Breakfast with a Difference

One of the pleasant things about living in the country is watching the surroundings change. In the spring the valley is full of flowers and a verdant green that slowly turns to gold during the summer months. Autumn also has its special charms. September brings the first rains, with a welcome end to the summer drought, and the most unusual cloud formations.

We're high up here (2500 feet above sea level), and it's not rare to wake up at this time of the year to see clouds slowly rolling down the valley below - forming a scene like the one in the picture, where our guests are having breakfast literally "above the clouds"... (Andrea)

Riding through the Village of Alia.

What we, at Pippa's Paddock, have come to call the “Roxiura Run” (all our rides have a name and this one passes through a forest called the Roxiura) passes through the centre of the village and provides our riders with the unique experience of witnessing village life from the saddle.
All our guests, who have done the ride, comment that it is indeed an experience. It's a hard long ride even before we arrive in town and once there it requires some concentration and effort. Our horses are brilliant though, and handle the village just as easily as the countryside.
I tend to leave this as one of the last rides on the holiday itineraries, as the hours of experience on the previous days of riding are now used to good effect. (Mark)

Alia gets a new Church

I just thought I would put up a picture of the newly constructed church in our village – or should I say “just outside the village”. It's just on the periphery really.
Not that, in my opinion the village was in need of another church as with its other three churches for a population of under 3000, there could not have been much of a lack.
Still, this latest one is a pretty one indeed and adds to the landscape. (Mark)

A Visit to Caccamo Castle

We had occasion to visit Caccamo castle recently, which is something we do regularly really. This is a superb medieval castle situated on a cliff edge, with stupendous views.
This castle means even more to me, personally, due to its connections to Malta (I am Maltese born), as well as its interesting history.
Caccamo is a lovely historic town situated in the Madonnie mountains, about 20 miles from us. It is certainly worth visiting. (Mark)