Marche – Null & Full https://blog.nullnfull.com Travel Off The Beaten Track Sun, 03 Dec 2017 23:15:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.23 Urbino: Palazzo Ducale https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/07/09/urbino-palazzo-ducale/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/07/09/urbino-palazzo-ducale/#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2014 15:10:08 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5835 Downtown of Urbino, Marche, Italy

This is the last post from Marche. But before we’ll say ‘good buy’ to her let me show you the real pearl of renaissance architecture: Palazzo Ducale. I can tell you that Giorgia from Marche Holiday was right: Urbino is all about renaissance and Palazzo Ducale is the best example to show you this. Light Palazzo Ducale dominates the city skyline: it is visible from Fortezza and from few squares throughout the city. The most characteristic elements are two thin and very tall towers that were constructed in few stages. I had a bad luck and when I was visiting Urbino the towers were covered with scaffolding and couldn’t fully appreciated this precious architectural element. There were extensive conservation works ongoing in few rooms inside too. Despite of this, Palazzo Ducale impressed me so I can only imagine its splendor and plan another trip to Urbino after the works are done to fully enjoy it! “It’s all about light!” – I was told when the history of Urbino was explained to me. And you see it from the very first moment you enter this impressive building. A staircase you see below is the first one ever constructed this way. Starting from this building all other European lords and dukes followed this pattern. Duke of Urbino – Duca Federico Montefeltro – made his palace full of light and when others saw it they wanted the very same thing in their courts. This was the first staircase in Europe that has been constructed this way: perfect proportions, very large windows, beautiful ornaments and comfortable steps. Duca Federico Duca Federico was a powerful man! Indeed. He ruled Urbino from 1444 to 1482 and in these years he had completely changed this city. If you think about influential people in Italian history and art he is the one who comes to mind in top 3. Duca Federico was very special and Urbino is still his city. Although many years have passed and Urbino has turned into a vibrant university city it still keeps his original thoughts about greatness in it. Federico was passionate about two things: war and art. This is not a very popular combination, is it? Either someone loves to fight or to contemplate works of art. Federico loved both. And was amazingly good in it! Long story short: after he won few wars with neighbor dukes he became very rich. And instead of loosing his money on vanity he was determined to immortalized his love towards beautiful objects. He decided to construct a palace like no other. And he was very successful in it. Watching it today I can easily believe that this was a stunning piece of architecture in his own times. Artists Urbino, in times of Duca Federico, was full of artists. The best artists of renaissance worked here: Piero della Francesca, Giovanni Santi (father of famous Raphael), Luciano Laurana, Perugino, Signorelli, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Bramante and so many others. At some point every ambitious artist must have spent part of his artistic life in Urbino. What is really sad about it is that paintings and sculptures created by these artists are scarce in Urbino. Although Palazzo Ducale was turned into National Gallery of Marche there are few popular objects exhibited here. Not even famous portrait of Duca Federico and his wife that was taken to Galleria Uffizi. Palazzo Ducale I spent in this museum few hours and was able to visit only one floor. Although the museum does not have the most renown paintings of Italian renaissance it is still worthy to pay a visit. Rooms, corridors and stairs, everything immersed in Italian light make great impression. Following the itinerary you will experience for yourself the greatness of the duke. Starting from relatively modest and small rooms you proceed through the larger ones, up to his own apartment with amazing ‘study room’. A huge ball room with large windows and lovely celling is a cherry on the cake. What I appreciated the most was a very elegant details and ornaments. This particular interior design still keeps its beauty: modest but carefully crafted and with prefect proportions. I enjoyed my stay in this museum very much even though it has no new technologies employed. The building itself is stunning and walking in these rooms was a great experience. I really hope to get back to Marche as soon as possible. I would love to visit Urbino again, participate another truffle hunt, taste new wines or just sit under an olive tree. Thanks again my awesome hosts from Marche Holiday whose services I sincerely recommend and see you next time! So it’s not really a ‘good bye’, rather a ‘see you soon’! See previous posts here! For the record: I have recently started to work with City of Poznan – My Home City – so stay tuned for a series of posts from here! Have you ever thought about visiting Italy? Here is an alternative way on how to visit Italy and get really close to the Italian way of life. I created a project ‘I love Ferrara‘ so you could join me and experience how beautiful and tasty Ferrara is. If you wish to immerse in Italy book your holiday now!  

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Urbino: a UNESCO treasure https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/07/07/urbino/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/07/07/urbino/#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2014 06:59:32 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5763 Urbino at sunset, Marche, Italy

Before I went to Marche I knew the history of Urbino and that I knew I definitely wanted to visit it. Watching a portrait of the famous duke of Urbino – Duca Federico – and his wife in Galleria Uffizi, made me wondering how this city really looks like. Although Galleria Uffizi was a disappointment I was enthusiastic about my visit in Urbino. After all, not every day you visit the city pictured over five hundred years ago by a famous painter! I was aware of impressive cultural heritage of this city, especially works of Piero della Francesca, but what I saw in Urbino exceeded my expectations. So I went to Urbino twice. And I would do it again. With great pleasure! Sunset I saw Urbino for the first time in a golden hour of sunset. It made amazing impression on me: a perfect city located on Marche hills with stunning architecture and unmistakeable landmarks. When I entered the city it was still warm, just a perfect moment to enjoy italian summer when rocks and city walls give back the heat of the day. Even passing by city walls warm you up and I sincerely love this feeling. Funny thing: I lived only about 15 km from Urbino, in Casale degli Ulivi, but due to very hilly landscape I didn’t see the city before I literally entered it. In fact, the road to Urbino is not only full of ups and downs but also numerous turns and it all makes it a huge surprise: when you finally see the city you’re almost in! University From the very first moment you get the impression that Urbino is a university city. Downtown is filled with students having their aperitivo, meeting with friends or chilling out after a day spent inside the ancient walls. And this impression is both: true and pleasant. Visiting a city after sunset and finding it crowded, vibrant and loud makes me think this city is alive. Despite ancient architecture and a long history it is still attractive to young people. I even have a second thought of regret that I didn’t chose Urbino to study in Italy. It is charming! Hills Once I visited my friend in Switzerland and we went together to Lausanne. She told me that in Lausanne girls have most beautiful legs because they need to walk up and down everyday due to hills where Lausanne is located. After 10 years of visiting numerous cities around the world I can tell you it’s not only in Lausanne. On the contrary, cities constructed on hills are popular, especially in Europe. A good example is Urbino: so many hills, tiny little streets and breathtaking views it would be hard to find a similar one! Renaissance What Urbino is all about is Renaissance. City center was enlisted a UNESCO World Heritage Site and for good reason: it is a perfect example of a renaissance architecture and until today it kept its original structure and character. Precious! Walking around allows you to imagine how life in Renaissance was. I love the way it is kept and its public spaces are used today. And – as majority of places visited by me – there is no hordes of tourists. Only crowd is made by students and locals which I especially like. Evening I had icecream in early evening and ate it while hanging around the city. The best way to meet locals if you don’t have friends in a city is to enter a bar and have aperitivo. It worked well elsewhere so I thought I’ll try to listen to some local stories. I entered a bar that was as typical as possible: no fancy interior design, only simple chairs and friendly staff. When I ordered prosecco he thought I am an Italian from the north but I clarified my circumstances quickly. There was a mixed bunch of man and woman in this bar, in their late 60s, very friendly folks. We started to talk about sardines from Sardegna and ended up with talking about how good italian life is. I ordered another glass of prosecco and spent that evening with them. At some point a warm pizza arrived and so we all stayed until late. Got back home late but totally relaxed and chilled out. Urbino was so beautiful that I’ve shared best pictures of Urbino few days ago. Watch it here! Have you ever thought about visiting Italy? Here is an alternative way on how to visit Italy and get really close to the Italian way of life. I created a project ‘I love Ferrara‘ so you could join me and experience how beautiful and tasty Ferrara is. If you wish to immerse in Italy book your holiday now!  

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Urbino Gallery https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/07/03/urbino-gallery/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/07/03/urbino-gallery/#comments Thu, 03 Jul 2014 14:03:58 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5798 Duomo of Urbino, Marche, Italy

Urbino is a wonder! True: Italy is full of wonders, all sorts of them. Architecture, local celebrations, history, art … Italy has it all. It is hard to stand out of the crowd but somehow Urbino is really fascinating and its character is very particular. For me three best things are: its size, Palazzo Ducale and vibrant social life after sunset. It is hilly which makes the city very attractive and it also makes panorama seen from city walls breathtaking. It is large enough to walk around the whole day but small enough not to use any sort of local transportation. And I know why Giorgia from Marche Holiday wanted me to see this city so badly! Here are few pictures from this city.   There is also a very particular spot in this city, useful for photographers. If you walk up to a place called Fortezza you will see a truly amazing view at the city. This hill is close to Palazzo Ducale, in fact it is located inside city walls which makes this view spectacular. Pictures from there show the city in its splendor. No wonder UNESCO enlisted in a World Heritage Site.   I went to Urbino only twice and it was not enough to know this city well. There is a house of Raffaello Sanzio (better known as Raphael) who was born in Urbino and spent his early years here, got very close to local aristocracy and returned to the city many times in his adult life. I should visit his nativity house next time I’m in Urbino. Further, there are few interesting churches to be visited and obviously a revisit in Palazzo Ducale is a must. I’ll share with you a story of my visit in Palazzo Ducale later this week.      

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Local producers meet tourists. A successful story. https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/30/local-producers-marche/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/30/local-producers-marche/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2014 08:36:31 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5733 Pesaro, tourist information, Marche, Italy

My stay in Marche was rich in activities. My hosts made sure I won’t get bored. As a result of their hospitality I ended up in visiting a very particular place in Pesaro called In.PU.t You’re not the only one who wonders what on earth is In.PU.t so few words about it. It is a local initiative to combine touristic information with promotion of local products. From the outside it looks like an ordinary shop but when you enter you discover this is something quite different. People who work here give you a proper information on what happens in the city of Pesaro and Marche in general. They can give you precious guidance on where to go and what to see. Maps and a variety of leaflets are available. And that’s pretty much what all other information points would do. But people from Pesaro went further and decided to bring some local products so you could buy it. Taste before you buy Before you buy the local wine or famous cheese, you can taste it! That’s right! Something that I always miss in an ordinary shop. This makes your shopping easier. All local producers can place their goodies on a shelf and promote them to all tourists and residents. So there is a huge variety of local wines, cheese, sweets, honey, olive oil, ham and also small piece of local art. Every month a shopwindow is taken by one local producer to make it more visible. In.PU.t also organizes meetings with experts and cooking shows so people could interact and participate in this initiative. I met Giorgia in a main square of Pesaro and we walked directly to the venue. We received a warm welcome and a short introduction to the main products from the area. Further, we tasted few delicious salsa di tartufo and very particular wines. We also got a detailed explanation on how to drink wine in order to feel its real character and how to combine its taste with food. Tasting concluded with local sweets made of chocolate and truffles. This was a very tasty afternoon. Interested in wine? read my story of first wine tasting ever! My advice I found this idea of expanding touristic information very smart. If you think about ordinary tourists who visit Pesaro and other places you will realize how difficult it is to meet the residents and to taste authentic food from the area. Not all tourists speak italian. In fact, majority of them is not familiar with the local habits and products. Giving them an opportunity to taste it before they buy is a great idea. It’s a win – win situation. Not only the tourists have an opportunity to taste local food but also producers gain international customers. I would recommend this idea to all touristic boards and information centres. It’s brilliant! Here is a photo gallery of Urbino – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Have you ever thought about visiting Italy? Here is an alternative way on how to visit Italy and get really close to the Italian way of life. I created a project ‘I love Ferrara‘ so you could join me and experience how beautiful and tasty Ferrara is. If you wish to immerse in Italy book your holiday now!  

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Wine tasting: Cantina TerraCruda https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/23/wine-terracruda/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/23/wine-terracruda/#comments Mon, 23 Jun 2014 08:10:35 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5752 Cantina TerraCruda, Marche, Italy

I had a fabulous time at Cantina TerraCruda! Seriously! Even though I was tasting wines at 9:30 a.m. and felt dizzy after 8th glass! OK, let’s start from the beginning: I asked my hosts from Marche Holiday about a good local winery and they told me about TerraCruda in Fratterosa. And they were right about this choice, by all means! Location Fratterosa is beautiful! A very small village, in the middle of vineyards and gentle hills  seems a perfect place for any business. The view from hills takes your breath away. In May vegetation is lush and the green is so fresh that its saturation is hard to believe. Landscape around this place is a dream of every tourist who visits Italy. Obviously, only people you will meet here are the locals and Italians spending their holiday in Marche which makes it even more beautiful. And definitely authentic. Not only wines After a while of contemplating the surrounding I entered the building of a tasting room. What struck me from the first moment was an outstanding interior design. The building is a recently constructed structure with two glass walls at each end which makes the tasting experience overwhelming. A nice young lady welcomed me with a wide smile and a fascinating story to tell. The company TerraCruda is a family business which is nothing special in the area. However, their main focus has been and still is furniture design. Seriously. They design, produce and sell furnitures. Luxury ones. Very pretty. Apart their love to modern furnitures they were owners of a 10 ha vinery and were producing wine at small scale. About 10 years ago they bought another 10 ha of land and planted it with traditional and new varieties of grapes. At the same time they were upgrading the production process and as a result they produce and sell excellent wine today. Wines In oder to stand out of crowd TerraCruda focused their effort on quality. It was explained to me that to get an outstanding quality they do all work manually and they wash grapes more carefully than others. This is the reason why their rose wine is so exquisite – they keep it with peel much longer than others, and the wine is not spoiled because of clearness of the grapes used. Recently, their wines won few important awards and the brand has started to be widely recognized. White, red, rose, spumante and visciola are produced in the winery. A very special local history is related to the last one: visciola. Its particular sweet cherry taste derives from keeping it with cherries for a while. And – as they say – famous duke Federico from Urbino liked it very much. I tasted it and I must say it is delicious. A variety of wines is impressive here: each kind has few types depending on age and production process. You have youngest and most basic wines that are suitable for everyday meals, up to high class, well structured ones. Tasting This was my first wine tasting ever. At first I felt intimidated with the knowledge of a sommelier. Fortunately, she was nice and patient with me and she explained me everything in few simple steps. I must say, that wines tasted one after another are very different. I knew I should spill it away after every glass tasted but…I didn’t. I thought that if I’m not driving that day than it is quite OK if I sip some of them. Perhaps this is a reason why I arrived at the point when I could not process any information shared by sommelier. Full saturation with knowledge shared. So at the end I bought a large box of wines I tasted and started my way back home. It looks like I need more practice if I want to do it regularly… Events TerraCruda is an example of not only a marvelous family business and being visionary about combining few strands under one brand. They are also excellent in terms of sustaining ties with local community and modern events organization. All cutlery used in their tasting room comes from a local producer of terracotta Daniele Giombi. His pots, amphorae and plates are just a perfect final touch of this exquisite interior design. Just after my visit in vineyard they were organizing an ‘open day’ to the local people so they could taste and appreciate their wines. A concert and few other attractions were in a programme so during my stay in a tasting room all employers were running around fixing last minute stuff. What I would love to participate one day is their Cene in vigna. Dinner in a vineyard under the stars in a warm and gentle air should be fun! I hope to come back to Cantina TerreCrude one day and participate it one day! Disclosure: I was provided with a discount when I bought few bottles of wine in Cantina for which I am truly grateful. Have you ever thought about visiting Italy? Here is an alternative way on how to visit Italy and get really close to the Italian way of life. I created a project ‘I love Ferrara‘ so you could join me and experience how beautiful and tasty Ferrara is. If you wish to immerse in Italy book your holiday now!  

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Cooking Lesson: Antico Furlo https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/16/cooking-lesson-antico-furlo/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/16/cooking-lesson-antico-furlo/#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2014 08:05:47 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5700 Antico Fulro Restaurant, Marche, Italy

You are familiar with my love towards Italian traditional food a visit in an excellent restaurant Antico Furlo is not a surprise. For the first time, however, I had an opportunity to spent time in professional kitchen with a famous chef Alberto Melagrana. Although I am familiar with traditional italian food made in Emilia – Romagna this was a totally different experience. Previous episodes of my adventures in Marche are here. Truffles We started with in depth discussion on truffles. Acqualagna town and Marche region are famous for their truffles of high quality and huge variety. Chef Alberto who traveled around the world had a short anecdote about everything, starting with cooking in Italian Embassy in Washington ending with a perfect consistency of cream, so it took us ages before we started to prepare the main course. Watching Alberto working in his kitchen was amazing: I have never seen a professional cook before and I as I never watch TV series with cooking on screen this was totally new for me. Many of his tricks while preparing meat with truffles were astonishing and I hope to use it someday at home. His deep knowledge of tastes from around the world and genuine love for italian food is alive in every meal he prepares. Cooking Starting with raw meat we went through all stages of preparations. This was all accompanied with endless stories from Alberto’s professional life, his learning process and cooking for famous people in renown restaurants. In Antico Furlo Alberto created his own menu with his own recipes. I was thrilled to know that most of the dishes are not served elsewhere! Accumulation of his cooking skills was impressive: antipasto with truffles was excellent! And, most of all, the final taste was totally surprising! Restaurant The restaurant is very particular so if you are looking something extraordinary this is the right place. Don’t expect quick service, though! This is not a fast food or even an ordinary restaurant. So prepare yourself for waiting. I can tell you that you will not be disappointed! The composition of ingredients made by Alberto will surprise you! By all means! It is worthy to book a table in advance and have a dinner here. I enjoyed my time with Alberto very much and the food served was totally awesome! Menu Petto di pollo steccato al tartufo, olive, fili di carote con insalata di misticanza e balsamico. Passatelli fonduta di casciotta d’Urbino, pecorino di fossa al profumo di zafferano. Crema pasticcera profumata al limone e arancia con fragole fresche. Wine: San Michele, Verdicchio di Jesi, DOC. Priceless Try to imagine this: a guest who actually enter a restaurant carrying her own dessert! I did it and the face of other guests in the room was just priceless! After the main course I went back to the kitchen and assisted a creation of a spectacular dessert. When I got back to a table carrying it I felt SO privileged to have the opportunity to watch Alberto. This was a really nice experience and a very tasty meeting with truffles! Interested in wine story? Here it is! Disclosure: I was kindly invited and hosted by the owners of Antico Fulro restaurant which I am very grateful for. Have you ever thought about visiting Italy? Here is an alternative way on how to visit Italy and get really close to the Italian way of life. I created a project ‘I love Ferrara‘ so you could join me and experience how beautiful and tasty Ferrara is. If you wish to immerse in Italy book your holiday now!  

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Truffle hunt in Marche https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/12/truffle-hunt-marche/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/12/truffle-hunt-marche/#comments Thu, 12 Jun 2014 06:48:00 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5671 Truffle hunt, Marche, Italy

Acqualagna, along with Alba, are two Italian towns associated with truffles. As a highly appreciated delicacy truffles play important role in haute cuisine. Known from ancient times they have been eaten in a variety of traditional dishes throughout Europe. Due to its high price and restricted hunting regulations only selected restaurants serves dishes with truffles all year round. The industry of Acqualagna – a small town where I stayed in – has been focused on truffles for almost 50 years. They made a huge effort to switch their production towards truffles and it is impressive today how many shops and restaurants sell high quality truffles. And what is even more impressive the conditions of Marche hills are so good they allow to grow all species of truffles! While I wish to visit Marche in December, when white truffles are collected, I still had amazing time there: I got invited for a truffle hunt! Giorgia and Laura from Marche Holiday made sure I won’t miss this opportunity and I am very happy I joined the hunt! Dog vs pig True: when I knew that I was going for a truffle hunt my mind produced a picture of a piglet on a leash. How silly of me! It’s the dog that hunts truffles nowadays. At least in Marche. My day started with a meeting in a downtown of Acqualagna where I had a look at the professional tools for digging the truffles. I was already impressed with highly specialized shops in such a small town! After all it’s ALL about TRUFFLES here! I was collected by Paolo (guided truffle hunt by this guy can be booked here) – a very nice owner of a well trained dog and a truffle grove. Even my trip in old Fiat Panda was an adventure! Paolo was telling me the stories about truffles, dogs, regulations, activity of national association of restaurants that serve truffle dishes without chemicals (FITA), well pretty much everything with joyful excitement. His dog – Freccia – is a treasure! Truffle grove Truffles can be collected in open state forests only for a short period throughout the year. It is allowed, however, to own a piece of land where you can ‘grow’ your own truffles. Season to collect truffles is also restricted but at least no one else will collect your truffles, which becomes a tough competition when time comes. Half of the local population has a certificate that allows them to collect and sell truffles legally. So try to imagine the local forest in autumn time! When we arrived to a truffle grove the dog started too look for truffles at once! The smell of truffles is very particular but for man it is hard to detect. Especially when truffles grow deep down. Dogs, not surprisingly, are able to detect truffles that grow up to 1 meter underground! I think it is amazing! Freccia found 4 truffles and the moment he started to dig I felt the smell of truffle from a considerable distance! Incredible! A truffle grove where Paolo took me and Giorgia was fabulous! A piece of land located on a steep hill with variety of trees, bushes, flowers and grass looked amazing. Paolo and all other owners of truffle groves are looking for a perfect combination of plants to support the truffles’ grow which is still a mystery. The view from this place was just like I have always imagined gentle hills of Chianti. If only for a walk it was still worthy to come here! With sun, blue sky and few white clouds this was like a most beautiful picture. Walking around chatting with Paolo and watching Freccia looking for truffles was a very pleasant experience. I admired how well the dog has been trained: the moment he starts digging and hears an order ‘leave it’ he stops digging immediately. It’s all not to ruin the truffle which is more expensive if found unspoiled. Well, I was pretty sure a huge pig is much harder to control and much more lazy to dig. The dog seems to be the best choice for this job. One thing astonished me: the dog eats parmiggiano reggiano for a prize. I guess he deserves it, after all. When truffles are finally hunted you need to focus on cooking. Here is a story of a cooking lessons with famous Italian chef: Alberto Melagrana. Have you ever thought about visiting Italy? Here is an alternative way on how to visit Italy and get really close to the Italian way of life. I created a project ‘I love Ferrara‘ so you could join me and experience how beautiful and tasty Ferrara is. If you wish to immerse in Italy book your holiday now!  

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The Gentle Hills of Marche https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/10/hills-of-marche/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/10/hills-of-marche/#respond Tue, 10 Jun 2014 06:52:19 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5658 Marche, Italy

The gentle hills of Chianti are widely known and appreciated. It is much less so in case of Marche – a region that is just around the corner. These two regions have much in common but being little neglected makes Marche so much more intriguing! This gallery here shows only a small piece of this majestic landscape but hopefully it is enough to make you wonder. For me Marche hills were a nice change after living in the middle of Emilia – Romagna lowland. In Marche wherever you go there is a hill or a mountain. There are no straight roads either! Curves, ups and downs make it such a fabulous place for every photographer. Hills of Marche create many layers which is perfect to practice depth of field (DOF) at your photos. Hilly and mountainous landscape makes also cities and towns fascinating. Urbino – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – is an excellent example of  a picturesque town with tiny little streets, endless stairs and small squares. And what I appreciated the most: there are no hordes of foreign tourists. You may eventually meet an Italian family that spends their holiday here but that’s pretty much it! So, visit Marche before the world finds out how awesome it is!  This marvelous landscape is a perfect place for a truffle hunt! Read my story here. Have you ever thought about visiting Italy? Here is an alternative way on how to visit Italy and get really close to the Italian way of life. I created a project ‘I love Ferrara‘ so you could join me and experience how beautiful and tasty Ferrara is. If you wish to immerse in Italy book your holiday now!  

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Quick Look At… Marche! https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/02/quick-look-marche/ https://blog.nullnfull.com/2014/06/02/quick-look-marche/#comments Mon, 02 Jun 2014 14:27:12 +0000 http://nullnfull.com/?p=5594 Urbino, Marche, Italy

Marche – one of the smallest Italian regions – is splendid! I neglected it somehow while I was living in Italy. And I deeply regret it!  Therefore, I was very happy to plan this trip and discover Marche. Slowly. With no rush. And with wonderful hosts from Marche Holiday: Giorgia and Laura. They were telling me all local stories and the things that the are most proud of. We were eating truffles, enjoying the sun and watching a fabulous landscape from every place we went. I can tell you this: Marche is beautiful and worth visiting by all means! Three highlights here as an introduction to the rest of my story: landscape, Urbino, and food&wine. Landscape Are you familiar with the famous Chianti hills? Well, Tuscany is right around the corner and some hilly areas of Marche are pretty similar but I think Marche is more interesting. It has a very mild and sweet coastline. Pesaro, for example, is a good place to appreciate the beach, the sun and awesome colors of the Adriatic Sea. Further west you will find the hills covered with olive groves, vineyards, fields and forests. Finally, the hills become mountains with spectacular canyons, rivers and passes. Marche has it all! And it is all gathered in a relatively small space which also make Marche friendly and easily reachable. Urbino It overwhelms me every time: an ancient history ready to be touched at every corner. Urbino – a UNESCO world heritage site – is a perfect example. I will tell you the story of Palazzo Ducale and show some fabulous photos from this city but for now I can tell you that Urbino is amazingly beautiful. It is captivating and seducing with its colors and history. Food and wine Naturally, Italy means good food and wine, which is especially true in Marche. Acqualagna – where I was staying at – is famous for the truffles. Many of the dishes I ate were prepared of truffles in a variety of ways. I also had an opportunity to hunt for truffles with the dog, which I find one of the best activity I have ever had while traveling! Moreover, truffle dishes were always accompanied by excellent wines: the ones from in.PU.t or the one tasted in cantina Terra Cruda. Truffles, cheese, wine and olive oil are the basic tastes of Marche. So, one after another I will show you what Marche is all about. I will take you with me for a truffle hunt and a guided tour in Palazzo Ducale of Urbino. I will show you some breathtaking scenery and will present you some wonderful locals. Here is Episode #2: Living Like A Local! And episode #3: A photo gallery Gentle Hills of Marche, and episode #4: Cooking Lesson. Disclosure: my travel to Marche was possible thanks to a kind invitation of a local company Marche Holiday. All activities and my stay in Acqualagna were organized by them for which I am grateful.  

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