Today we tell you about an initiative that takes place every year at the end of July. In 2018 we wanted to take part into the non-competitive walk of the “Path of the sun and the senses” in its 3rd edition.
The march, organized by the Municipality of Costa Serina, begins in the hamlet of Trafficanti, near the church of Sant’Erasmo.
Departure of the walk near the Church of Sant’Erasmo in Trafficanti
Retracing a stretch of the Via Mercatorum, the march has Nespello as its first stop. We were able to visit the inside of the birthplace of Venerable Fra’ Cecilio, (a friar) and, while going upstairs, we had the surprise of finding a beehive, with lots of bees at work, between the window glass and the exterior shutter.
Outside the house, on the “farmyard” of Nespello, Mr. Carmelo Gherardi with his wife Roberta and his son Pietro, a family of beekeepers, told us all about the honey and wax production process and prepared for all the participants a taste of polenta and honey! The joy of sharing their passion for the world of bees shines from their smiles and cordiality.
Above: the hive found in the house of Fra’ Cecilio); machinery for filtering honey; Ms. Roberta prepares samples of polenta and honey; Carmelo and his son Pietro working with bees.
Mr. Carmelo Gherardi shows us the wax.
After the tasting, we left on the link road that connects the Via Alta of the Via Mercatorum to the oldest street, until we reached the hamlet of Ascension.
Participants in the march along the Via Mercatorum
Participants in the march along the Via Mercatorum
Here, Mr. Gianluigi Locatelli welcomed us: he is a farmer and he showed us his orchard mainly made up of apple and pear trees, but also apricots, blackberries, blueberries and much more.
Mr. Locatelli is a member of the “Brembana Valley Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association” which has as its main objectives the recovery and dissemination of the fruit-growing culture, the training of personnel capable of managing orchards and producing healthy fruit for humans and the environment. ”
Logo of the “Brembana Valley Fruit Growers Association”
Anyone wishing to learn more can visit the website www.afavb.com
We set off again to reach the ancient church of Ascensione, where we tasted jams and tea. Next to it, we found a counter dedicated to Serina Valley cheeses. This recent brand was born to distinguish and emphasize the historical dairy production of Val Serina.
“Val Serina Cheese” Brand and Poster
“Val Serina Cheese” Brand and Poster
Another stretch of walk through the pretty hamlet of Gazzo to finally reach the last stage of the walk, the Peta. “La Peta” is an Agritourism located in an enchanting place and offers, in addition to catering, hospitality for the night, as well as an animal farm from which the production of excellent goat cheeses is derived. Here at “the Peta” an insect hotel was born recently. It is a wooden construction that houses different types of insects that here find favourable conditions for life and reproduction. The purpose of this invention is not only to safeguard the insects themselves, but also to have insects useful to our ecosystem to be used as natural pesticides instead of pesticides.
“Peta Insects” Hotel
