The Weather:
The house is at the end of a private road and so it is a peaceful haven with no sounds of passing traffic and, as we are about 450m above sea level, the air is pure and healthy. Although there can be many sunny days, January to March is usually dry and chilly with a heavy snowfall in early January. (Bolognola, the nearest ski resort, is only a forty-minute drive away.) In April, May and early June, there can be rainy days but Spring is a fantastic season - fruit trees blossom, the sun frequently shines, wild flowers blanket the fields and verges, the birds sing and, at night, the fire-flies glow. From mid-June to early September, it is normally very hot, sunny and dry. Autumn, with its burnished and russet foliage, is a magical time. It does sometime rain and, as the days shorten, it becomes cooler. It is the ideal time for walking and exploring.
Our swimming pool is normally open from mid-May until early October. For the rest of the year, the pool is covered and not used.
Local Wines and Food:
The best known regional white wine is Verdicchio, produced mainly in Matelica (10 kilometres away) and Castelli di Jesi. It varies from the cheap and cheerful to superb vintage wine. Local red wines, named after where the wine is made, are Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno. A famous local, sweet, sparkling wine is Vernaccia di Serra Petrona. Produced in Camerino and other nearby towns is a superb aniseed spirit, called Mistrà, that is delightfully used to 'correct' a coffee.
Local foods include 'ciauscolo' (a spreadable salame), 'frappe' (a Carnival sweet made of fried strips of sugared dough) and 'torrone' (a nougat). Among local dishes are 'coniglio in prochetta' (rabbit stuffed with pork and wild fennel), 'polenta' (a solid pasta made from maize flour on top of which is meat or vegetables) and 'vincisgrassi' (a superior lasagna). Local cheeses include 'pecorino' (from sheep's milk) and 'ricotta' (from the remaining whey). Excellent honey and olive oil are also produced locally.
Eating In and Out:
Within 3 kilometres of the apartment, there are two supermarkets selling a wide range of foods that includes local and regional specialities. Also close by, there are local specialist bakers, butchers, greengrocers and delicatessens. There is also a local market where it is possible to buy fresh fish. It is, therefore, very easy to buy locally almost any food required - apart from some essential Ingredients for Indian and Chinese food!
Close by, there are several unpretentious restaurants and pizzerias, serving good and inexpensive meals. At some of them, it is possible to eat outside in summer. Within a twenty-minute drive, there are about a dozen slightly more expensive restaurants that present very good food and an excellent range of Italian wines.
All guests are provided with a list of local restaurants and we are very happy, if required, to provide advice and make any required bookings. At weekends in summer and on feast days, it is normally essential to book in advance.
Ski:
About a 45-minute drive away, you can ski in the spectacular scenery of the Sibylline Mountains. The nearest small village is Bolognola, or 'Little Bologna' so named by the four rich families who, in medieval times, fled from Bologna. A few kilometres away, at a height of 1070 meters, is Punterra where there are seven ski lifts taking you up to 1845 meters and the pists that have a run of 5 kilometres. The place is unsophisticated but never overcrowded and with no queues for the ski lifts. It is also unusually cheap! The ski season is normally from mid-December to the end of March.
Learn more about this holiday rental at the owner's website:
