As COVID Summer is coming to an end, just last happy human guests arriving tomorrow, I am enjoying happy bees’ company. Thanks to the colourful sea garden they have plenty of nectar to stock up as honey for the mild winter. Cheers!

My passion for honey bees started as many things in my life, by reading a book; it was a birthday gift few days before leaving UK in 2009 and the title was “a world without bees”, and guests are happy to take it off the shelf of my library and read it @PrimopassoSeaGarden

But I missed some practice to become an apirist myself, so I googled for easy concepts and bee friendly, and I came across some Aussie nice folks Crowfunding their prototype. It soon became a worldwide success and now almost everywhere you can find the brand @Flow Hive, which you see in the picture

Once I had my hive, I still missed the bees… and here come one of the special friends I bumped into my life as a matter of destiny: Carlo Amodeo, the apirist who saved the local sicilian black bee from being neglected and lost in memory. Carlo came to Primo Lasso water mill in 2009, but 10 years after was immediately available to support the former investment banker in achieving a quite different goal: look after his black bees, and eventually offer some honey for friends and guests.

In my first year I made several classic mistakes but never gave up and learnt as much as I could from it. In May I felt lost because my queen left along with many youngers without me even noticing, as I was too excited to wait for honey.

The frames had to be scale down from 8 to 5, but in just 4 weeks the hive recover its population, thanks to the egg laying of the young new queen.

After 10 years from the first page of the book, I still have not enjoyed a sì for jar of honey, yet I am happy like a kid watching the blue sea for the first time. More news to come soon.

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Tentative reopening from 15th July at B&B. Only one booking per period, so you will be sure of no contamination. You book only one room? The entire villa will be reserved for you.

While the B&B stays close, more time is devoted to growing vegetables and citrus. It takes months to get the ending results, but more time yields better qualities. No classrooms, no chemicals, just mowing the lawn.

Can you name the fruits and vegetables from the look of their plants? Enlarge the pictures or read caption! Enjoy.

Almost ready 🙂 flights on schedule

Due to COVID19 travel disruption, I decided to stay close for business this Summer. In a time when people has limited budget, flights are grounded and social distancing is key to avoid spreading the virus, I will open the door to my close friends and former guests, so do not hesitate to contact me and book few days to have some quality time spent together, yet respectful of social distancing rules

Activities we can safely run together will include both swimming and kayaking, but also BBQing some fresh organic vegetables from the farm, and yes of course I would be delighted to guide you through the Primo Passo water mill.

Let’s have fun, because we deserve it!

As our accommodation business is locked down and cancellations continue as deep as next June, I am on the field. This friday video shows how I clear the lemon grove off the grass without chemicals. Such machineries come at a cost, with no subsidy, but the benefit for the health and safety of the microsystem we lived is evident. Zero waste, as the weet is finely crunched and soiled as extra nutrition for the lemon trees. And the nectar the bees loose from poppies are quickly replaced by more lemon blossom.