Visit Le Marche

Views from a b&b in Monte Conero area

2009-03-10T12:07:00.004+01:00

Last time I went to see a b&b, during one of my explorations of Le Marche.

I was near home, in Monte Conero area, few miles from Ancona.

This is the view you can enjoy at sunset from the b&b.

Poems in Le Marche

2009-03-05T11:12:00.003+01:00

We all are poets, especially in front of beautiful views.

One of those views - which my guests know very well - can be enjoyed from Fratte Rosa, where baked clay potteries are still hand-made and sold to people who loves cooking well.

The 21st March, when Spring starts, the roads around Fratte Rosa will be closed to traffic and will be accessible only by bus from a close parking. All the visitors will be given a chalk to write a poem, or just few lines, right on the asphalt.

A food point will be available to eat.

The whole programme is available here. Unfortunately, it's only in Italian, but I'm sure that if you email the organization, they will give you instructions in English (although it's not difficult to understand).

Bologna and Le Marche: a combo tour

2009-02-24T13:01:00.004+01:00

Few days ago I had a wonderful tour with Dan and Emac, a South African couple on their late sixties.

They arrived from Asmterdam on Wednesday and went back to Holland on Sunday morning. We spent two days together, Friday and Saturday, having a very interesting tour.

Indeed, since they were based in Bologna, we decided to dedicate the first day to this city and the second to Le Marche, Monte Conero area to be precise.

The Bologna walking tour was awesome although a bit phisically demanding, and the day in Monte Conero area was fantastic.

If you consider that we had a very elegant fish lunch in Portonovo, and that the night before we had a jazz dinner in one of the best places of Bologna... why don't you book a tour like this?

After Christmas and Holiday season

2009-01-29T09:46:00.003+01:00

Hey there... just to tell you that I'm alive :-)

And that I haven't been writing for a long time in this blog just because... I have no inspiration!

I usually write and talk when I've something interesting to say.

Well, except for Christmas, I don't have big news, or something really worth to be written.

Doing the ordinary job, working on some upcoming tours, always happy to drive people around Le Marche.

And also working on the contents of my newsletter: this time I will introduce something new... hiking in Le Marche!

Stay tuned!

The Summer of San Martino, Indian Summer, Festa dei Cornuti

2008-11-10T18:49:00.002+01:00

Tomorrow is the 11th November, the San Martino day. In Le Marche we call it "Festa dei Cornuti", that is the Feast of the betrayed men. Literally, it means "men with the horns" (popular way to say "cheated"), since in the past this was period of Cows Fairs (that's why the "horns").

In this period, we eat chestnuts and try the first wine ("Novello"). Somebody cooks also the

God bless you, God Bless America!

2008-11-05T11:51:00.003+01:00

Last night I wish I was in Chicago.

My dear American friends, visitors, readers, thank you: you demonstrate that America is a place where all things are possible.

Houses in the USA's neighbourhood

2008-10-27T09:59:00.003+01:00

Some impressions about my last tour in the US.

In Italy we usually live very close to each other, even in small towns. The only very-detached houses are the old farmhouses, almost abandoned or restored or even bought by foreigners (English above all). They were built in the middle of the farmland, so that the farmer family could easily manage to get everywhere in a short time. The concept underneath was the same of the village and the town, i.e. to get easily everywhere you need.

When in New Jersey and Pennsylvania neighbourhood I and Francy were impressed about how you need a car to get around, even to buy some produce. Let's say, in Italy we are getting more and more addicted by using a car, but still is something that you may avoid in lots of areas. Old people in towns take advantage of the weekly market and the pedlars: everything goes on wheels, from small handcarts to the modern vans. But still we don't need to rely on a car so deeply as in the United States.

That gave us a sense of disorientation: houses there are ten times better than here in Italy, but we are not sure we could live relying on cars and petrol...

The great hiking tour in Le Marche

2008-10-24T11:57:00.002+02:00

As I promised, some things about the great tour we had last September in Le Marche with Bill, Linda, Marco, Jean, Bruce and Sue, from Pennsylvania / New Jersey.

We had a week-long tour based on gentle hiking in the morning and couzy town strolling, interspersed with delicious meals and wine tastings.

Preparing a tour like that hasn't been that easy, since I had to double check all the itineraries, considering the duration of each trail, alternative activities in case of rain, finding the best places to eat and the best wines to drink.
Eventually, the tour has been one of my best ever, and the group's experience has been great.
We visited the area of Ascoli Piceno, Macerata, Monte Conero and Urbino, in order to get an idea of the province.

The experience was awesome, both for me and my guests. You can have a look at the comment page to see it.

Other posts and lots of pictures will follow...

Back from Philly and NYC

2008-10-23T09:56:00.003+02:00

After a while, here I am again with a short report of my second tour to America. I've been to Philadelphia and New York, for tourism (our first wedding anniversary) and for business: together with Diane, we had a great dinner at Stefano's restaurant in Mt Laurel, NJ (recommended if you live or get around it), along with about 40 people interested in Le Marche. Four of them were people who came on tour last september and... right, didn't I tell you about our last Le Marche hiking tour? mmhh, lots of things to say then... :-)

Anyway, I had a speech about Le Marche, saying what you followers of this blog may surely know: hidden treasure of Italy, the real taste of Italy with the prices of Tuscany... twenty years ago. Exactly: Le Marche are not the new Tuscany, rather they are the old Tuscany...

Pictures will follow as Kim will send them to me.

Looking for translator

2008-08-21T09:22:00.001+02:00

You can see these posts are written in Italish (or Engliano): I would like to have them written in a very good English, so that I can be free to write more than once in a while.

Whoever might be interested in translate my posts, can apply by sending me an email: angelo.recchi@gmail.com

We will find an agreement on the compensation. Please don't expect to get rich :-)

UPDATE: translator found. He's the legendary Marcus (in exchange of some Le Marche's excursions :-)), whom I thank very much here.

Seen "Under the Tuscan Sun"...

2008-08-20T08:31:00.003+02:00

Yesterday I happened to see "Under the Tuscan Sun": now I understand why people love Tuscany.

As an opinion by an Italian, most of the things seen there are plainly false, like the Tuscan market with the animals alive, and everything is set up to build a fabolous scenery. Tuscany is beautiful, and full of art, but most of its cities are now places you cannot live in anymore. Lots of friends of mine told me that 20-30 years ago you could enjoy places like Pienza, Bagno Vignoni, Montalcino, Montepulciano and others without spending a fortune to buy food, and without taking the car for every single need. Now, these towns are like Venice: beautiful to see, fabulous sceneries, but with no soul. Mansions are bought by cinema stars, music idols, big managers, princes, but the soul of Tuscany is largely lost.

A phenomenon like this recalls when I went to Germany and visited the Hauptbrauerei in Munich: very typical, but completely false. People inside were foreigners, and everything was built like a theathre.

Indeed, most of the times this is really what we are looking for when on holidays, fantasy instead of reality, fake instead of truth.

Now friend of The Wine Hub!

2008-08-08T09:17:00.002+02:00

It's worth a visit: The Wine Hub, good source for planning a wine trip to any wine region in the world. And of course, with their 12 doc wines, Le Marche is one of them.

A meaningful spot on what Le Marche can offer

2008-08-05T10:15:00.002+02:00

Shot by Bebowsky, from Ferrara.

Email address change

2008-07-08T12:59:00.002+02:00

Hey there, just to tell you I want to get rid of my traditional email address, since it's full of spam.

Therefore, from now on please write me to my gmail address: angelo.recchi@gmail.com

Corinaldo as the best Italian town for sustainable tourism

2008-06-11T08:32:00.003+02:00

I've said it hundred of times, and now the European Tourism Forum (taking place in Bordeaux next semptember) is supporting my words by awarding Corinaldo as the best town in Italy for sustainable tourism.

I'd also say that Corinaldo - one of the highlights of my tours - is an example of what Le Marche have to offer in lots of towns: wonderful views, slow pace of life, quietness but still shops, groceries, pharmacies and so on. Corinaldo is the masterpiece out of other fifty wonderful Le Marche towns (at least!).

Corinaldo is also member of the "Walled Town Friendship Circle", along with Padua (Italy - Veneto), Zadar (Croatia), Chester (England), St Malo (France), Rothenburg (Germany), 's-Hertogenbosch (Holland), Avila (Spain), Radstadt (Austria), Almeida (Portugal), Thessaloniki (Greece), Pecs (Hungary), Visby (Sweden) and many others.

Visitlemarche.com, part of my new website

2008-06-09T12:29:00.003+02:00

I am still here and alive, sorry if I don't update so frequently, but there are times in which I prefer to read rather than to write.

This just to keep you informed that a new website, www.visitlemarche.com is online. It's still a work in progress, but the aim is to put all the online material for tours in Le Marche. Hotel reviews,blogs ran by some b&b's owners and so on.

At the moment, it is just part of my "shop window", and my R&D lab, where I'm practising in using css to set a table-less layout. If any of you would be interested to build a table-less layout on that website (maybe in exchange of a mini-tour in Le Marche) that would be very welcome!

Italy elections: some comments

2008-04-16T12:55:00.003+02:00

It's hard to explain what happens in Italy during the elections. It's hard to those who live in foreing countries why Italians are so charmed by people like Silvio Berlusconi (Umberto Bossi, the other winner, is barely known abroad).

Well, I don't know either. Maybe because I have a level of culture higher than the average. Maybe because I have a family tradition more genuine (I have been taught that money is what you get from work, not from robberies) than the average in Italy.

Or maybe because I don't usually watch TV. I think this is the main reason.

Dutch reality show in Le Marche

2008-04-14T10:02:00.002+02:00

Italy has always been the symbol of quality of life. In spite of bad governments, corruption, disorganization, Italy is still the place where people would like to move from all over the world.

In Holland, a reality show is based in Italy, where four couples are competing to build up a b&b, is having a great success. The article says in Tuscany, since the name "Tuscany" has a great appeal. In fact, the reality takes place in Piticchio di Arcevia, in Le Marche.

Le Marche, under the name of Tuscany, are the ideal setting for moving and for quality of life. Tuscany was, Le Marche are.

Back from Offida and Abbadia di Fiastra

2008-04-08T09:40:00.005+02:00

Last week I had two very intensive days in Offida and Abbadia di Fiastra, to check, double-check, test and scout out places, roads, trails suitable for our hiking tour.

I met a lot of interesting people, who gave me the "spirit", the "soul" of the places.

Both Offida and Abbadia di Fiastra are wonderful: they have a "superior" intimate soul, which made me breathtaking. It doesn't happen always, and that's the reason why I take people to some places and skip other places.

I found two great restaurants and a cute b&b, and I'm starting to think about some tours I could organize for next year.

Here could be the title of the tour:

The Piceno area: from the coast and the palms to the mountains.

If you have any different suggestion, please let me know.

Next thursday and friday discovering Le Marche

2008-04-01T12:35:00.002+02:00

The next Thursday and Friday I will be travelling around Le Marche in some unknown places, to discover something unusual and wonderful to share with those of you will decide to come on tour with me.

I will go to Offida, then Sibillini, then the area between Sibillini and Piceno. I will go looking for wineries, craftsmen, artisans, wonderful places and itineraries to add to my tours.

I'll let you know once back home again.

Have you eaten?

2008-03-26T12:34:00.003+01:00

One of the big differences between Italians and Americans is on the idea of wasting food. When I went to US I was hit by the great amount of food used on 4th July, pounds of spare ribs and coke with almost no bread which, as we know, prevents to eat too much meat.

When I was a child, there were dinners in which my mum used to say "This is a bread-necessary dinner", which meant that without eating bread we would feel hungry soon.

Much more than my parents - who were baby-boomer after all, as they grew up in the 50s and 60s, the years of the Italian Miracle - my nonni were the best example of 100% food usage. When I peel my apple or the cheese, I always remember my grandmother telling me to peel it thinner: "Otherwise, half of the food will remain on the skin, and will be thrown away". Even now, we use to kiss a piece of bread before throw it away.

Since my family was composed by fishermen, my nonne were great fish cookers, especially with poor fish: nonna Nannina is still making great sauces with testoline or little monkfish tails, or even with so small and thin fishes that I hardly know their names in Italian!

Even in the 50s, a lot of Italians were starving, and most of them didn't have two meals a day. This is one of the reasons why in Italy restaurants with big portions are greatly appreciated by popular classes, even if they economically improved. The quantity of food is often perceived in direct relation with quality: the more, the better. Moreover, the high-class restaurants, which in my opinion are now even overpriced, are most of the times object of fun by popular classes (popular for the origin, no matter the money).

That's why - I will always remember it - the typical question when I call my grandparents, especially in lunch or dinner time, is: how are you? have you eaten?
Not yet, I'm preparing - Not yet, I'm not very hungry, I was concerned about something.
Yes, but... eat first!

Eat first: this is the first problem to solve for those who experienced the hunger.

Walking in Le Marche

2008-03-04T08:56:00.003+01:00

Thinking about Le Marche, watching some tour programmes here, one may think that Le Marche are nice to see by car.

This is not completely true: yes, by car you can jump from a town to another, from a castle to a fortress to a walled town, from a vineyard to an olive oil producer, from a craftman to a country house, from an agriturismo to a trattoria, from the sea to the hills, to the mountains.

However, there are many other ways to explore Le Marche. One is actually the contrary of the car. If you walk, you may enjoy Le Marche by entering yourself in its real pace of life: step by step, day by day, with no hurry but following your skills, you will reach the aim.

In a way, it seems to be the opposite of Australia or America: here there are no big distances, no reasons to run and run, no fronteers, you don't feel in competition with the nature, rather there is more balancing. This doesn't mean to be a judgement, it's simply the fact that in places where nature is immense and big, and distances are very very large, people have a different view of life. If you think about the wonderful Australia, you wouldn't live like in Le Marche, otherwise you will be submerged by the nature.

In the beautiful Canada, you can go hiking for a day, for a week or a month, but you won't go very far, and there are still places you shouldn't go alone. In Australia, the desert won't forgive you if you challenge him. In Le Marche, there's nothing like that. Except from the top of the mountains in the winter, nature is much easier to cope with. But since we haven't got big plains, the land is limited, the work must be hard but also very very careful and you have to be patient. There is few quantity, quality is all to think about.

Therefore, if you come to Le Marche, consider to come here and hike, or even bike. Lots of wonderful sceneries are waiting for you, between a trattoria and an agriturismo...

Cellars in Monte Conero area

2008-02-25T12:30:00.001+01:00

Panorama from the cellars where we usually go on a typical Le Marche tour.

The town in the picture is Osimo, Town of Headless People, wonderful spot on a natural spring and an Ancient Roman water deposit.

The picture was taken in Offagna.

Dante Ferretti WON!!!

2008-02-25T09:29:00.002+01:00

(From the Academy Awards website)
Achievement in art direction:

“Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Art Direction: Dante Ferretti
Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

Tomorrow in Ascoli Piceno

2008-02-22T12:37:00.003+01:00

Tomorrow I'll be in Ascoli Piceno, to check a (seems-to-be) beautiful Agriturismo.

Then I will go shopping to the Pantofola d'Oro outlet, and afterwards, well... a coffee with anisee at Meletti's, in Piazza del Popolo, of course!