Lazy in Lazio

Meeting Marco and Chiara for the first time was like being reunited with old friends. This young city couple exchanged the hustle and bustle of Roma and Milano for the peace and beauty of the country. Having converted an old sprawling farmhouse on their working farm (which produces everything from milk, eggs, jams and breads to homemade wine) into a lovely agritourismo with a handful of small ‘rooms’ or little apartments, they have managed to create an experience which truly feels like you’re living with an Italian family for a few nights. From the old wooden cabinets and worn rugs to the communal wood fire oven with its smoky scent every evening, Pulicaro was a surprisingly authentic experience.

We stayed in Lazio as our stop between Umbria and Amalfi, and adopted the little nearby town as our own – complete with our favourite supermercato and a series of crazy landmarks for navigational purposes. We spent a fantastic and lazy Shabbat with a cheese and antipasti picnic under a large canopy tree in the agritourismo’s garden and toured the surrounding area, even visiting an incredible historic village that is under threat of literally falling off the side of a cliff. This hanging wonder on a corroding hilltop in the middle of a ravine was something neither of us had ever seen before! Sunday night dinner was also a special treat and Marco and Chiara cooked an entirely homemade Italian feast with all the guests sitting down together with them at their dining room table to enjoy. During the meal we got chatting to the young Swiss and Lithuanian varsity students who had been staying on the farm as part of a working holiday - their perspectives on life in Italy and their home countries, and the future of the youth Europe, was fascinating.

During our time in Lazio, we celebrated an exceptional milestone – our first year anniversary! We both took time the evening before to write each other letters and poems and Gary painted, and the next day he organized for us to go to the natural thermal springs in the mountains close to Pulicaro. We spent the day bathing in the healing and refreshing waters and soaking up the rejuvenating air of this distinctive place.

Taking the time to read, write, just sit together and have long and passionate conversations, surrounded by the simple natural beauty of Italian farmland, was slow living at its best. The only thing better was Gary’s home-cooked pasta in our little apartment …