Our Italian Summer
Our Italian summer 2019 has flown by. A shorter time here than normal but we were still very glad when we arrived to the peace and tranquility of our home at the end of July.
Summer was fabulous, blue skies every day and temperature in the high 30Cs.
The house looked stunning.
The usual activities followed apace: opening the pool, searching for tradesmen to do various types of maintenance (everyone in Italy is on holiday in August, so that was very hopeful), going for a cycle, checking all the garden chores required (always includes weeding and cutting back roses)
Blackberries came before a very poor crop of mulberries. Tomatoes didn’t start going red until the second week in August. Huge crop of cucumbers and zucchini (we had fun with these!);
hazelnuts ready before the watermelon (then 12 of these; water melon coming out the yin-yang). Strawberries, raspberries and grapes still producing fruit well into September; figs ready very late August then rotting on the trees very quickly. The daily harvest exceeded all expectations.
All except the olives. After producing our very first olive oil in 2018, there are virtually no olives on the trees this year. Much more pruning required to try to kick start them again.
All except the olives. After producing our very first olive oil in 2018, there are virtually no olives on the trees this year. Much more pruning required to try to kick start them again.
With hosting 3 sets of guests and taking 4 trips away in 6 weeks, it has been a hectic time.
We kicked off with a trip to Firenze with Jude to celebrate her birthday in style.
Staying in an apartment at the end of the Ponte Vecchio, we enjoyed brekkie and aperitive al fresco amid the roof tops.
Sarah walked us all over Florence to see all the sights.
My favourite view is from the cemetery beyond the Piazza Michaelangelo on the steps of the Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte.
Next up, Macerata opera festival with Monique and Robert, to see Macbeth.
Very strange distracting production with cactus as Birnam Wood and beds chasing Lady Macbeth.
Very strange distracting production with cactus as Birnam Wood and beds chasing Lady Macbeth.
Mum and Dad arrived just in time to help eat all the veggies. We all rejected Sarah’s plan of green soup/green juice/cold green soup after the experience a few years ago with cabbage juice for breakfast.
Our annual holiday together with the Neep seniors always revolves around a trip to the beach and we synched it up again with the Opera festival in Pesaro.
We go to the opera, they go to the beach/restaurants and people watch.
We go to the opera, they go to the beach/restaurants and people watch.
We travelled via lunch at Della Rosa in Sirolo and took in the views with Mum.
Sarah and I donned our posh frocks once more and headed out to the arena out of town.
We were bowled over by the singing in Semiramide on the first night with soprano Salome Jicia, and Mezzo soprano Varduhi Abrahamyan. Probably the best we have heard live for some time. Names to watch out for.
We had arrived in a rush to get to the opera in time and Sarah had parked in what she thought was an excellent free spot near the hotel. Next morning Dad announces that he had seen a car just like ours being towed away by the police. As he described exactly where we had parked our car, we both froze in horror.
Rushing to the spot soon after, we found the Caribineiri but no car. They directed us to the Polizia Municipale office; we arrived on bikes to find it was closed for a holiday. Frantic door bell ringing ensued and eventually someone let us in. A very very kind police officer took our fine of €29.40 and directed 2 burly polizia to drive us to the car pound (several km away). Our first ever polizia escort. Although the enclosure was closed for another 3 weeks, the police wanted rid of 2 dotty 50 something English birds. Another €100 and 1 hour later we had the car back and parked again (looking more carefully at the signs this time)
We then had to recover the bikes. After so much frantic activity even Sarah had to sit down and do some deep breathing looking at the sea.
We then had to recover the bikes. After so much frantic activity even Sarah had to sit down and do some deep breathing looking at the sea.
Selection of vineyards to visit for wine tasting has been fun this year. Our reference book is “Il Marche nel Bicchiere 2019” listing all the vineyards in Le Marche, what they produce and whether or not they are open for vineyard tours. With Mum and Dad we visited the Di Sante store in Fano and a small village in the hills above Fano on Sant Andrea in Villis.
The cantina was in the basement of the family house;
winetasting after a vineyard tour was on a tressle table under the olives.
The cantina was in the basement of the family house;
winetasting after a vineyard tour was on a tressle table under the olives.
A whirlwind arrived in the form of our Kiwi friends, Robbie and Marti
who tackled the garden chores in swimmers much to the delight of various insects.
They wised up quickly and went for the more conservative garden attire, still having fun whilst being helpful. The best guests to have!
who tackled the garden chores in swimmers much to the delight of various insects.
They wised up quickly and went for the more conservative garden attire, still having fun whilst being helpful. The best guests to have!
Several fun filled evenings, at the local Pizza place and at home ended with a visit to the Vino Cotto (literally cooked wine) festival in Loro Piceno.
Starting at 10pm we had the full tour of the festival music, food, sweet stalls and puppet shows for the kids.
The kids amongst us just could not walk by the sweets.
Starting at 10pm we had the full tour of the festival music, food, sweet stalls and puppet shows for the kids.
The kids amongst us just could not walk by the sweets.
Loro Piceno was awash with people, lights, music and street food (pompadoms with vino cotto anyone?)
Quite a show for the Kiwis.
Quite a show for the Kiwis.
Any visit is not complete without a trip to the beach.
For a treat we booked La Torre in Portonovo,
the only lookout tower on the coast line built in the 17thCentury.
The tower is literally a stone's throw from the beach.
We had 2 fabulous days there, swimming, kayaking,
dining in the local restaurants: Il Clandestino
and Il Molo,
walking, taking sunset
and sunrise photos.
Thank you Adriana Cortese De Bosis.
If you ever want to stay in a very special place with wonderful hosts and fabulous restaurants within spitting distance, this is it.
Of course, we had to sample some wine too..
Our vineyard selection, this time was Brunori near San Paolo di Jesi.
The owners gave us a walking tour of the vines
then settled us down to opening some of their best Rosso Piceno (a blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano) and Jesi, Parco Regionale Del Conero, Le Marche.
Villa Forano, was the next stop on the way home.
Oval shaped barrels in the wine cellar and a quick history lesson.
then settled us down to opening some of their best Rosso Piceno (a blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano) and Jesi, Parco Regionale Del Conero, Le Marche.
Villa Forano, was the next stop on the way home.
Oval shaped barrels in the wine cellar and a quick history lesson.
It was sad when our friends departed but much quieter,
Time to process all the tomatoes they had helped us pick.
A weekend away in Arezzo, Moggiona, Poppi and Stia, Tuscany
Finally, all our visitors left. We were on our own. Sarah decided that we need more stimulus so we headed off for a weekend of arts and crafts.
First stop Arezzo for the antique furniture fair.
Arezzo has the only pope buried outside of the Vatican (Gregory X)
There are many medieval villages/towns and forests to explore in this part of Tuscany (only 45 km east of Firenze) We had booked to stay in a hotel and restaurant in Moggiona,
thinking just pasta and wine for dinner, only to find a Michelin star like restaurant
A Sunday in Stia was a picture.
The Biennial blacksmith fair very entertaining.
It was full of iron art and sculpture
and live demonstrations of ironworking. Hot in 38C
On the way home we popped into Poppi.
A town on a hill with a huge 12C castle to visit
It entertained us with its battlements, bell tower, ramparts, views, courtyard and multiple staircases in the heat of the day.
Now we have reached September the weather is unsettled and thunderstorms are a regular feature of the afternoon/evening. It clears the air and we find it easier to sleep with cool air blowing in instead of the normal summer hairdryer effect.
A town on a hill with a huge 12C castle to visit
It entertained us with its battlements, bell tower, ramparts, views, courtyard and multiple staircases in the heat of the day.
Now we have reached September the weather is unsettled and thunderstorms are a regular feature of the afternoon/evening. It clears the air and we find it easier to sleep with cool air blowing in instead of the normal summer hairdryer effect.
Leaving home
Like the weather, we too are now unsettled. We have crammed activity into 6 weeks and hardly had any down time to read, contemplate and just stare into space.
Ours is an active lifestyle. On the go constantly. As we face another set of flights, part of me is in horror; the benefit though, is an opportunity to catch up on some quiet time and reading. Sarah is coming back to Italy for a while (more tradies to manage) I am back in Queenstown soon
Next up, a final fling this year in London.
Ciao e cordiali saluti, amici
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