| |
Ninety kilometres south of still active Mount Etna lies
Monte Ible’s dry limestone slopes which in spring are adorned with a wonderful
show of flowers. Anemones, Irises and Asphodels are abundant in the marvellous
abandoned fields and terraces above Syracusa but it will be the Orchids that
will steal the show. A dozen or more species can be seen in many of the tiny
fields. Spectacular Pink Butterfly Orchids are joined by Orchis
longicornu whose deep purple, white and pink flowers make it perhaps one of
Europe’s prettiest orchids. Amid Giant and Naked Man Orchids we’ll enjoy a
prolific show of bee orchids with abundant yellow and pink Sawfly Orchid,
colourful Ophrys bertolonii and fur-rimmed Mirror Orchid. Sicily is a
hotspot in the evolution of this group of orchids. Yellow-edged Ophrys
biancae and both Ophrys lunulata and Ophrys panormitana
are found nowhere else in the world and several others can only be seen here or
on ‘Italy’s foot’.
We’ll explore limestone gorges, wooded valleys and even
coastal nature reserves where a fascinating saltmarsh and dune flora will keep
us busy when we’re not looking at the Flamingos, Black-winged Stilts and
Slender-billed Gulls!
|
