The majestic (and sometimes evil) cone sits above Catania, the Mediterranean and the villages that surround it, taking advantage of the paradoxical generosity of its land. Mount Etna has erupted regularly throughout history, destroying homes, spilling lava and scattering this sabbia vulcanica (“volcanic sand”) with a fertilizing effect. In May, the ultimate anger of a long series forced the local airport to cease its activity and the inhabitants to caulked themselves.
Never completely asleep, the giant fumes even quietly. When the clouds dissipate high up there, a plume remains. If the ascent to the craters is possible with a sworn guide, it is at an altitude of 900 meters, between the localities of Milo and Sant’Alfio, that Lukas Lewandowski stopped two years ago. Falling in love with the region during an excursion in 2016, this 30-year-old Pole returned there after the Covid-19 pandemic, eager to give more space to his life.
Her Amsterdam apartment, shared with her husband, Merijn Gillis, had only one “French balcony”, this kind of terrace where you barely line up a bistro table and two chairs. “After thinking about the dear Dutch countryside, France, then northern Italy, we finally settled here,” says the one who fell in love with an old basalt wine press built in 1812 and which over time became the 400 square meter second home of a Sicilian family.
Casa Lawa was born. The small roads lead to it, leaving the Ionian coast where there are seaside towns with an almost Caribbean charm, with straight streets, low houses and the Big Blue in the line of sight. “I wanted to give free rein to my passion for hospitality and decoration. Merijn and I used to have very popular dinner parties in Amsterdam. » The adventure continues in Sicily, in the middle of an incredibly generous nature.
Chefs in residence
As you climb towards the volcano, the scrubland gives way to a wide variety of species, stimulated by the minerality of the earth. The heat is less overwhelming. There is sometimes snow in winter. In June, it’s cherry time and we taste them in handfuls. The cherry trees overflow from the orchard of Casa Lawa which has nearly 500 trees over 4 hectares! Plum, peach, pear, apple and hazelnut trees are also part of it. In the countryside grow chestnut trees, ferns, holm oaks and broom, in full bloom. It is the land of citrus fruits and fabulous pistachios, which are harvested in Bronte, on the other side. Hawthorns cling to the hedges, weedy roses bloom. In the distance, we hear the sheep hurrying, a shepherd calling them. Living here means enjoying the calm, admiring the volcano which seems so close and putting on a little woolen jacket after dark. Besides, it will soon be dinner time.
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