How to Prolong Your Summer
The best way to prolong your summer is to leisurely drive down south to southern Tuscany in October (when living in Europe) and stay out somewhere in campagna (the countryside)! Glorious weather all week with temperatures around 30° C and we spend all day outside, from breakfast to dinner.
My favourite region is la Maremma, bordering the province of Siena in the north and Lazio in the south. For me it is a magic place where I feel at home and recharge my batteries.
This time we rent a house near Massa Marittima, in the colline metallifere.
The Agriturismo Bonatto, is owned by a nice German couple, we rent the Casa Padrone and are delighted with it: lovingly renovated farmhouse, spacious (about 120 square meters) and well equipped.
our temporary home
It is situated on the hill opposite Massa Marittima and we enjoy the lovely view of this charming medieval town at all times during the day and night.
Massa in the early morning
Massa at night
And here are my recommendations for spending a week in Maremma:
Mercato settimanale in Follonica on Friday, the weekly market where you get everything from fresh fruit and vegetable, cheese, salame, the latest fashion, household goods etc.
Cuore di bue (ox heart) tomatoes
Salame and cheese
The latest fashion design
We visit Massa Marittima and enjoy un aperitivo at the Ristorante 3 Archi in front of the Duomo.
Front view: il duomo
Back view: il duomo
Davide without his head but otherwise intact
A gargoyle?
A walk along the beach in Follonica
The beach at Follonica (the isle of Elba in the background)
Go out for lunch to the Ristorante Il Leccio in Cura Nuova and enjoy the antipasto of carpaccio di pesce misto (thinly sliced smoked and raw fish) und carpaccio misto di terra (thinly sliced bison, smoked goose breast and Bresaola, smoked beef), followed by the primo piatto of penne alla siciliana (pasta with a lovely sauce of eggplant, olives and tomatoes).
The antipasto
The pasta
Quite convenient that there is a enoteca (wine store) on the premises, I am happy to find my favourite 414 Morellino di Scansano.
Vermentino a strong white wine from the region
Take a walk to the lago d’Accesa
The Lago d’Accesa
Chica enjoying swimming in the Lago d’Accesa
wild cyclamens in the woods near the lake
Walk around the agriturismo and have a look at the newly planted sea buckthorn (hippophae rhamnoides),
an interesting plant which contains more vitamin C than lemons and oranges.
Kurt Künzi,the Swiss phyto therapist and buckthorn king in Bibbona, initiated Bernardo in planting it.
Young buckthorn plants
This is a sign which can be found everywhere and to which nobody pays any attention
Mind the thorns
Early morning
And it is time to leave again and drive back to Switzerland, a windy trip up north following the coast on the Italian autostrada with warnings of raffiche vento (gusts of wind) in the province of Pisa and Genova.
We spend the night on the Italian side of the lago maggiore in the lovely Hotel del Lago on the lakeshore, close to Canobbio (fraz. Carmine). I can highly recommend this hotel for a weekend trip. Hospitable and dog loving owner family Pierangela and Gianni Albertella will make you feel at home.
Evening on the lakeshore at the Hotel del Lago
Lovely dinner accompanied by the corresponding wines. Ah, the winelist, pages after pages of the best Italian wines!
Le Fagge, a Chardonnay from Tuscany
Avignonesi 50 + 50 (Merlot und Sangiovese)
For starters we have ravioli filled with meat and spinach on thyme butter, funghi porcini (boletus) with prezzemolo (flat parsley) and garlic and potato crêpes, the main dishes are: venison with vegetables and polenta, manzo fassone (filet of beef) with a delicious sauce béarnaise and rombo (turbot).
Funghi porcini sauteed with olive oil, prezzemolo and garlic
For dessert we have sorbetto: frutta di bosco and frutta di passione. Tasty and refreshing after such a huge dinner!
The last day takes us to Ascona, the popular village on the Swiss side of the Lago Maggiore, originally famous for its Monte Verità community of artists.
We meet friends at Ivo’s Bar Mistral and have lunch at the Grotto Baldoria,http://www.grottobaldoria.ch/, we are lucky: it is their last day before they close for winter holidays.
Grotto Baldoria in Ascona
Lunching or dining at the Baldoria is an exotic experience in itself. Mauro has a wonderful concept: the primo piatto changes every day, the antipasto and dolce is always the same. We have some local red wine, Saleggi, a Merlot by Delea.
You know you are back in Switzerland when you meet these fellows!
What are your tips for prolonging summer?
Comments 18
Barbara! I feel like I just spent time in Tuscany! ~ sigh ~ Thanks for the wonderful virtual tour! It made me “homesick” if that’s possible for Europe! I’ve been there twice – 26 years ago with my mother and last year with my daughter. What a lovely post! Now it’s back to work for me!
Lori
Lori, how sweet of you – that’s it exactly: a virtual tour! It felt so good putting it together, though I wondered with all the bottles I have found!
My first time in Italy was a high school graduation trip to Venice and Florence an eternity ago. What memories!
Thanks and enjoy a lovely evening, Barbara
Hello Barbara, Mary here from PBAU. How nice to read your piece and nice to meet someone who also likes to extend their summer. I’m doing that just now. In my case I have to get on a plane and fly to Bodrum Turkey. I also visited the local market this morning for fresh fruit and vegetables. Later went into Bodrum, sat in an openair cafe basking in the sun drinking fresh orange juice. Topped it all off with a barbecue this evening. Bliss. Thank you for the virtual tour.
@Hocam What a pleasure to meet you here, Mary!
Turkey – definitely one of my next destinations! And maybe far more comfortable to get on a plane than driving 950 km in one day (I took a little detour – only 200 km – on the way down to Tuscany thinking I was very clever to circumvent traffic jams).
Enjoy your holidays, sounds delicious, market, fresh orange juice, barbecues, Barbara
@Late_Bloomers@Hocam It is always those quick detours to escape the traffic that get you!
@kittiewalker Hallo Kittie,
What do you do to prolong your summer?
@Late_Bloomers I actually love the Autumn with its beautiful colours, sunny crisp days and the gorgeous foods that come into season. That means that I do not generally attempt to prolong the summer, but I do keep summer ingredients on hand to recreate memories in the deepest depths of Winter 🙂
@kittiewalker wise girl!
Gorgeous pics! We just had early snow here int New Jersey so this bit of extended summer is quite welcome. Thanks!
@1plus1wednesday Hi Adrienne, thanks, Saw the pics of snow covered Halloween pumpkins – crazy, next we will have Santa Claus in bloomers!
I’m so incredibly hungry right about now!!!
@JanineRipper Janine, why? And I forgot to mention the marvellous caffé you get on the autostrada in the Autogrill!
I did try to drive there…..that didn’t work out so well considering I live in Florida. Actually, I have been to Monaco and Nice and after we left there we flew to Geneva. It was a great trip and would absolutely love to go again.
Fortunately in Florida we can go to the beach just about year round; there are a few days where it’s too cold but not many.
Thanks for sharing the photos, they were great. It did make me want to go………..
@bdorman264 Bill, you are the blessed guy – going to the beach all year round!
We visited Florida and staid at the Delano in South Beach, this was an extraordinary adventure with a young child and all the hip people in the bar! And trying to get the water tap running in our room – design by Philipp Starck.
By all means, come to Europe, do you not already plan to stay at the Falchetto’s, then why not carry on to Switzerland?
Ahh, travelling broadens the horizon ….
Hi Barbara
I have just come across your post – great photos – and not only realised that you stayed just a short drive away from me, but that you also kindly included a link to my page about one of my favourite restaurants in Maremma, Il Leccio. We ate there last night! Thank you. I think from your description and pics that you had your meal in the great bar and enoteca next door (not connected to Il Leccio), which also serves fab food. Have eaten there too! Makes a great choice for a light lunch on the shady porch in the summer. So glad to have found another who loves Maremma like I do. If you would be interested in sharing another one of your favourite places in Maremma with my readers as a guest page of your own in my Maremma Guide I would be truly delighted – http://www.maremmaguide.com/italy-travel-tips.html.
Ciao for now
Donna
Hi Barbara I have just come across your post – great photos – and not only realised that you stayed just a short drive away from me, but that you also kindly included a link to my page about one of my favourite restaurants in Maremma, Il Leccio. We ate there last night! Thank you. I think from your description and pics that you had your meal in the great bar and enoteca next door (not connected to Il Leccio), which also serves fab food. Have eaten there too! Makes a great choice for a light lunch on the shady porch in the summer. So glad to have found another who loves Maremma like I do. If you would be interested in sharing another one of your favourite places in Maremma with my readers as a guest page of your own in my Maremma Guide I would be truly delighted – Maremma Italy travel tips Ciao for now
@maremmaguide Hi Donna,
What a pleasant surprise, thanks for stopping by and saying hello! I truly envy you, having eaten at Il Leccio only last night, and for living in la Maremma, how I would love to live there all year round. You have me all curious as to your life in Italy …
And thanks for your generous offer to share in your Maremma Guide, would love to do so in the near future. I only took up blogging in English some months ago, before I wrote in German which is my first language. My next scheduled trip will be to Rome next spring. Stay tuned!
Allora, una bella serata per te e ci sentiamo, Barbara
Ciao Barbara
Complimenti 🙂 I wish my Italian was as good as your English! I am still learning and the Maremma dialect adds to my confusion as well as my partners Florentine frequent “moda da dire” (I think I have spelt that right – writing in Italian is still near impossible!). Congratulations on a lovely Blog.
Ciao
Donna