... afternoon tea at EtnaHub












There are many ways that you can experience the beauty of Mount Etna.

One of the things I love most about writing my Blog is the lovely invitations I receive to visit amazing places and so I was delighted through the wonders of social media to be invited last month to EtnaHub.

With 2019 approaching what could be a better new year resolution than learning a new language, ie Italian in a fun and cultural way in a beautiful location.


Positioned in the countryside just outside the beautiful town of Acireale, EtnaHub is nestled between the slopes of Mount Etna and the sparkling Ionian Sea.

EtnaHub is located in an old winery dating back to the 19th century. It has been reclaimed and redeveloped as an open space with multi-purposed rooms linked together, located on two levels and equipped for flexible use. There is an outdoor area, immersed in a private garden in the charming Sicilian countryside set amongst fragrant lemon trees, green olive trees, lava stone terraces, ancient canals and Mediterranean vegetation.

EtnaHub offers Italian language courses for overseas visitors. The courses are open to all students interested in learning about the Italian language and its culture. The courses are aimed at students of all levels and ages and available all year round.

There are individual courses suitable for those who prefer to interact directly with a native speaker, group courses and courses online via Skype. There are also language courses designed to deepen your knowledge of the Sicilian and Italian culture.

At EtnaHub you will discover the Italian language through travel and activities that allow you to get in close contact with Sicily, its nature, history and culture.

They also offer 'Sicilian Cookery a Casa' cooking classes, wine tasting and yoga classes, so it sounded like my kind of place and last month we excitedly went to EtnaHub to meet founders Carlo and Anita with our lovely English friends Norma and Teresa who also live in Giardini Naxos (I knew it would be their kind of place too) and of course with Daisy our dog.

EtnaHub is set in a beautiful location with breathtaking views of Mount Etna. On arrival we were met by the delightful Carlo who gave us a tour of the gardens. The property and gardens are a typical traditional Sicilian country estate with a palmento and we could smell the scents of wild mountain herbs and the sound of goats bells in the distance.


Inside the old winery we were greeted by Carlo's partner Anita and straight away we were made to feel at home. The interior has been beautifully restored retaining the original features from the old 'palmento' (wine press).

Carlo and Anita are teachers with many years of experience and are both certified in teaching Italian as a foreign language which they do in a fun and creative way and can also include visits to Sicily's most notable and beautiful towns and cities an activity which they have lovingly named "Sicilianesimo".

After a tour of the 'palmento' we proceeded back upstairs where we were joined by Roberta whose family own the estate and who is also the maestro behind EtnaHub's amazing cooking classes.

Upstairs we were treated to an English afternoon tea Sicilian style. The upper level is where the 'grape stomping' used to take place where the grapes would be crushed by having barefoot participants repeatedly stomping on them to release their juices that would drain on the slightly sloped floor to the lower level where fermentation would then begin.

What a wonderful place to sit and have afternoon tea.

We all sat around a large table talking all things Sicilian and all things British enjoying jasmine tea from a huge teapot and devoured Sicilian sweets such as Cubbaita which is a sesame nougat, Bianco Mangiare which is like a blancmange made with either lemons or almonds and Rame di Napoli which are a cross between a cake and a biscuit from the region of Catania that are covered in chocolate and traditionally eaten at this time of year to celebrate 'U jornu ri morti' (the day of the dead) on 2nd November. Everything was absolutely delicious as always in Sicily.

Aside from language courses, yoga classes, cooking classes and wine tasting experiences EtnaHub is also available as a co-working space encouraging like minded professionals to work by themselves but not alone in a beautiful environment with free wifi. There is also 'La Casina' which is a self catering café providing food, coffee and tea for the EtnaHub community and language students complete with a kitchen.

Carlo and Anita can also arrange accommodation for your stay in either luxury villas, bed and breakfasts, private houses or local farms.

EtnaHub is also perfect for hosting private events and special occasions.


After our delicious afternoon tea Roberta showed me her kitchen where the magic happens for her Sicilian cooking classes. Her kitchen is gorgeous in a traditional Sicilian way with beautiful tiles, rustic features and it really has the family touch. I fell in love with Roberta's kitchen and I am excitedly looking forward to joining her in a cookery class, so watch this space.

Unfortunately as is always the way it was soon time to leave the tranquillity of EtnaHub.

EtnaHub is an oasis away from the hubbub of Sicily's eastern towns and cities and the perfect relaxed location to learn your new language.

The nearby town of Acireale is a Baroque gem which boasts interesting architecture, monuments, myths and legends and there are many seaside villages along the 'coast of the cyclops' to discover.

Taormina and Giardini Naxos are approximately a 30 minute drive away.

Carlo and Anita were the perfect hosts, they are amazing, fun, vivacious and full of life and I cannot think of anyone better to learn Italian with. Daisy was totally spoilt and we left EtnaHub knowing as is always the Sicilian way that we had made new friends for life.


For more information visit www.etnahub.it
and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram


If you enjoyed this Blog post then you will love
my previous post
"22 Ways to Experience Etna"

Also from my Blog archive
"Acireale ... Myths, Legends and Carnival"
"The Coast of the Cyclops"
Photo Gallery 

 (Photo Credits: EtnaHub)

































  

Thank you for following me at
White Almond Sicily BlogSpot

For NEW Blog updates 
and all things Sicilian
Follow me on

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram


I am also a contributor to


For Recommendations, Trip Advice and Travel Tips 


Love Sarah & Daisy x
N.B any Travel Agents or Businesses who contact my contacts direct
please ensure that you quote White Almond Sicily Blog
and please do not use it to benefit your business
Thank you

Popular posts from this blog

25 Sicilian Myths and Legends

Image
Sicily is a place full of myths and legends and there are many stories associated with the island. From the stories of nymphs and gods from Greek and Roman mythology to tragic love stories from an exotic era when the island was under Arabic, Norman and Spanish rule. Some stories have happy endings and some not so happy endings.  What is a legend? Legends are stories which are thought to be based on true events but have developed fictional elements that have deep significance to the culture from which they originate. For example historians claim that King Arthur really existed but his existence is shrouded in different legends, such as is his final resting place on Mount Etna?  What is a myth? Myths are stories derived from cultural traditions or legends most of which have a deep symbolic meaning and usually involve a lesson that will be helpful to the listener or reader. Mythical characters are often non-human in some form or related to a god or supernatural being, often set i...
Read more

'Salsiccia' ... the Great Sicilian Sausage

Image
As you travel around Sicily whether it is via the stunning coastline or its interior mountain regions you will notice top quality fresh ingredients and dishes made from delicious recipes. I love food, especially Mediterranean food, which makes Sicily the perfect place for me to live, Sicily is a foodie’s paradise. One of my favourite things to eat and something I am addicted to is salsiccia , Sicilian sausage.  If I had my way I would eat it every day and would probably end up looking like one. When my “adopted” Sicilian big brother came to stay with us in London I worried about what I was going to cook a Sicilian every day, especially one that is a fantastic cook. One evening I decided on an English style sausage casserole. After serving the sausages on his plate he started to scrape the entire dish back into my casserole pot.  “These are not sausages they are disgusting”.  I agree with him in some way, but you cannot compare English sausages with ...
Read more

The Lions of Sicily

Image
The Florio Family were a prominent entrepreneurial Italian family who started many lucrative activities in Sicily involving the export of Sicilian products, such as Marsala wine, in the nineteenth century. The family extended their interests to shipping, shipbuilding and fisheries, mainly tuna production and preservation. The historical story of the family, of Calabrian origins from Bagnara Calabra, took place in Palermo between the 19th and 20th century. After a disastrous earthquake destroyed their family home in 1783, Paolo Florio born in 1772 and father to Vincenzo Florio, decided to move to Palermo to start a new life with his wife and young son. He opened in Palermo on Via Materassai a shop selling herbs and spices, colonial products and quinine, which was used to treat malaria. The shop quickly became one of the most prosperous businesses in the city attracting jealousy from fellow business owners who were of true Sicilian descendants and opposed to this new family from Calabria...
Read more