Experience the real italian lifestyle - la dolce vita

luglio 2008

Assisi & our visit to the Varnelli distillery

il sorger del sole is centrally situated to explore the Le Marche Region and the other day we decided to visit Assisi in the neighbouring region of Umbria. Some of our guests had visited there a few days beforehand and they said it had taken them only 1 3/4 hours for the journey. It was a beautiful hot day with endless clear blue skies and we set off - deciding to visit the Varnelli distillery which is en route and located on the outskirts of Muccia. We found the distillery and on arrival explained that we were interested in buying some of their products and could we have a tasting session first! We sampled three different products beginning with their original aniseed flavored spirit which many Italians take with their espresso coffee. We were then offered a mandarin flavored liquor which was served in small dark chocolate cups and finally a very thick and creamy chocolate flavored liquor which was served in small wafer cups. Sandra's brother was staying with us at the time and he bought us a bottle of their 'Mandarino' liquor and a supply of chocolate cups. 

We reached Assisi about one hour later and found cool underground parking before exploring the city. It is very beautiful with photo opportunities around every corner and has lovely piazzas, secret gardens and tiny winding streets. There are lovely restaurants, ice cream shops, bars and lots of shops selling things tourists like to buy. We would anticipate the number of visitors would increase dramatically in the high season and it was reassuring to know that we would eventually escape back to the tranquility of il sorger del sole.

We saw most of the sights including the The Basilica of St Francis and the Sacro Convento, The Piazza del Comune with its ancient Roman artifacts, The Basilica of St Claire, Cathedral of St Rufino before climbing the steps and winding road to the Rocca Maggiore. This fortified fort gives fantastic views of Assisi and is well worth paying the small admission charge and climbing to the top of the two restored towers.

Giano beer fest

We met up with our friend Francesco, his wife and son at the Troviggiano beer festival. The beer festival organisers this year had seven different beers to taste including draught Guinness, wines and a range of freshly cooked food. It has a lovely family atmosphere with many people beginning to arrive around 10.00 pm. This years entertainment had a 'heavy metal' theme not quite our tastes but we enjoyed the live performance by the group ' Kurnalcool'  who began playing about 11.00 pm.

Cingoli - weekly street market

The first weekly street market was held in Cingoli the other night. This market begins about 5.00 pm and finishes just after midnight. It has a wide variety of stalls selling products from north Africa, antiques, clothes, handbags, shoes, underwear, books, paintings, photographs, local produce and so on. It is enjoyable to walk on a warms summers evening along the main street in Cingoli - Corso Garibaldi take in an ice cream or two eventually reaching the main square and sitting outside one of the bars and watching people browsing in the stalls. Afterwards finish off the evening with a pizza. The market runs every Tuesday evening through 'till the end of August. 

San Severino - Blues Buffs

The San Severino Blues Festival runs thro' till the 3rd August with Grammy Winner Joe Jackson and others such as The Niro, Danny Bryant, Andy Timmons, Carlos Johnson, Eric Steckel, Ana Popovic, Washboard Chaz, Raphael Gualazzi plus more. We are less than 20 minutes drive from this beautiful city - if you require any more information about dates please let us know.

Water park

There is a superb water park which has just opened for the season to 'chill out' in which is around 10 minutes drive away. This park has swimming pools for adults, pools for youngsters, bars (including poolside), restaurants, water slides, entertainment, shady areas, sun bathing areas and is enjoyed by all ages. There is ample safe car parking opposite the entrance and the admission ticket covers everything except food and drink - you are even allowed to take your own picnics.

Our gardens and olive groves

The figs have now ripened and we normally get to crops each year as with most fruit they all arrive at once and we have far too many. We can't really exchange them with people for other fruit as most locals have at least one fig tree! We have picked all the plums in readiness for jam making and this year we also had a small crop of apricots - enough for perhaps two or three jars of jam but decided instead to make them into fresh fruit salads. The peaches are not quite ready to pick and the new grape vine has three large bunches of grapes.

Our new small vegetable patch stocked with spring onions, beetroot and parsnips (the latter two are very difficult to obtain here) became the interest of a naughty small Cinghiale (wild boar) who tried to sample these exotic vegetables. Luckily there was not too much damage done.

luccioli (fireflies) are still darting around the gardens and groves and soon will disappear return again next year. The thumbnail shows a rather grainy photograph of a lucciola.

Something different

One of our friends is managing director of a travel company specialising in tailor made holidays in Peru. Paul and his family loved Le Marche and Paul said Le Marche reminded him very much of Peru. If you are interested in visiting Peru please visit Paul's website www.peruviansecrets.co.uk

Book now for the Macerata open air opera season

The open air opera season at Macerata looks fantastic this year with performances of Carmen, Tosca and Attila. The season runs from the middle of July through to the middle of August - book early as the opera which is staged in Macerata's open air arena which has the largest stage in Europe. Those who wish to book on line search for Sferisterio or Macerata Open Air opera.

Price Guide

We are always being told by guests that they had no idea how cheap it would be to holiday here in Le Marche. The area is still relatively undiscovered and there are no 'tourist prices' in the bars and restaurants - just what the locals would pay! To give you an idea the local restaurants offer a fixed price menu at 12 euros each and a typical meal includes pasta, grilled meat or fish, water, wine, bread and coffee. Restaurant prices for a pizza are around 6 euros each and pasta is also around 6 euros each with litre of house wine at around 3 euros. In a bar a glass of house wine is about 3 euros and a bottle of local beer is around 1.50 euros. 

Flights (See Rates and offers page for transit times from airports)

We are well served by a number of local airports: Ancona, Rimini, Bologna Forli, Bologna Marconi, Pescara and Perugia. Some of our guests have flown into either Rome or Florence spent a few days exploring and spending their remaining time at il sorger del sole. Carriers and routes change frequently so it is often a good idea to check out other airports for availability, prices and arrival & departure times when booking your holiday or stay with us. 

Ryanair have said in their latest promotion 'that your summer holiday need not cost you a fortune' - they are promoting Italy heavily as a fashionable destination and they have lots of low cost flights still available to Italy.

Bed & Breakfast Report

"Out with hotels, in with B&Bs" The Times, 12 Jan 2008

"British bed and breakfasts are set for a revival as hotels are now so expensive that most families cannot afford to stay in them" reports The Times on Saturday 12 January. Adam Raphael, editor of the Good Hotel Guide, is reported as saying that "B&Bs offer the best value", and that B&Bs "offer the best breakfasts in Britain".

We are not located in Britain but the same excellent value applies here in Italy compared to Italian hotels!

Why not visit for a holiday, mid-week break (where flights and ferries are often cheaper), customised break, long weekend, celebration or anniversary. We welcome guests from throughout the world.

If you would like to stay with us for 3 nights or more the room rate is always discounted and also if you make a late booking - (with no deposit required) we always have late booking discounts and sometimes for one night stays.

Ciao Gregory and Sandra