When Vittorio, my Italian teacher, told me about Cave Grande, a nature preserve in southeastern Sicily with fresh water swimming holes only accessible by hiking, I immediately wanted to go. That was about four years ago. A couple of weeks ago, I was giddy when hiking with a friend, and a clearing revealed the spot in the image that Vittorio had sent me during our lesson.
It’s a white Grand Canyon: a limestone bed cut over centuries by the Cassibile River, almost a thousand feet deep and featuring lush, green vegetation, waterfalls, fresh water pools, and of course, the river bed. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to walk and swim in this nature preserve. (Wear hiking boots.)
Oh, and the multicolored dragonflies danced all around!
