italy Archives - Linda Nelson

IN NEED OF A LITTLE TLC?

November 27, 2017

Not tender loving care…..

Tuscan Life and Culture.

This post concludes sharing about my recent visit to Italy, of which the last four days were designated to tooling around the region of Tuscany. Enjoy this vicarious tour, and do consider making it a real life experience for yourself one day.

“Today is a good day.” is just one of the uplifting mantras you will find displayed about at Fattoria San Martino Montepulciano, my home away from home where I laid my head to rest for four nights. Visit the website to learn how this husband and wife team brought their business vision and venture to fruition.

How could it not be a good day here? Every day was a good day here.

Montepulciano was by no doubt my favorite Tuscan town. Known worldwide for its wine, a visit there would not be complete without a wine tour and tasting, paired with lunch of the artisanal genre. Avignonesi Winery was our destination, an absolute gem of a place. Go ahead, visit the website to learn more about this winery’s progressive, organic and biodynamic winemaking practice.

We capped each evening strolling about the curious streets of Montepulciano. We just couldn’t get enough of its personality and local dining spots.

Have you ever heard of Monticchiello? Nope, me neither. Here’s a sneak peak of the humble beauty this charming little medieval village holds.

We set aside the last afternoon to make an appearance in the city of Florence, barely scratching the surface with exploration.

I was drooling over this way-out-of-my-price-range pedestrian vehicle.

Instead, I settled for a very satisfying(and affordable!) scoop of lavender gelato.

The following day we tooled around Montepulciano one last time, bid our arrivedercis with Tuscany, then made our way back to home base in Rovereto.

Go see Italy! What more can I say?

Allora…….

This experience was made possible, and only possible, by the love, generosity,

well thought planning, and adventurous spirit of my daughter and her husband.

I will be forever grateful to them, as by nature, I am neither a traveller, nor an adventure

seeker. I simply had to book a flight and get myself on that plane; they took care of the rest.

My responsibility was to enjoy myself. Period.

You two are absolutely amazing! I love you both so much!

And, let’s not forget our furry little co-pilot, Bandito, who ventured with us every

step of the way, melted the hearts of every passerby, and has been to more

places in this beautiful world than I have yet to see.

IN NEED OF A LITTLE TLC? Read More »

DOLOMITE-Y IMPRESSIVE

October 17, 2017

The delightful October temperatures where I visited Italy were identical to that of my hometown. No guessing games with packing, and no adjustments my body had to make in order to be comfortable. To clarify, I’m speaking in fahrenheit dialect. I left New York’s temperatures of the upper 60s to low 70s, and was granted the same throughout my stay. The exception was the Dolomites, in the northernmost region of Italy, where which we were greeted with temperatures in the mid 50s. Not bad, nothing that a turtleneck, light wool jacket and a pair of gloves couldn’t provide one comfort with.

On our way up to the Dolomites, we first stopped at a little gem of a restaurant, Tobia De Cuck. Talk about pure, home cooked deliciousness. Monica, the restaurant owner, and her daughter were front of house, and welcomed us warmly. The hearty vegetable soup was to die for. And, if you, like me, thought you never did care for apple strudel, Monica’s strudel would change your mind. Really.

Not long after, we arrived at Moserhof, our two night bed and breakfast destination, where I fell in love with the decorative touches of red gingham pattern fabric. Perhaps it was the rich quality and thread count of the fabric, yet with the humble look and comfort of one’s grandmother’s well cared for linens that stole my heart. I failed to ask my “photographer” to capture some photos of the fabric; however, you can get a glimpse of it by visiting the inn’s website. An early morning stroll around the grounds gifted me an earful of clucking chickens and mooing cows from the barn located below the inn.

Now, aren’t the Dolomites and Lake Braies(or Prags if you speak German) impressive? I think so. Dolomite-y impressive.

The following day we tooled around a bit more, taking advantage of access to some moderate impact hiking areas.

And, though not on our itinerary, Austria was just a stone’s throw away; we crossed the “border” just for amusement’s sake.

Allora…….. stay tuned for a most well planned Tuscan experience and where I laid my head to rest for four fabulous nights.

Ciao!

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ALLORA……..

October 16, 2017

Allora……. a simple, yet fully loaded Italian expression, that means everything and nothing at the same time. In English, it may translate as so….., well, then….., okay….., here we go……, now……. It may also simply translate as that little thoughtful pause or inhale one takes before saying something.

How do I know? Because I just recently visited Italy!!!!!

I will be breaking down the sightseeing of my trip in two or three posts, and please note that all Italy photos are property and courtesy of

Bandito & Co.

As much as I enjoy photography, I was blessed and spoiled silly with a hands-free and care-free adventure. Well, almost hands-free; I certainly did do some shopping.

Allora……. let’s start at the beginning, at a private residence in Rovereto, where I initially plopped myself and my luggage down after an eight hour flight and a three hour drive from the airport.

I was instantly smitten with this family compound, and settled in as if I had belonged there. Who wouldn’t want to start their morning with coffee on a balcony overlooking a beautiful vista and koi pond?

The interior walls were bathed in saturated hues that made me drool with delight. And, as for bathroom tiles and fixtures…… I admit, I do have a fetish for ones such as these.

Couldn’t you just imagine Mozart possibly having performed in concert on the grounds here? If you agree, then you would be correct – because he did.

Allora…….. I’m going to stop here for now. The Dolomites, Lake Braies and how I fell in love with red gingham fabric and apple strudel will be next, so do check back soon!

ALLORA…….. Read More »