Eleanora is a force to be reckoned with; it is truly amazing how she is running such a beautiful biodynamic farm despite harsh conditions. The farm itself is magical and provides a truly special backdrop to experience the interior parts of Sicily. You can truly feel how much care and attention to detail Eleanora has invested into the land.
However, we were disappointed with Eleanora’s communication. She asked us if we would be having dinner there before we had arrived. We wrongly assumed she meant to ask whether we would be arriving by dinner time, as the roads were a little rough. We came prepared to make dinner because I have a severe anaphylactic allergy, but when we arrived Eleanora said she had been cooking all day. We had a difficult interaction about whether I would be eating her food along with my boyfriend; I was made to feel obliged to eat what she had made at the risk of my life. In the end, I refused and my boyfriend was served a delicious meal that night.
By the end of the trip we were shocked to learn that the meal she had offered under the guise of hospitality was going to cost us 35 euro, or 70 if I had eaten. We tried to explain to her that it seemed unusual that she retroactively demanded money without any prior inclination that we would be charged. When you realize how desolate this location is, especially on a Sunday when there is almost a complete lack of available food options in the neighboring towns, you could make sense of her actions. Still, it should have been made known upfront.
The space was thoughtfully decorated, quaint and cozy, but lacked a garbage bin of any kind and dish soap.
With that said it is an incredibly beautiful place and we had a fantastic experience. Just be warned that when Eleanora so graciously offers you dinner, be prepared to have cash on hand.