A week in Ronciglione and onward to Croatia

We have some wonderful friends who moved to Ronciglione last year, and it was so special to be able to visit them for a week and have time together. I did nothing but eat, drink, talk, and walk around town. Well, that's kind of what I do anyway, but this was extra sweet because I was with my dear friend Livia! 

The beautiful old town of Ronciglione

As a side note, I still spend a lot of time trying to decipher parking signs:

We left Ronciglione and drove up to Rovigo near Venice for an overnight before heading up and around to Slovenia and into Croatia. The drive had some breathtaking views around Orvieto (wow!). We stayed just outside Rovigo in a place a bit reminiscent of the Bates Motel, though it actually turned out to be ok. After we got checked in, we walked along the road to the local pub and sat outside (sweating!) with our beers.

We got to Croatia the next day and did an overnight in Fužine. We stayed at a place called Soba Erika and had a modern, light-filled apartment on the upper floor. Very nice, especially after our room in Rovigo. (Full disclosure: I picked the Rovigo room and Richard picked this one.) Next morning, we headed down the coast to Petračane, which is where we are now. 

Petrčane is picturesque and just a few kilometers up the coast from Zadar. Our little cottage is on the water with a stunning view of the Adriatic. We have a garden and patio and a full kitchen for cooking (and we finally found the coffee maker, which was a relief after two mornings of my less-than-stellar attempts at making Turkish coffee). Friday we went to the market in Zadar's old town. Not only did we get our fresh fish, lamb, and veggies, but I picked up my now much-adored neoprene water shoes. Yesterday, we headed to the little alcove beach just down the boardwalk from us and, with much splashing and little coordination, I made it through the pebbly shoreline and into the water. Richard wisely avoided my antics and chose instead to enjoy a serene afternoon on his beach towel.

Mussels and fish stew for an early dinner

More from Croatia soon!

Italy - Part II

After Montepulciano, we continued south to Bevagna (near Perugia), and then onward to Ronciglione, which is about an hour from Rome.

In Bevagna, we spent four nights in an old tower built into the city's fortified wall. The spiral staircase was atmospheric, though precarious. We had the entire tower to ourselves--three floors, plus a loft. Outside we had a garden, three cats that ignored us, and lovely neighbors-- the b&b owner (Gabriella), her aunt and uncle (Genevieve and Carlo), a cousin, etc. One afternoon Genevieve came over to chat with us while we were sitting in the garden. We had a terrific conversation with the help of Google Translate! After sharing stories, she invited us over to meet her husband Carlo who, by the way, makes an amazing homemade lemon liqueur, which he generously shared with us. It was one of the best visits we've had yet! È stata una delle migliori visite che abbiamo mai avuto!

Onward to Ronciglione!

Italy - Part I

 Highlights from Italy ...

We left France and made our first stop in Italy in Montecatini Terme, known for its thermal baths. We had a relaxing two days, checked out the hotel's grotto, a sauna-like place in an underground cave. Nice, but neither of us really felt like sweating that day, so we headed out to do other exploring. We had a delicious lunch on one of the main pedestrian streets and took the funiculare up to Montecatini Alto. The "Alto" was very, very alto! The hill grade went from 2% to 32% as we neared the top and the view was extraordinary.

On board the funiculare!

After getting uphill on the funiculare, we had wine on the main square in Montecatini Alto.
As a side note: A Prosecco/Aperol spritz is also quite nice. (Thanks, Milli!) 

The historic Montecatini Alto - a lot of uphill walking!

600-year-old stairs in one of the defense towers (now the clock tower)

Next we headed to Quirico d'Orcia where, on our first day, Richard scoped out his new car.

In Quirico, we stayed just inside the in the old town gate in a B&B in a place that dated back to the fourteenth century. We walked around the old town in the afternoon. In the evenings, things really emptied out. On one of our days, we visited the sculpted gardens created by Diomede Leoni in the late 1500s, located just off the main piazza. Leoni designed the gardens as part of the restoration of the old town after the town wall was destroyed in the war between Siena and Florence. 

The sculpted gardens

Our street in Quirico d'Orcia

The main piazza in the evening

One afternoon we enjoyed just sitting out in front of our B&B with a glass of wine. 

I loved the arch and glass-panel doors of the entry

While we were in the area, we also visited the Sante Marie di Vignoni winery for a tasting. What a beautiful place to sit and relax! Our drive through the countryside was filled with amazing views of hills, valleys, vineyards, and olive trees. After wine tasting, we tried for Bagno Vignoni, which was nearby,  thinking the Roman baths would be interesting to see, but the site didn't seem compelling once we got there. Instead, we headed to Monticchiello, another stunning hill town not far off. Note to self: Monticchiello would be another wonderful place to stay for a couple of nights. There's also a community theatre that puts on performances in August, and an adjacent restaurant that supports the theatre.

Wine tasting in the garden at Sante Maria di Vignoni

We bought two cases of wine and some olive oil!

The main square in Monticchiello

Our next stay was in Montipulciano. More amazing wine, complete with wine-tasting dispensers and a terrace with a great view of the valley.

Next stops in Italy: Bevagna and Ronciglione

Provence - Catching You Up

So our last stop before arriving in Italy was a quick two night stay in Orgon, France in the region of Provence.

We visited markets in Menerbes and Goult, and splurged on marinated olives, almonds in salt/olive oil, aged jambon noir (like a French version of prosciutto), foie gras, two cheeses, and cassoulet. We even found the public library and a little free library book box!

The public library in Menerbes! 

And the little free library book box!