Join us for an enchanted time of riding fine horses in the lush, rolling
countryside of the ancient Mediterranean island of Sicily. Upon your arrival in
the historic village of Castelbuono you'll be swept back in time to a bygone
era of quiet beauty and graceful living.
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Italian Meals
Most of our meals
will be served at the famed Romitaggio Restaurant. Our riding host, Salvatore
Baggesi, is also the owner and chef of this beautiful restaurant, located in an
ancient Benedictine Monastery. The genuine cooking offers a typical selection
of homemade dishes of the Sicilian tradition made only with fresh local
products. Our meals during the week will be delectable Sicilian dishes expertly
prepared with traditional recipes using many local organically grown
ingredients along with local cheeses and wines. The food alone is worth the
trip!
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Majestic Rides
We'll ride out to a variety of beautiful destinations traversing the
magnificent Madonie Mountains and foothills in the Madonie National Park which
are rich in natural flora and fauna.
Along our daily routes we will enjoy
incredible landscapes and ride through ancient mountain villages preserved from
medieval times with narrow stone streets, markets and churches. For horse
lovers, riding over this amazing  landscape is an exciting and spectacular way
to discover the beauty, history, and atmosphere of this wonderful island in the
Mediterranean. This will be an adventure in which majestic nature meets with
ancient history, beautiful architecture, genuine local culture and, of course,
the finest gourmet food and wines!
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 Native Horses
Our horses will
be well trained native Sicilian horses, a hearty yet refined breed developed
over centuries of influence originating from the Arabian horses, Spanish
Andalusians, and European Warmbloods. Salvatore Baggesi, our riding host and
guide, is one of the best Sicilian horsemen. He specializes in custom designed
horseback trekking in Madonie Park. He has conducted many horseback trips of
varying lengths with guests from all over Europe.
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Madonie Mountain Ride
 One of our full day rides
will take us on a spectacular trek over the top of the Madonie Mountains above
timber line. We'll descend on the other
side where we will spend two nights at the Terra Vecchia which is a beautiful sprawling hacienda built with traditional Spanish
influence architecture. The ranch
features a large lodge decorated in equestrian motif. Relax in the plush furniture surrounding the fireplace in the
gathering room. Meals of local fresh
produce will be served in the large dining room and then retire to your
comfortable bedroom or take a walk on the property to enjoy billions of stars
in the night sky. The next day choose
from options of slow or fast rides, lessons in the arena or just relaxing.
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A World Class Day
Another one of our
rides will take us to an ancient monastery which is now the Abbazia Santa Anastasia winery and the adjacent five
star Relais Santa Anastasia hotel  and restaurant. After settling into your luxurious rooms and
freshening up, we'll be given a private tour of the winery. A fabulous, world class gourmet dinner will
be served in the formal dining room. (Dressy attire required).
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Picnics on the Beach
The next day you have your choice of a beautiful ride or relaxing around the large pool enjoying the splendid panorama of the verdant valley below. The ride will take us along a high ridge from which you will be able to view the magnificent mountains on one side and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea on the other. We'll have a picnic lunch on the beach. We'll return for another memorable meal and evening at the Relais Santa Anastasia then ride out the next day for another destination.
  
We are offering this riding holiday for the week of June 8-15, 2011. We have a maximum of eight participants. The price of $3,350 includes all meals, guides, horseback rides, and ground transportation to and from the airport in Palermo, Sicily. This price does not include air transportation, optional tours or gratuities to staff. You would fly into Rome or Milan, change planes and fly to Palermo, Sicily. We will pick you up at the airport in Palermo on the morning of June 8th.
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Previous Guest Comments
"Beautiful geography, fabulous cuisine. The horses and guides were top notch. This riding adventure will be difficult to surpass... -Donna
"...awesome trip, trails were breathtaking and scenery gorgeous, the most interesting and exciting rides, went out of their way to assist us... -Dixie Read Full Testimonies
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Lodging
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Our lodging for part of the
week will be the quaint Villa Letizia Bed & Breakfast. The comfortable,
quiet environment, offers a friendly welcome and hospitality recalling the
origins of the Sicilian country tradition.
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Your Choice of Daily Rides
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Some days we will go on morning rides and return to our lodging place for lunch and rest then venture out again for an afternoon ride. You may choose which ride you wish to join or ride both morning and afternoon.
Some days we will go
for an all day ride to a more distant destination stopping for lunch at a local cafe or having a picnic in a scenic location.
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Guide/Translator
Franco Barbagallo will be
our guide and translator. Franco has been a friend of Ed's for many years.
Franco is an Italian photo-journalist specializing in horseback travel
destination. He knows the premier locations for horseback holidays. |
Franco has made all
arrangements for our Sicilian Riding Holiday with locations and people he knows
personally. This is definitely a custom made trip just for our guests.
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Ed and his daughter, Elizabeth, who will be along for this trip, have ridden this route twice with guests from the US so they are very familiar with the locations, hosts and horses.
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