Orchid on the Sentiero della Pace

A morning hike in the Madonie Mountains in central Sicily. We crossed a medieval bridge and walked along a creek and lush green fields, through a beech forest and a chestnut grove. Sonorous bells announce our bovine friends…cows and donkeys grazing, dogs barking (every farmer and cattle herd has at least one), even a cuckoo calling! We were excited to discover these exquisite orchids. Thinking they were rare, M researched to identify them, only to discover that there are actually 65 species of orchid in the Madonie!