Fontes Episcopi Bio Resort Near Agrigento, Sicily Part II

Meals based on a macrobiotic diet, peacocks wandering inside and outside the property, geese and guinea fowl meandering in the garden, and enjoyable and long nights spent talking with the owner Maurizio—this is what Fontes Episcopi Bio Resort is all about.

Photography property of SVADORE

What is a Bio Resort? After our first day in Fontes Episcopi, my mom and I were still not certain what a Bio Resort actually was. It seemed like an agriturismo or farm stay that used all of its food from the garden to create a dipping pool, its amenities such as soap and shampoo, and its meals. It wasn't until the next morning that we learned what Fontes Episcopi Bio Resort truly was. We awoke to a table full of freshly made cakes, freshly squeezed juices and more! The juices were unlike anything I've ever had. Have you ever had freshly squeezed watermelon juice?! It was AMAZING. Later on they brought out a jug of freshly squeezed prickly pear that was to die for! It tasted very similar to the watermelon juice but was a bit thicker in consistency. The staff offered me fresh eggs from their hens, which I gladly went for. I asked for them hardboiled so I could dip some of the freshly made bread in it. A wholesome breakfast with a hard boiled egg, juices, a croissant, and bread spread over fresh honey was the perfect start to my busy morning. It was at this point that Kata proceeded to reveal to us the true meaning of a Bio Resort. She told us that the resort had been focusing on creating meals based on a macrobiotic diet in order to heal someones physical and mental wellbeing. What is a macrobiotic diet you may ask? It follows the principle that all food contains energy, but this energy goes far deeper than calories. It's all about balancing the yin and yang found in food, the positive and negative forces in it, with a particular emphasis on locally grown food. By balancing the forces one is able to create an internal balance which in turn generates better health. 50-60% of the diet is made up of whole grains, 25-30% is made from vegetables, and 5-10% from cooked vegetables or foods. Any remaining calories come from fruits, nuts, seeds, and fish. My mom and I decided to hop on board this "macrobiotic" meal plan idea. Since we were at a holistic healing resort we might as well experience every aspect of it! After a morning out exploring the Valley of the Temples and Scala dei Turchi we headed back to the resort for our macrobiotic lunch. The lunch was made of a lot of different food groups. We had a fritata or scrambled egg with almond ricotta, so not ricotta CHEESE, but an ALMOND ricotta. Kale with a little bit of whole grain pasta and peppers, green beans, and chives covered in bread crumbs with a small tomato salad on the side. Light, wholesome, and all fresh from their garden. For dessert we had a fig cake made without sugar or milk. I don't know how they made it taste so good after removing all the primary ingredients in a cake, but trust me when I say that it was tastier than any fruit tart I've ever had. I have to say, when my mom and I left this resort, our stomachs were hands down the best they had felt in god knows how long. I can attest to the restorative properties of the environment and a macrobiotic diet. While enjoying our lunch I could not help, but keep noticing the attention to detail when it came to incorporating vintage farm or household tools into the property. Maurizio truly did an incredible job with the interior decoration and every time I would notice one of his clever integrations, a smile would appear on my face. It brought me a sense of joy, like I was being transported back to the old days. After lunch we made our way to the reading room, but not before we were stopped by a group of peacocks. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that as we made our way from the dining area to the lobby, we looked outside into the courtyard and caught a group of peacocks casually strolling around. Kata told us this was not uncommon, in fact there are times when they come INTO the resort as well. If you don't believe, I even caught it on video! See below. https://youtu.be/DN-D9ugLm4s Just as she told us this, the peacocks proceed to walk into the resort and into the reading room. Peering here and there at the latest books or farm tools around they are harmless creatures just exploring their curiosity. The fact that the resort allows them to freely come in and out of the property attests to their true message of trying to harmonize and reconnect humans with nature. I taped it once again because it was such an amazing experience! https://youtu.be/ltALn5ZaAmk Following our busy morning (and frankly week!) around Agrigento, my mom and I collapsed for a well-deserved 3 hour long nap. All you could hear was the occasional farm dog barking, guinea fowl callings, and birds chirping. When we woke up we decided to take advantage of our last opportunity to be in touch with nature in this one-of-a-kind way, so we decided to go for walk in the garden. We were once again surprised by Fontes Episcopi Bio Resort's many treasures. While on our walk we ran into a flock of adorable geese protecting their infant. Due to our short time at Fontes Episcopi Bio Resort and the long list of must-visit places on our itinerary, we did not get the opportunity to experience a macrobiotic cooking class with their chef, enjoy a spa treatment with essential oils made from their very own garden, go out and get down and dirty in the garden, or take a holistic class to realign ourselves with our environment. These are all opportunities and classes that are available to all and highly recommend that if you have the opportunity to experience one, you do so. That night we stayed up till 1:30AM speaking with the owner, Maurizio, over a fresh cup of rosemary tea. He wanted to hear all about our adventures, stories and experiences outside of Italy, and we wanted to hear all about his passion for vintage collections, how and why he decided to create Fontes Episcopi Bio Resort, and how he managed to intertwine his passion for the environment with his medical degree (he was a pharmacist previous to this!) Maurizio was a gracious and courteous host. He went out of his way to accommodate our every need, really tried to have us experience what a true Bio Resort means, and had us return to a simpler, kinder and more genuine time. Although the Bio Resort in and off itself is a gem, I have to say that it is the people in it - Maurizio and Kata - that are the cherry on top. Their passion, generosity, attention to detail, and unique offering is unlike any other I've ever experienced. Everything is so tailored, everything is made and done with such intent that I am almost tempted to call it a more down to earth luxury experience. For more information regarding Fontes Episcopi Bio Resort or to reserve a one-of-a-kind stay at the property, reach out to me at sveva@svadore.com.

• Fontes Episcopi Bio Resort Contrada Fontes Episcopi, Aragona AG, Italy;+39 0922 36664; fontesepiscopi.it

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Fontes Episcopi Bio Resort. All opinions remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company. I want to thank Maurizio and Kata once again for being such amazing and gracious hosts and giving us an UNFORGETTABLE stay. We hope to be back again very, VERY soon.  Get insider travel tips and lifestyle content on the world’s most exceptional destinations, experiences and products directly to your inbox. Don’t miss out–sign up for SVADORE on the right hand side. Follow Svadore on Instagram: @Svadore Follow Svadore on Twitter: @SvadoreTravels Follow Svadore on Pinterest: Svadore Follow Svadore on Facebook: Svadore