 metres long, with an average width of five metres and in some places over 50 metres deep.

 

One part of the gorge is accessible, provided that the water level is not high, normally in summer. This allows tourists to wade up the gorge and admire at close quarters this extraordinary natural feature, particularly the lava formations.

 

A visitor can hire a pair of waders and life jacket and join a guided tour (lasting 30 to 40 minutes) of the accessible part of the gorge, wading through the Alcantara waters which in places arrive slightly above waist level.

 

Needless to say, this was an opportunity not to be missed, and we were soon kitted up and joining a multinational group of about 17 tourists. Our Italian guide was quite a type and we got as much fun from listening to his anecdotes as from wading through the cool, green current.

 

Tour over, we returned our gear and after lunch at the local restaurant, hit the long road to Pozzallo for our return home. Fortunately a good part of it was autostrada, and we arrived at the harbour early enough to go for pizza at one of the many seaside restaurants. The catamaran was again punctual and the trip (departing Pozzallo at 9.30pm) uneventful, arriving at Valletta shortly after 11.00pm.