3642 Personal reflections...

[LEFT]In the Dark Heart of Italy, the author describes this country as “visual rather than verbal – a place of incredible illusionism, where it is impossible to distinguish fantasy from reality, fact from fiction.”

This very much depends on your own personal point of view of course. Italy certainly has undoubted appeal for many people; the seductive power of Italy being its climate, culinary traditions, the beauty of its landscapes and seascapes, architecture, culture and artistic heritage to name but a few.

For me, Italy’s historical richness, the richness of the artistic and archaeological legacies, the traditions, legends and myths and the evocativeness of the landscape in all its moods uplifts the spirit and more than compensates for its darker side.

A number of people ask me if I have a favourite part of Italy. Campanilismo and humour aside, this is not an easy question for me to answer because the territory is so varied with each region possessing its own distinctive identity and beauty.

The Marche is no exception. Most of the marchigiana heartland is completely unspoilt (with the exception of the more industrialised and commercialised areas), offering the visitor a broad spectrum of landscapes, often changing abruptly from scenic mountains and woodlands to gentle, rolling hills, craggy rocks and numerous medieval hilltop towns and villages.

I am quite inquisitive and very much enjoy criss-crossing and exploring different territories. I am fascinated by the mystique and timelessness of this beautiful region and hope that these photographs evoke the qualities of all the Marche's five provinces and give you an idea of how varied and interesting this part of Italy is.

[/LEFT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/SIZE]

Category
Do & See

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/14/2006 - 13:08

Infact what Charles has said with his photographs sums up Le Marche------Italy in a region.
So varied and so beautiful and above all still not spoiled by mass tourism.
Enjoy it while you can.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/14/2006 - 14:23

Both Charles, and Dream Academy, have done a fantastic job of enthusing me to revisit Le Marche, but I would like their opinions on the only downside I have encountered there in the "off" season.
It is a beautiful region, as yet undiscovered: there is no mass tourism, in fact (apart from the coastal resorts and one or two very famous inland places such as Urbino) there is very little tourism at all.
Thus, when I have been travelling in rural Marche outside the peak summer season, I have found it quite a challenge to even find a sandwich - let alone a restaurant!
So - and this is meant as a friendly warning - if you are planning a day trip, or longer, in the spectacular countryside of Le Marche, do your research on eating houses before you set off - or you may go hungry :)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/14/2006 - 14:45

[quote=Relaxed]Both Charles, and Dream Academy, have done a fantastic job of enthusing me to revisit Le Marche, but I would like their opinions on the only downside I have encountered there in the "off" season.
It is a beautiful region, as yet undiscovered: there is no mass tourism, in fact (apart from the coastal resorts and one or two very famous inland places such as Urbino) there is very little tourism at all.
Thus, when I have been travelling in rural Marche outside the peak summer season, I have found it quite a challenge to even find a sandwich - let alone a restaurant!
So - and this is meant as a friendly warning - if you are planning a day trip, or longer, in the spectacular countryside of Le Marche, do your research on eating houses before you set off - or you may go hungry :)[/quote]

Can be a problem for those who don't know the territory that well but if want excellent food and are not too bothered about style and prestige, you will find some good restaurants in towns and villages such as Petritoli, Mogliano, Loro Piceno, Montegiorgio, Sassocorvaro, San Leo, Offida, San Savino di Ripatransone, Montottone and Montalto for example. If ye seek ye shall find.

A good tip is to see if any renovation work is taking place nearby. Builders are notorious buone forchette and they will know where to go to get a great meal.:D

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/14/2006 - 14:49

Relaxed,
I had the same sensation you describe when I arrived here 16 years ago:
a beautiful, but sleepy region
Things are changing quite fast now.
I've just come back from a "Prima Comunione" party in Treia.
Apart from the amazing landscape that you all can guess from Charle's beautiful photos I've also been wondered by the arising number of "agriturismo" and "country houses" in the countryside.
Old "casali" now renovated, offering rest and dinner as a google search can easly confirm.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/14/2006 - 14:51

[QUOTE=Charles Joseph]

A good tip is to see if any renovation work is taking place nearby. Builders are notorious buone forchette and they will know where to go to get a great meal.:D[/QUOTE]

Try with truck drivers too ;)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/14/2006 - 14:53

I like your idea of following the builders :) I'm blessed with a nose for the "good truck stop", because Italian lorry drivers also like a good feed at lunchtime (nothing greasy spoon about this, at all!) - but Le Marche isn't exactly full of large commercial vehicles!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/14/2006 - 14:54

Notaio - our truckers posts crossed on this thread :) :)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/14/2006 - 15:06

[QUOTE=Relaxed]Notaio - our truckers posts crossed on this thread :) :)[/QUOTE]

:) :)
about truckers restaurant, my best is "Osteria del Moro" in Potenza Picena, along Stada Statale Recina, the route that goes from the sea - near Porto Recanati - to Macerata.
If you try it in the summer, while it is "truckers" in the morning, it has a romantic pergola, where you can dine in the candlelights at evening.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/15/2006 - 03:18

Yes I know exactly what the poster means and I often got a "strop" when hungry and everywhere closed, until I realized that it was Monday and most were "chiuso per turno".
This was when I discovered some of my favourite small eating places as I drove around with my nose out the car window sniffing for anything that smelt like food!!!
Another good place to stop and ask is in the local bank as they all tend to have their favourite daily stops too.
This isn't just a Marche thing however, as a recent trip to the Tuscan country on a Monday saw me with the old nose once more out the window!!
Anyone coming to our neck of the woods out of season, give me a call and I'll be delighted to put you on the right track.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/07/2006 - 16:41

Wish I read this topic before. Last fall visiting le Marche I almost died of starvation sunday night after walking about all day well into the night.
After feeble attempts to talk to some occasional passerbyes, had to hop into a car and drive towards A14 (which I correctly assumed to be an italian analog of the painfully familiar New Jersey turnpike) for a sandwich and coffee at a rest area. In a way, it was rather fun.