On the Road ... to Lazio

Volcanic lakes, Etruscan towns, and Polo for the Cure in Rome.

For a variety of reasons—none of them particularly compelling or interesting—I’ve spent very little time in the Italian countryside. How remiss of me! After just a few days in July exploring the Lazio countryside with friends, I realize just how much I’ve missed. While certainly not unique to Italy, one thing I love here is how much beauty there is to discover. One of the very best things in life is when you have friends who welcome you into their lives and share a little bit of the beauty they live with every day.

Enter Virginia DiGaetano—Ginger to me—and her husband, Mark Medina-Rios, the creative minds and all around fabulous people from Via Medina, where they craft private chef and concierge services as well as bespoke travel experiences in the heart of Italy. And it was exactly to the heart of Italy I went – specifically to the region of Lazio, which is located in the center of Italy along the western coast. Rome is, of course, the heart of Lazio, but I went a bit farther north to the province of Viterbo in northern Lazio, or “Alto Lazio,” a beautiful countryside that sits near the corner of Tuscany and Umbria. What a heady crossroads.

-Lake Bolsena viewed from Montefiascone

There Ginger and Mark welcomed me to their little corner of Lazio just southeast of Lake Bolsena. As a blessedly cool breeze blew down the hillside on a hot July day, we had an incredible lunch by the lake and then went for a refreshing swim. If you’re not familiar, Lake Bolsena is the largest volcanic lake in Europe. And it is large! It’s also now one of my happy places. While Amalfi Coast beaches are gorgeous, they’re also, well, kinda painful what with all the rocks and pebbles. Lake Bolsena was blissfully cool, quiet, and just plain relaxing. I was in need of a bit of “serenity now” – and I found it there listening to the breeze fluttering through the cottonwood trees.

-Lunch by Lake Bolsena.

A leisurely drive all the way around the lake—about 28 miles—through the towns of Bolsena, Capodimonte, and Marta cemented the fact that I want to come back and spend more time in this area. Then we were off driving past fields of sunflowers and golden wheat at sunset to Tuscania, a fascinating city that like the entire Tuscia area is rich in Etruscan and Roman history.

We walked through the medieval walled town of Tuscania at sunset and stopped to look out across the valley to the Basilica di San Pietro from the Parco Torre di Lavello. The town was decked out in purple ribbons and decorations for the Festa della Lavanda – the Lavender Festival. [I was a few days too early. Marks calendar to visit in early July next year.]

-Basilica di San Pietro in Tuscania

Of course, the food was amazing. There was a required—and very tasty—visit with Francesco and Antionetta from I Formaggi di Casa Marras. It’s a must in while visiting the area, but I’ll let Ginger tell you why.

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All too soon we were off to Rome for a whirlwind two days. I finally had the chance to meet the lovely Rachel Roddy, author of An A-Z of Pasta: Stories, Shapes, Sauces, Recipes. (Yes, you definitely want this book on your shelf!) What better place to meet than during a fun night of celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the Mercato di Testaccio in Rome.

Then it was time for the big event and reason for the trip to Rome. On July 2nd, we attended the first Polo for the Cure charity event at the Acquedotto Romano Polo Club, which was dedicated to raising awareness for breast cancer in Italy and beyond. After my experience last year, it’s a mission very close to my heart. The team at Italics Magazine put together great coverage, including a series of interviews from the event as well as an interview with Marco Elser, the founder of Polo for the Cure.

For more information, visit Komen Italia or the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation.

In less than a week I went from volcanic lakes to Etruscan towns, Roman markets, and a polo tournament outside Rome. Now you see what I meant by there being so very much to experience in Italy. If you are curious to know more about this beautiful part of Italy, just get in touch with Ginger and Mark at Via Medina. They can arrange any and all kinds of private chef, culinary, and cooking class experiences as well as tailor made travel experiences – in Lazio, Italy or beyond.

Truly, I would follow them any and everywhere …

Grazie Ginger & Mark!

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TRAVEL TO ROME WITH MOON

Heading to Rome? It’s one of the most enjoyable and intriguing cities to explore on foot. Check out the Moon guidebooks Rome Walks (or Rome, Florence & Venice) for great walk inspiration. It’s packed with info but is also small enough to tuck in your bag and carry with you while walking in Rome.

(Note: Those are affiliate links, which means books purchased won’t cost you more but will give Ciao Amalfi a little commission.)

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KEEP READING

• Want to know more about the Etruscans? Check out this great article “Etruscan Places: Even-More-Ancient Italy in the Roman Countryside” – by Ginger, of course!

• Gillian, from Gillian Knows Best, wrote this guide for Where To Eat & Stay In Rome.

• Definitely check out Mercato di Testaccio in Rome!

• Lavender is a grown all around Tuscania and the Festa della Lavanda takes place in early July. See you there?

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-By the lake in Bolsena

ON THE ROAD

Things are getting rolling with the Ciao Amalfi On the Road series on Substack! If you missed it, last month I wrote about Florence. I’m sending this newsletter while on the road and experiencing a very different (yet strangely familiar … stay tuned) countryside in Perthshire, Scotland. Next month I’ll share more about our time in Scotland.

Have you spent time in the Lazio countryside or visited Tuscia or Lake Bolsena? I’d love to hear about it!

Ciao from Blairgowrie,

Laura