gabriele | mutika dmc & events
on his now spiritual home of sicily
Being a frequent traveler, both for work and for leisure, I've learnt that each city, whether a tiny, remote fisherman's village, or a big, bustling metropolis, has much more to offer than may first appear on the surface. It's fantastically challenging to find the true essence of each place I visit - trace back its roots, catch glimpses of how locals really live, who and what they celebrate or what is the spice that makes a dish so delicious. One of the places I find an abundance of this spontaneity is Sicily. It's the place of my birth, so I'm perhaps a little biased, but it's because of what the island truly represents that I keep returning: a beautifully paradoxical island of contrasts, where time seems to stand still and people cheerfully welcome you. Sicilians go out of their way to make you feel at home, and even though many do not speak much English, that does not stop them from communicating (especially with their well-known gesticulations!). I'm especially in love with is Val di Noto, in south-eastern Sicily. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Val di Noto covers eight unique baroque cities (including Modica where Mutika's HQ is located) scattered around the provinces of Catane, Syracuse and Ragusa.
What they can offer is not just tourism, but a thousand ways of experiencing the most authentic Sicilian lifestyle with a hundred forms of enjoying art, museums, typical markets and flavours, beaches, culinary tradition and so much more. Majestic baroque churches, wide open beaches and turquoise sea, unspoiled natural reserves and a multi-coloured culinary panorama are some of the perks that make Val di Noto really unique and worth experiencing.
But what makes it really special is the kindness of its inhabitants, its generous hospitality, its warm weather throughout the year (and of course its extremely copious amount of food!)
Maybe the climate shapes the attitude of Sicilian people; perhaps history had a hand in this too, Sicily having been a crossroad of cultures for over 3,000 years and Sicilians open towards foreigners; or maybe everyone simply loves to do their very best to make everyone feel at ease, happy and comfortable in Sicily.
Come and see it for yourself, and don’t be surprised to hear the word mangia (eat) pretty often!
