Sanarno - a Jewel in the Marche Crown

Last night decided to pop into Sanarno on some errands and decided to try out a newly opened Restaurant on the side of the road.

Great meal, great wine and most of all a great view of this majestic medievil town.  Well worth a visit particularly on Thursdays when the whole town descends of the square for the weekly market day shopping extravaganza!

Another reason we love Marche

The Kindness, Generosity and Honesty of the Italians Continues to Amaze Us!

This week we decided to watch the England / Italy game with the locals at a favorite eatery, Da Cicco in Gualdo and really enjoy the game with a real Italian flavour! 

Being a Welsh and South African combination of nationalities we decided that the best option was to support Italy which was much appreciated by the Gualdonese. A great time was had by all and our newly made friends really got into the spirit of the game and became very vocal and demonstrative in their support.

Another memorable part of the evening was when we were settling up the bill, Larissa the wife of the owner and brilliant chef ( her signature dish is cinghiale (Wild Boar) ), rushed out of the kitchen in a real panic clutching a handful of Euro notes. Apparently a month before when eating there with a group of friends she had mistakenly double charged for some of the meal and had been waiting for us to come back for another feast.  Now wasn't that a lovely surprise and a real indication of the local honesty and generosity of spirit. 

Another reason we love Le Marche

Another Great Day Trip - Scheggino

Beautiful Scheggino is a small town with less than 1000 habitants situated in the valley of the Nera river. The river has been diverted to form canals which run down the main street which makes it a picturesque mini- Venice.

We had an amazing lunch right on the River at the   Ristorante Del Ponte - freshly caught trout from the river was a big hit.

Another great find was a really quaint Antique Shop full of Italianate furniture - but managed to resist

Another reason we love Marche

Exploring Marche from Cancello Est - Brilliant Day Trip

June is one of the best months (and best kept secrets) to visit Le Marche

The weather on Saturday was wonderful warm sunny and clear so we decided to venture through the Sibilini Mountains to Norcia. The Salami Capital of Italy.

On the way we discovered the plain of Castelluccio which was a breathtaking.  All the fields surrounding this picturesque village were planted with Rape and Lentils which were all in full flower - reds, golds and yellow.

Another reason why we love Marche!

Cancello Est Revealed More Secrets Today

After some severe pruning of the undergrowth we at last find what will be the terrace and pool deck.

Imagine sitting here with a great glass of wine and watching the sun set over the mountains.

Even on an overcast "Jubilee" day the views are breathtaking.

Looking down on the old turret from the fortified walls we will have views out to Sarnarno and and the countryside - with a backdrop of the Sibilini Mountains

However, the crack in the turret is going to be a challenge for the architect to solve. The area has to be stabilized repaired and or rebuilt - keeping the character of course and retaining every medeival stone.