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A Visit to Rocca delle Macíe Winery in Tuscany

Follow me as I journey from the southern tip of Italy’s Puglia region all the way up to the Trento Alps. I’ll be focusing on budget-friendly travel, and I’ll rarely use a car. Along the way I’ll sample traditional foods, visit lesser-known ruins and cities, sample excellent wines, and visit local cooking schools, the entire two months living out of a backpack…

Day #42
An hour of curvy roads brought me to Rocca delle Macíe winery in Tuscany. It’s a special time of year because the olive trees are in flower, the tiny, white, star-shaped flowers lasting only five to six days. This morning, I had a private tour and wine tasting with the winery’s top sommelier, Georgeta Perhald. Georgeta’s personality is laudable: She’s honest and direct and has an interesting opinion about everything. After four hours together, I got to know and appreciate her style, as well as her passion for the winery.

Georgeta told me about the winery’s philosophy during a tour of the facilities. The winery had just been cleaned (owner Sergio Zingarelli is as obsessed with the cleanliness of his winery as he is with the maintenance of his vineyards), and the cold concrete floors were damp. I’ve been lucky enough to hear the “mission statements” of many wineries, but I’ve never encountered one as completely realized as that of Rocca delle Macíe. The winery believes in hospitality and the arts and goes out of its way to make a positive impact on the world. Two ways it does this are by promoting Italian artists and by giving aspiring winemakers the opportunity to stay on the property and experience the wine making process firsthand. Just driving up to the beautiful estate made me realize what a privilege it would be to be accepted into the wine making program.

As we emerged from the wine making facility, Georgeta said that she still receives cards and letters of thanks from artists and winemakers that the winery has helped in the past. We were standing in the hot sun, but she had goosebumps.

The winery’s story is long and actually pretty interesting (the founder, Italo Zingarelli, was first a boxer, then a stuntman, then a world-renowned director of Italian spaghetti westerns), but let’s talk about wine. Rocca delle Macíe is not a small producer. Yearly, they create over 3 million bottles of their trademark wines alone. Georgeta opened 9 bottles for Kristin and me, while telling a story about accidentally making fresh ricotta cheese using an old sock (strange but true). The standout wines were the 2007 “Sasyr” (60% Sangiovese, 40% Syrah) and the 2005 “Riserva di Fizzano” (85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot). I think that the Riserva might appeal to American palates even though it is quite dry: the Cabernet softens the Sangiovese, giving it a very dark character with rich dried fruit.

It was interesting to taste the differences between traditional and modern Chiantis. Rocca delle Macíe uses three types of barrels to age their wines: huge Slovenian oak barrels (purchased back in ’78), very large French oak barrels, and regular-size French oak barrels. Each imparts unique flavors to the wine, giving different structures and degrees of tannic flavor. When comparing two Chianti Classicos, the “Rocca delle Macíe” and the “Tenuta Sant’Alfonso,” the fresh fruitiness of the “Rocca delle Macíe” was remarkable; it is only aged in barrels for 6-10 months. The “Tenuta Sant’Alfonso,” which is aged longer and made entirely of Sangiovese, tasted quintessentially Tuscan: dry and smooth.

The differences between two Chianti Classico Riservas were even more striking. The “Riserva di Fizzzano,” made using small oak barrels and a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, had more depth than the “Rocca delle Macíe Riserva.” The latter is aged in large oak barrels, which impart less oak flavor. The “Rocca delle Macíe” is a purist’s Chianti Classico Riserva.

I told Georgeta that I was interested in weighing the restrictions of tradition against the desire for innovation and we had a brief interview, which can be read on my blog. The winery is open for wine tastings and tours daily. The tour and tasting are free, and advanced reservations are required and can be made with Rocca Delle Macie

By 2:30 pm, I needed some lunch. Kristin and I thanked Georgeta and she gave us a hand-drawn map to Riserva di Fizzano resort, where we’ll spend the night. More on that in my next post.

Italy From Bottom to Top: Wine Tasting in Chianti

Day #41
To travel through Tuscany’s Chianti region is to visit the den of Bacchus (the god of wine and merriment) and forget about reality’s freeways and traffic jams. Its only a 45-minute drive once you get out of Florence, but first, you have to get out of Florence. I made the mistake of thinking that we should go and pick up the rental car (30 euros/day), then pick up our luggage from the hotel. This resulted in driving through Florence’s congested one-way streets for 1 ½ hours in order to get back to our hotel—which was a mile away. Many people believe that Rome and Naples are the worst cities in Italy to drive in, but Florence is definitely at the top of my list.

Taking the dips and turns of Chianti roads is very similar to driving in California. Locals often joke that the windy roads were designed for driving under the influence. I drove straight—straight to Greve in Chianti. This centrally located town often has an open-air market, but it wasn’t open. I headed for the tourist office and arrived just before it closed for the afternoon. Tourist offices in Tuscany are much like tourist offices in Puglia when it comes to helping visitors taste wines. They don’t have maps or lists of the wineries that offer tastings (although the tourist office in Gaiole di Chianti is quite helpful). Luckily, the countryside is absolutely full of wineries and signs that advertise wine tastings. Not two minutes outside of Greve on SP222 we came across Casaloste Winery, which turned out to offer some of the best wines I’ve tasted so far on this trip.

Like most tastings not booked in advance, this one was free. The tastings in Chianti that cost money usually have two characteristics: 1) they are located inside of castles, and 2) they require reservations and an obligatory winery tour. I’ve toured at least a hundred wineries, and I don’t usually like to take tours unless they include in depth information on a winemaker’s technical approach to wine. However, if you want to save yourself time (in other words, if you don’t want to drive around getting lost on dirt roads) making reservations is the way to go. Me, I like to get lost.

And we did. After one minute of driving on Chianti’s steep, pothole-ridden dirt roads, visitors know that they’re getting a unique experience. It makes for a great adventure that ensures you’ll be even happier when you reach the winery at the end.
Today we tasted at eight wineries. The standouts were the little Pruneto winery and the Il Molino di Grace winery. I visited Pruneto in 2007 when I was just beginning to get into wine. When I tasted today, I was happy to confirm that my taste buds were on the right track: the wines were expressive of their creators, Giuseppe and Riccardo Lanza: nicely rustic and dry, yet a little fruity. The winery Il Molino di Grace likes to release their wines late, so, unlike most tasting rooms, which are featuring wines from 2006, theirs is featuring 2005 wines. The good years in Chianti during the past decade are 2004, 2006, and 2007. 2005 is noted as a dull year, but Il Molino di Grace has managed to make unique wines with good character from that year. They appealed to my Californian senses with big dark fruit and a clean finish.

Right now I’m sitting beside a lake in San Cipirano at Hotel del Lago (56 euro/night). The grounds of this hotel are immaculately cared for and the rooms are elegant, if small. I decided to stay here because of the beautiful lake and good reviews on Trip Advisor. However, there’s a pink elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about. Less than a mile away is a giant electrical plant that looks just like a nuclear power plant. Driving in, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The plant cannot be seen from the hotel, but its presence is unforgettable. On one hand, the hotel is beautiful, located on a lake, has a decent price, and serves a decent breakfast. On the other, it’s beside an electrical plant, and the majority of Chianti’s wineries are a 40-minute drive away. The hotel is really only a good option for highly budget-minded travelers.

That doesn’t mean that I’m not going to enjoy this bottle of Casaloste’s 2005 Chianti Classico, the deep silence broken only by frogs croaking, ducks diving, and swans sliding across the night lake.

Written by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpClose.com

Italy from Bottom to Top: Tuscany’s Cuisine

Day 39
Last night, to celebrate the dollar’s dramatic comeback against the euro, Kristin and I scoured Florence for the famous bistecca alla fiorentina. Made from a unique breed of cow, Chianina, the steak is served in huge slabs of between 1.5 lbs and 3 lbs, and traditionally cooked al sangue, which means “bloody.” I say “scoured” because the prices of bistecca alla fiorentina vary, and I was looking for the best combination of price and quality. I discovered that most restaurants charge 45 euros per kilo (2.2 lbs); the cheapest I found the steak for was 30/kilo, and the most expensive was 55/kilo.

We ate at Gusta Osteria, and the meal was excellent. The house-made pastas are authentic and inspired. The bistecca alla fiorentina was excellently simple: a very, very thin cut of beef, cooked to a succulent crisp on the outside, barely warm on the inside. I’ve only eaten raw beef that tender once before, and that was a porcini carpaccio in Puglia. Gusta Osteria is an impressive restaurant. During the day it operates a panino bar that serves cheap and delicious panini (3-4 euro) to go. It’s called Gustapanino. Right across from Chiesa di San Spirito, it’s a good way to grab lunch on the go.

Another traditional Tuscany dish is a soup called ribollita. So far I’ve sampled it at two restaurants. It is a rustic soup composed of bread, fava beans, black cabbage, and other vegetables. The bread makes the soup very light. Certainly a good example of a dish from Italy’s culinary past that’s still alive today. I highly suggest sampling it for yourself.

I’ll leave you with a tip for finding cheap accommodations in Florence. Online booking sites do not include many of the cheaper hotels in Florence. This means that, if you’re willing to roll the dice, you can shop around upon arrival. There are probably 30 hotels just around the train station, most of which are respectable, offer free WiFi, and cheap. Go door to door and get the best price. We found ours for 40 euros/night with WiFi. Not bad for peak season. However, I don’t recommend trying your luck during July or August.

Tomorrow I’m renting a car and heading for Tuscany’s wine country, where I’ll taste the latest Chianti wines. I can’t wait to hit the road.
Gusta Osteria
Via De’ Michelozzi 13/r
Florence, Italy

Written by and photos by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpCLose.com

Enjoying an Aperitivo in Florence, Italy

Day 38
I’ve been walking and bicycling Florence’s busy and beautiful streets for five days now; it’s been hot and muggy, rainy and thundery, and absolutely breathtaking. Florence has many sides, but my favorites are its sights and its food. Since I’ve seen most of its sights before such as the Uffizi Gallery, and the Duomo, I’ve been focusing on Florence’s aperitivo culture and fine dining.

Florence is the best place in Italy for aperitivo (Milan is a close second.) Aperitivo is an evening activity commonly found in Mediterranean countries, specifically Spain, France, and Italy. Between 6 pm and 11 pm, large, all-you-can-eat buffets are provided in the price of one drink. After a long day of sightseeing, it’s a good way to recharge.

Last night, Kristin and I tried the bar Negroni, which is supposedly the birthplace of the Negroni cocktail . We’d had a long day of work (I’m updating a travel guide for Florence) and decided to end it with two martinis for aperitivo (8 euros/person). It’s usually difficult to get a good martini in Italy, but Negroni Bar did it right.

And the buffet was top of the line. It included two types of pasta, three types of rice and couscous dishes, numerous variations on bruschetta, pizza, and salad. The bar is located on the Oltrarno side of the river, in Piazza Demidoff, where a few bars feature impressive aperitivi. Another good area is around Basilica di San Lorenzo.

Tonight I’m going out for Florence’s specialty, bistecca alla fiorentina, and in the next post I’ll focus on Tuscany’s traditional foods.

Written by and photos by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpClose.com

Florence’s Mercato Centrale in the San Lorenzo Market

Day 35
Florence is alive with markets, day in and day-out you will find several Florence markets ready for you to discover. The San Lorenzo market, in the heart of Florence, is a swarm of colors and scents. At the Mercato Centrale (the Food market in San Lorenzo) we’re talking artisan breads of all shapes and sizes; stands overflowing with in-season fruits and vegetables such as green beans, mushrooms, cherries, loquats, apricots, and strawberries. You’ll also find truffle oils and honeys; and novello or young olive oils. Plus, some of the strangest cuts of meat around, and the distinct smell of stewing tripe for tripe sandwiches. After eating tripe for the first time , I don’t think I’ll try the gristly-looking sandwiches. See my previous post on Fifth Quarter meats. However, the other parts of the market are a gourmet’s muse. The market is open from 7am to 2pm Monday through Saturday, and along with all the fresh food, there is take-away food for lunches on the run.

With our purchases, Kristin and I will make panini with Tuscan prosciutto and young “marzolina” Pecorino cheese. This cheese can only be found in the spring (marzo means March). It is usually only aged for 1-3 months to retain the green flavor of the fresh spring grass that the cows fed upon. No preservatives are used, so you can’t buy this cheese in the United States. It has a very particular taste that cannot be found anywhere else. Fresh as the countryside.

Written by and photos by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpClose.com

Italy From Bottom to Top: Umbria’s Traditional Foods

Day #33
I wanted to learn more about Umbria’s traditional foods, especially that strange Norcian mortadella with the chunk of mystery meat inside. When I found the store, Il Parma Delizie Alimentari, with a large man carving meat behind the counter, I knew I had the right place.

Armando is an experienced purveyor of fine foods, and when I asked him about Umbria’s most important culinary ingredients, he enthusiastically explained. He told me that Pecorino is Umbria’s most important cheese. There are three basic ways of aging Pecorino (I’d only eaten the hard version commonly found in the United States). The freshest is actually soft. It is usually aged 3 months and has a very light texture. The next Pecorino is aged 6-9 months, and it still retains the creaminess, but its sharp flavors are more pronounced (this is my favorite). The final type is aged at least one year, it is very hard and very sharp. The flavor of this cheese is so strong that it might knock you off your feet. Unless you’re a formaggio veteran, you might want to incorporate this cheese in a pasta dish (speaking of which, I have found very few types of pasta or pasta dishes that are unique to Umbria).

When I asked Armando about the mortadella from Norcia, he said that the piece of meat in the center was lard. Do they put it in to keep the salami moist, I asked? He responded, No, they just put it in because they want to. It serves no purpose. Well, that’s what you get when you ask too many questions.

Umbria has a traditional bread called torta di testo, which is a flat, almost pita-like bread that has very little salt. Kristin and I made sandwiches on it with Umbrian prosciutto, which is made extra salty to pair well with the local, salt-less breads. The regions around Umbria, such as Tuscany, make their bread without salt. This ancient tradition originated in a protest against the pope. I’m not certain on the century, but the church once controlled the tax and sale of salt. The Italian people became fed up with the pope at the time, and they boycotted salt. The ramifications can still be tasted today.

Armando finished his lesson by talking about Norcia’s famous truffles. White truffles can be found in the northern areas of Umbria, but the Norcian black truffle receives the most praise. It is made into a spread or sauce called salsa di tartufo, and you can’t beat it when spread on a sandwich. I’ve tried using it on pasta, but I find that the flavors are masked. On a sandwich of fontina and prosciutto on torta di testo, it’s divine.

Today I’m heading off to Florence. It looks like rain. We’ll see.

Written by and photos by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpClose.com

Italy From Bottom to Top: Arriving in Perugia

Day 32
When we hit traffic, I knew we were in trouble. We needed to get the car back by 10:30 am, and it was already 10:30. Further, we had yet to navigate the twisty, turning allies of Perugia’s city center to drop our bags at our hostel. Driving in Italy is a headache, because of both its excessive, nonsensical traffic laws and its city streets, most of which were originally designed for horses. The streets are simply a maze of one-ways, many of which are reserved exclusively for buses and taxis. If you make one wrong turn, you’ll likely have to drive the circumference of the city before getting the opportunity again. The woman at the hostel later told us that the city center cannot be accessed legally unless you’re a resident. In order to ensure that we wouldn’t get a fine, we needed to give the police our license-plate number. Which we hadn’t.

The fact that we didn’t have a street map was clearly an oversight, but we eventually found our hostel. After driving straight across Perugia’s crowded Piazza 4 Novembre, we found the little alley on which the Ostello di Perugia is located. We parked in a handicapped space, hazards flashing, and relayed our bags into the hotel. It was now 11:05 am.

I left Kristin at the hostel and headed straight for the rental place. It was easy to find. Fortunately, like most car rental agencies in Italy, travelers are given a 50-minute grace period. Once, when returning a rental car to Florence, I’d gotten totally lost and stuck in traffic; I’d returned the car two hours late and had to pay for an extra day. In Perugia, the man at the SIXT office was friendly, and all I had to do was give him the keys and get onto the Mini Metro.

The Mini Metro looks like a Volkswagon bus on a high-wire. It might be the cutest method of public transportation on the planet. When you get in, it feels as though you’ve just stepped onto a roller coaster. But when it starts moving you realize that you’re not going anywhere fast. It is slow, and I mean slow.

Our hostel’s patio has a simply stunning view, showing off Perugia’s beauty. A university town, Perugia advertises carefully aged Pecorino cheese alongside vodka shots for 1.50 euro. It’s a great town for young and old alike: these qualities are in balance.

Tonight, we cooked in the hostel’s enormous kitchen. I wanted to taste the region’s traditional cheese, so I bought one soft and one semi-soft Pecorino. Pears are tasting excellent around here, so we made a chicken, sweet bell pepper, pear, and Pecorino involtini. We hit a bump in the road when we forgot to buy toothpicks, which we usually use to keep the cheese from seeping out while cooking. Looking around the kitchen, the only thing we could find was dried spaghetti, but what do you know: the hard pasta was sturdy enough to poke through the involtini, keeping them closed during the entire cooking. It turns out that the spaghetti worked even better than toothpicks: they soften while cooking, so you don’t need to take them out before eating.

Tomorrow, I have to find an Umbrian gourmet and ask some questions.

Written by and photos by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpClose.com

Italy from Bottom to Top: Agriturismo Belsito Pian di Boccio

Day 32
Two nights ago, the night before wine tasting in Montefalco, my girlfriend and I decided to try out the Pian di Boccio Restaurant , which features delicious house-made specialties. Pian di Boccio makes its own olive oil and jars 13 varieties of marinated fruit and vegetables. The house antipasto allowed us to sample several of their offerings, including an excellent marinated eggplant with just the right amount of vinegar. Crostini came with a delicious pepper jelly and a fresh cheese. One crostino was absolutely sopped with the house-made olive oil.

For the main course, I tried lasagna with asparagus. The noodles were fresh and the béchamel sauce was delicate. The entire dish exuded freshness. Kristin ordered spaghetti with pesto, which was definitely delicious, but the pesto tasted frozen. I don’t mind frozen pesto, but the lasagna was clearly superior.
Strolling around the Pian di Boccio grounds before dinner came with a few surprises. Besides olive and fruit trees, there’s a menagerie with exotic birds, including peacocks, and a few very cute baby goats. Pian di Boccio also runs an agriturismo, which is located in a private area separate from the camping.

The meaning of the term “agriturismo” is hard to pinpoint, and has often left me wondering: What is an agriturismo? This is because every agriturismo is different. Most are located in the countryside and produce their own culinary products, such as olive oil and wine. The primary advantage of staying in an agriturismo is that it offers foreigners a way to experience the countryside. They are often inexpensive and connect visitors with local foods.

In the case of Agriturismo Belsito Pian di Boccio, expansive views of the rolling hills and twilight walks among olive trees are offered, not to mention the baby goats. During my walk I noted that free-standing, wood-burning grills come with each room. I would love to cook on one of those with local ingredients.

I’m back in civilization now, in the city of Perugia, and I’m going out to learn more about its traditional foods. My next post will focus on this university town and its cuisine.

Written by and photos by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpClose.com

Italy from Bottom to Top: Montefalco and Cantine Aperte

Day 30
Yesterday was one of my favorite days of the year: Cantine Aperte. A countrywide wine tasting, the event’s name literally means “Open Wineries.” I started just outside of the Montefalco region, a D.O.C.G. region that produces wines made with the Sagrantino grape. The word sagra means festival or party, so I like to think of the grape as a “little party,” although that is not actually what it means. However, yesterday’s event was a very. big. party.

The wine road, La Strada del Sagrantino, runs through the region, bringing many visitors to the wineries. I visited Antonelli Winery first. Even at 10:30 in the morning, barbecues were smoking, and salami and prosciutto were being sliced and served. My girlfriend and I purchased our glasses for 5 euros each, then tried our second Grechetto. It was different than the first (less oak), showing the grape’s versatility. At the next winery, Fongoli, each glass of wine cost between 1-2.50 euros. Their wines are good, but because I was driving, I wasn’t prepared to drink an entire glass of wine. We drove on to find more tastings.

After 5 minutes of driving, I found Perticaia winery, which was offering three small pairings of wine and food for 5 euros. Perticaia offered my favorite Sagrantino di Montefalco D.O.C.G. of the day. The 2005 was classic, very refined. Some American wine drinkers might be turned off by how dry the Montefalco DOCG wines are; I personally wouldn’t want to drink them alone. They are, after all, designed to be paired with food. Perticaia’s Montefalco Riserva was served with a traditional porchetta panino, aka pork sandwich. To make porchetta, an entire pig is deboned, then filled with a stuffing composed of its organs and herbs. The entire pig is then roasted. The sandwich was delicious and tasted like a combination of pork, sweetbreads, and foie gras. Very rich and decadent. A perfect pairing.

I had a free tasting at Cantina Colle Ciocco before finding the real party. When I arrived at Tiburzi winery, I knew this wasn’t a middle-of-the-road winery. Fashionable women were pouring wine, a band was playing, and a single table held 30 or so college students who were seriously celebrating. For a moment I thought I’d walked onto the set of MTV’s Spring break. Tiburzi also offered free tastings, and the students were actually having cases of wine served to them. Sitting in the shade, escaping the hot sun, and watching the party swell around me, I decided to take a break from taking tasting notes and just relax. A water fight broke out. Summer has truly begun.

In my next post, I’ll tell you about the incredible dinner served by the restaurant at Pian di Boccio’s restaurant. The campground is also an agriturismo, which produces its own olive oil and a plethora of home-style marinated veggies.

Written by and photos by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpClose.com

Italy From Bottom to Top: Top Sights in Naples

Day #24
The internet in the hotel never came on. A major inconvenience. It forced my girlfriend and me to pack all of our bags and carry them through the streets of Naples to a new hotel—one with WiFi. The cobblestones were in sad shape and our wheeled bags flipped whenever a moped whizzed past. Just a few of the bumps in the road that you encounter when traveling through Italy.

The last three days have been truly spectacular; I visited the Phlegrean Fields, the Capodimonte Museum, the National Archeology Museum, and the Royal Palace in Caserta, considered the top sights in Naples. Below is a segment I like to call “Is It Worth It?”

The Phlegrean Fields: Is It Worth It?

One of the most confusing sights ever, the Phlegrean Fields is a large volcanic area, not a single location. It encompasses everything west of Naples (to the coast) as well as several islands, including the famous Ischia and Procida. To do the area justice, you should spend at least two days there. The tickets (4 euro) give you access for two days. This includes, most importantly, the famous Cave of Sybil in Cuma, the striking crater lakes, the Flavian Amphitheater, and the Baia Archeology Museum and Park.

The tickets exclude, most importantly, the Solfatara, a bubbling lava lake once believed to be the entrance to hell, and the underwater city of Baia. The Solfatara costs an extra 6 euro, and the underwater city can only be seen from a glass-bottomed boat, which is easily chartered in Baia for a fee. When you consider the sheer size of the Phlegrean Fields and the large number of exceptional sights, it seems like it’s worth a visit. But because the area is so spread out, and none of its ruins are as well preserved as those found in Pompeii and Herculaneum, the jury is divided. If you have a limited time in Naples and you’ve never seen Pompeii, visiting the Phlegrean Fields is not worth it. If you’ve already seen Pompeii and you’ve got two spare days, expand your circle of ancient experience and see where the richest of the rich Romans once lived. The area’s volcanic activity has resulted in a large number of natural thermal spas.

The Naples National Archeology Museum: Is It Worth It?

Speaking of Pompeii, its most striking artworks were carried off to the National Archeology Museum. While this means that they are not on display in Pompeii (which is OK, in my opinion, because there is already plenty to see in Pompeii), it also ensures that they won’t be buried for another 1500 years the next time Mt. Vesuvius explodes. Here’s my advice: Go to Pompeii first, then go to the National Archeology Museum. Is it worth it? Yes, yes, and yes. The artwork, statues, and artifacts are absolutely striking and give you yet another side to the fantastically preserved city. The museum also includes many of the statues from the Farnese Collection. Here’s a link for another of our writer’s reviews of the National Archeology Museum. The famous art collection is split up between the National Archeology Museum and Capodimonte Museum.

Capodimonte Museum: Is It Worth It?

The grounds of this museum alone are enough to make it worth a visit. Located in a beautiful park on a hilltop that overlooks Naples, the museum was built for one reason, and one reason only: to house the Farnese Collection. One of the most important art collections on earth, it includes works by many famous Italian painters and sculptors. Its paintings are located inside the Capodimonte Museum, and its sculptures are in the National Archeology Museum. Many works are featured besides those of the Farnese Collection, including some excellent Caravaggios. A portion of the museum is dedicated to contemporary art, including some freaky Andy Warhols. The Capodimonte Museum is definitely worth it.

The Royal Palace in Caserta: Is It Worth It?

A 40-minute train ride gets you to Caserta, and the trains leave Naples central station every 20-30 minutes. The Royal Palace is located across the street from the Caserta train station, making it easy to visit on foot. The palace was built by Charles of Bourbon, who was King of Naples in the mid-18th century. He wanted it to be more grand than Versailles. I’m not sure whether his architect, Luigi Vanvitelli, failed, or whether the grounds are not well kept, but I found the palace bland. The hedges and the grass were not closely manicured, and very few flowers were in bloom. From the outside, the palace did not impress me in any way other than its sheer size. Inside, the rooms were beautifully decorated.

Besides having a picnic on the lawn—with a 40-meter manmade waterfall cascading in the distance—my favorite part of the visit was the gold leafing and ancient Venetian glasswork inside. Entrance costs 8 euro. The grounds are so large that a bus service runs around the grounds; a round-trip ticket (from the castle to the end of the grounds and back) costs 1 euro. I suggest immediately catching the bus and taking it to the far end of the grounds; indulge in the English Garden, then walk back beside the waterway. Buses leaving from the palace and going out to the grounds are not crowded; coming back is another story. Is the Royal Palace in Caserta worth it? Not unless you’re traveling with children.

Right now I’m on a trail bound for Perugia, where I’ll rent a car and set out into the beautiful Umbria valley. I should arrive in 40 minutes.

Written by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpClose.com