Apart from the wedding itself, we managed to fit in a few other activities during our time together in Montegridolfo. Though, on reflection, it does seem that we spent a lot of time eating great food and drinking lovely wine…. Continue Reading →

On a spectacular autumn morning a few weeks ago, in a tiny village in the Italian countryside, Greg and I were married. What we originally had thought would be a small civil ceremony in Montegridolfo turned out to be four… Continue Reading →

Our daughter and her wonderful fiance are here! We’ve been counting down (months, weeks, number of sleeps) to their arrival date and, finally, Grace and Nate have landed in Rome. In fact, we’re looking forward to welcoming more family and… Continue Reading →

Just when I thought all hope was lost, I found a great hairdresser – Parrucchiere Binaglia Gianluca in Spoleto. The experience was great, the results were good and the people were lovely. From the moment I stepped inside to be… Continue Reading →

The valley in southern Umbria that connects Perugia and Spoleto is appropriately called Valle Umbra. It runs roughly north-south, and at around 60 kilometres long and 10 kilometres wide, is really more of a plain than a valley. The main… Continue Reading →

It’s a long and winding road that leads to the Gran Sasso National Park in Abruzzo. In fact as we rounded yet another bend on the climb to this huge massif in the Central Apennine mountains, I wondered whether I… Continue Reading →

After our visit to Gran Sasso National Park we returned to our base in the little town of Fontecchio in Abruzzo’s northwest. Not far from the regional capital L’Aquila, Fontecchio is a lovely village with a long history. Our friends… Continue Reading →

We had a good look at Pescocostanzo when we first arrived at this small village in southern Abruzzo. In fact we lapped the town three times before we finally admitted we were lost and stopped the car. (It’s not easy… Continue Reading →

It’s summer holiday season here in Italy, the time when many people take their annual break. As cities and towns fill with tourists, locals pack up and head for the mountains or the beach. We seem to have been caught… Continue Reading →

Some of Italy’s best – and least-known – wines come from a small area around Montefalco in Umbria. Sagrantino has been produced here since the 1500s, but it’s only in recent years that this big red wine has been ‘discovered’…. Continue Reading →