Italy in the Fall

There was not enough time to work in spending some time in Naples. We were staying in the town of Nola, a half hour outside of Naples. While the outskirts were nothing of note, the historic centre had much of the same historic charm as Napoli.

Compania, Puglia, Marche, Umbria, Lazio - This is Italy

Our Fall 2024 travels take us to Italy and we stayed in the Regions of Marche, Umbria, Puglia, Compania, Lazio and even spent one day in Emilia Romagna Region.

Nola, Compania

The enjoyable view from our apartment into the courtyard of the 18th Century villa that was originally built for the Prince of Castelcicala. The villa has a number of apartments, a pool and a breakfast room.

In Puglia we stayed at Villa Siena, a house and farm estate located between the towns of Caronigna and San Vito dei Normanni. It was very comfortable having the entire house and yead. The pool was just a few steps from the patio and although the weather was cooler than normal we enjoyed using our pool pretty much everyday.

In the Marche Region, we had a large apartment, in an old house in Villagrande, a hamlet located just outside of the town of Momaroccio. the apartment was very comfortable and a large pool was located just below the house. Again a swim everyday made the stay very comfortable.

For our stay in Umbria, It felt great to return to Fonte Sala. Our apartment is half of the old house, shown abve, all the of the salmon coloured area. Fonte Sala is located a few kms from the town of Montefalco. This area has beautiful landscapes.

In Rome we had an apartment on via del Monte della Farina, in the Rione IX, Campo Marzio district of Rome. The location was good, a great vibe on the street and with local people. The apartment, however, was a disappointment. An example of wehre owners of apartments in sought after cities rent out apartmetns as a place, and not an accomodation that would meet expections related to the price. Don't say you have a patio if you don't. Stock your kitchen with needed glassware and pots.

Getting to Europe from Canda is a major event. Ours went well. We flew from Vancouver to Amsterdam, and then to Rome on KML. The Business Class flight was enjoyable. This particular flight had us arrive in Rome late in the evening. So we arranged to stay in a hotel on the outskirts of Rome before heading out on our trip.

Rather than purchase a SIM card for our phone on arriveal, this year we bought a e-SIM card, a popular route. While it costs less, and the install is relatively easy, we found out that we should have better checked out what is and is not included in the e-SIM package. In case the unlimited data was great, but the inability to make a phone call, other than on WhatApp, was a major shortfall. Sometimes there are numbers you need to call with a traditional phone call.

The next day we drove to Campania, to the town of Nola, 30 minues east of Naples, at a beautiful 18th Century villa. Our apartment was beautiful, as were the grounds and the small pool very relaxing. A full breakfast was served in a breakfast room but I would have enjoyed having a small fridge in the room to have a drink when I wanted.

From Compania we traveled to the Puglia Region staying in a villa located between the towns of Carovigno and San Vito dei Normanni, not far from the well-known town of Ostuni. We really enjoyed the two weeks in Puglia. There were so many towns to visit, all a short drive.

From Puglia we drove to the Marche Region. A long drive, more than six hours. We stayed in the hamlet of Villagrande, located just outside the medieval walled town of Mombaroccio. It was good to return to the Marche. It has been a number of years since we stayed in this lush region.

Our next segment was a short drive to Umbria. We were able to stop in Gubbio on the way and return to eht Ristorante ASlla Balestra for a piazza. Since we were in the area, we stopped by La Panoramica Gubbio, an agriturismo we have stayed at a number of times.

We arrive at the Fonte Sala, near the town of Montefalco, and it felt like we had returned home. We have stayed here now three times and have enjoyed each stay. Since it was October, the vineyards were all changing colour, it was all very scenic.

We wrapped up the trip with five days in Rome. Yes it was busy. But by avoiding all the A-List tourist locations, Rome was enjoyable.