Going through pastures, the path that leads from Bocca di Serra to Corbaro Park, the place where everything is possible...

“Going through pastures” is a stolen idea, a dream come true, a story shared by those who are tired of the ordinary days. “Going through pastures” is our way of offering an emotion to those who need to switch off and escape from stress. These are the words with which Nino and Max, managers of Corbaro Park and tireless dreamers, tell the new journey undertaken.

Their adventure begins with the opening of the restaurant

A stage of activity that points the spotlight on the restoration of the peasant culture. Where the dishes tell the colors and scents of the slopes of the island, a place where the kitchen anchored to the roots and to the territory, is tinged with modern contaminations, offering its guests an experience out of the ordinary.

In the emotional wave of wanting to restore the ancient heritage of the island, among which Forio is counted, not only, as a land of viticulture, but also of goatherds, Max and Nino introduce to Corbaro a flock of ‘Mediterranean Red’, a group of nice goats with a caramel-colored coat, thus tracing the mere identity of their world.

Going through pastures is not only a path that reconciles oneself with the world but a story whispered in a low voice that reveals uses, customs, traditions and legends of the island, a path marked by the decisive steps of the goats of Corbaro, the real protagonists of this trip.

By Roberta Raja

The route begins in Bocca di Serra, in the municipality of Serrara Fontana, the way that leads to Frassitelli. The silence is interrupted by the irregular sound of the bells and by the bleating of the goats that, intent on grazing the grass, act as unusual ushers of the path that will lead to Corbaro Park. A therapeutic immersion in the Mediterranean maquis: thistles, brooms, euphorbias, wild fennel and wild mint, the shrubs that climb on the imposing Mount Epomeo and give a vision that is sublimated to the west by the sea that laps Forio. On the horizon, Ventotene, when the sky is clear, it is possible to glimpse Circeo. The journey, cadenced by the steps and the acrid smell of the goats, is accompanied by the words of Nino that tells the story of each of them, creatures with nice human traits. Nino -smiling- when he speaks of Ilizia, the villain of spartacus, undisputed leader of the flock, or of Nancy who mischievously woos him, or even Diana, the smallest, is proud when he speaks of Teresina the Neapolitan, the mascot of the new breed introduced into the flock.

The Neapolitan Goat

The story of Nino is accompanied by Marianna - Environmental Hiking Guide - who will provide technical notions on the Mediterranean maquis, on the geology of the soil, on the fauna of the place and many other curiosities. The trip is enriched by the tale of stories, myths and legends of the island, such as the myth of Typhoeus, the giant that supports the island, from notions on the green tuff, characteristic of Ischia and the peculiarities that binds the volcanic origin of the viticulture soils.

Once in the wood of the Robinie and Frassitelli, it’s time to take a little break and relax. Entering the forest is like entering oneself, plunging into a fairy world in which the presence of goats combines the path, without intrusiveness. The stop in the woods is associated with a session of Reiki, by Max, master in a discipline that aims at energy awakening and cleaning the aura. The route continues along the characteristic ‘parracine’ of Ischia until you reach the church of Santa Maria del Monte, a small hermitage from which you can admire the fumaroles that ooze from the mountain. Will be the breath of Typhoeus, the giant that supporting the Island?

After arriving at Corbaro Park, you are welcomed by the Entrèè di Scala Emotionale, a tasting based on mature and semi-aged goat cheeses such as: creamy lavender, tomino in hazelnut leaf, pistachio and linseed pralines combined with fresh fruit, dried fruit, jam, compotes and jellies.
Reclaiming oneself and nature is the goal of this journey among the beauties of Ischia, to remember what surrounds us, with the utmost respect for the environment and the riches it offers us.

Thus, rediscover the meaning of freedom that sometimes the dogmas of “civilization” make us forget, the unconscious philosophy of goats that oppose any limit to freedom.

Useful recommendations for participating in Going through Pastures:

The guide recommends that in order to better cope with the tour, a minimum of training, comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for uneven and slippery terrain is required. It is essential to have water.