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Hideaway in Monti
We’re told it’s a challenge to find a room in Rome without mind numbing noise. But our hideaway apartment in Monti (NYT article about Monti) is silent. Silent. It’s a 10 minute walk to the Colosseum. Good restaurants, specialty food, and wine shops are just down the street. It’s a gem. We’re staying in one…
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We’re In Rome Baby!
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The Road to Rome
We don’t want to leave Brigolante. We’re nourished and revived, yet we crave more. This week, we’ve taken time to reminisce, to reflect on highlights of our journey so far. Treviso and The Courage to Feel Welcome. Venice and Redefining Normal. Bologna and Then we sat down for a feast. (with new photos of our friends…
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Storm the Castle
And when I say “storm”, I mean that all afternoon the wind snarls at us; it billows our coats and drains tears from our eyes. Despite it, we inch up winding stairwells, peer from sunlit slits where hundreds of fingers released thousands of arrows, and walk on top and inside(!) of a mighty stone wall. The…
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Day Trip to Deruta
About fifteen years ago, when we’d been married just a year, Deruta pottery snuck in to our home. We were on a trip to Victoria, Canada. In a small shop, a jar meant for coffee caught my eye. I loved the unusual pattern and pallet of aqua, yellow, navy, and rust. On the bottom, the jar…
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Gubbio and Dangling Cages of Death
From Brigolante, it’s worth the 45 minute drive just to see the farmland and countryside from the winding road. But couple that with a promise to ride in “Dangling Cages of Death” – as named by Rebecca’s 7 and 10-year-old sons – and Gubbio’s draw is irresistible. This medieval town is stunning and steeped in…
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Assisi and St. Francis
Basilica di San Francesco and an assembly of ancient structures shape the Assisi skyline. This city does not tower above its base of earth, but mimics the hillside contour. Assisi is the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi, the son of a rich cloth merchant who came to devote himself to a life of poverty. St. Francis preached…
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Brigolante
The air has changed. There is a faint scent of wood smoke; our arms are concealed by sleeves, our sandals stowed. Most days, clouds are still shy and the sun is still bold, but vineyard leaves shed their green and breezes whisper of winter. Umbria is aptly named, “The Green Heart of Italy”. Mountains and…
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Italy through the Windshield
We like to travel by train, but in smaller towns it’s better to drive. On this trip, we’ve driven just over 2,000 kilometers and are so glad for it, because driving adds contour and context. From the car we see how some towns are quite modern, others full of industry, that farmland in the Fall…
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Brunello, Pecorino, and a Church on a Farm
All night wind whips the stone walls of Casina di Rosa; it raps at the windows, it rattles the shutters. In the morning, clear skies and sunshine come to replace it, but the wind is reluctant to leave. Despite the bluster, we have a day trip in mind. We want to see more of Tuscany:…