POST ON YOUR DREAMBOARD…
Second property in Italy, anyone? Holy stracciatella. We’ve had over 50 emails from people wanting to hear more about potentially buying a place in Italy. Today I’m keeping that train flowing by showing you one of my favorite listings in Italy right now. This dreamy property is in Puglia, an area that is trending. This is an ancient villa, turnkey (gorgeous reno), with a pool, a meditation/yoga/prosecco swilling area on the rooftop, and olive groves on a couple of acres. It’s also in one of my fave areas of Puglia — only a bike ride away from the beach inside a nature reserve, and within 30 mins of the Brindisi airport. If you buy this, please send me the keys for a few nights! Click here to spy on this listing. Send me an email with the subject “house hunting” if you would like me to send you future content I’m developing on my Italian real estate hunt (and the insane deals to be had).
SLEEP HERE
There are a few hotels under the Rocco Forte brand in Rome. The one I want to feature was opened in 2019 and is called Hotel de la Ville. What you get when you sleep here: proximity to the Spanish Steps (the center of the action), a buzzy and contemporary vibe, a fun/fancy crowd, and a pretty rooftop patio called Cielo. These hoteliers have many great hotels around Italy, and their alternate Rome address is Hotel de Russie, with more trad décor. I love having a cappuccino in their stunning courtyard garden café.
WHAT WE’RE LOVING RIGHT NOW
Give me 90 days and I’ll help you create a side business. A side-thingy. A side-hustle. Another stream of revenue. Yup, all before this summer. When I first started Italian Fix, I did it on the side. I was working another job (plus parenting) and I slowly transitioned to running Italian Fix full-time. You don’t need to go “all-in” — drop a toe in the water and test out an idea. I’ll help you! I’m only accepting 15 people to work with me, and this is time-sensitive. I’m practically giving away this opportunity (you’ll never see rates like this again) in exchange for you giving me feedback. Get on the interest list if you would like to have your own thing!
MANGIAMO
Ok, back to Rome. I absolutely love the area of the city where you can find the restaurant Pierluigi. This place has been humming since the 1930s. They specialize in seafood, and you’ll go here for a proper fancy feast. I adore the cocktail lounge there as well, ‘cause I really have a thing for the Italian men in bowties and starched-by-their-mammas white shirts. It’s just old-fashioned, it’s romantic… but what can I say — I’m the one who moved to Italy and got married to an Italian!
WISH WE WERE HERE
Have you seen this image making the rounds on the socials? The Cascate di Mulino are stunning thermal pools (free to access) located near the town of Saturnia in Tuscany. This otherworldly spot is steeped in hundreds of years of history — and if you can handle the eggy-sulphury smell, then soaking in thermal waters in Italy are a dream. I am always seeking out hot springs (called “terme” in Italian). Here is the not-free-but-they-give-you-fluffy-towels Terme di Saturnia. A day pass for 20 euros is a steal. An example of the European tradition of simple luxuries designed for all to benefit (terme were once covered by state-funded healthcare). Pro tip: Google the word terme in any Italian locale you visit to find the closest waters to float in.
ITALIAN FIX FAMILY TABLE:
TALES FROM OUR READERS
Amelia from Toronto writes:
The first time I went to Italy I was 19 years old and studying in Amsterdam. One day, tired of studying, I jumped onto the Ryanair website to see if I could find one of their famous five euro flights (#StudentLife). I found one going to Alghero and convinced one of my friends that we could skip a few days of classes and have a long weekend in Sardinia.
As students, our budget was very small, but my friend had a friend of a friend of a friend who lived in Sassari and was willing to host us for a few nights.
A few memories in particular stand out for me from this trip:
- The sense of community and generosity that emanated from our hosts. Every night for dinner we met with at least six of their friends. Dinner was a communal event, with everyone sharing what they had, and each night someone different would cook. Dinner time was not just a time of day — it was an occasion complete with wine, games, and music.
- Arriving in the off-season. I thought it was a great idea — booking a getaway to the Mediterranean in the middle of winter. It’s always warm there…. Right? Wrong! It was jacket and scarf weather the entire time we were there. No sipping cocktails on beaches for us… but we traded that for storm watching and solitude. All the tourist bars were closed, and at one point in the weekend, my friend (from South Africa) and I (a rugby player) found ourselves at a little hole-in-the-wall café, sitting with a group of locals watching Italy’s Azzuri compete in the Six Nations rugby tournament. It was perfect.
- THE SNOW! Growing up in Canada, I know snow. Like really know it. But when we were on the train back to Sassari from Olbia, the last thing I expected to see was snow falling. About half a centimeter of snow and the train halted to a stop. We disembarked at the nearest station and were told that they didn’t know when our connecting train would be arriving. We waited for over an hour with all the other stranded passengers, but luckily the station had a café/bar, and the anxious waiting quickly turned into a party of strangers-turned-friends sharing drinks and sharing stories, all marveling at the absurdity of the snow. When we finally arrived back in town, everyone was out in the streets building snowmen and having snowball fights… one of our hosts told us that it was the first time they had seen snow fall in Sassari in their lifetime.
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Have something you want to share with Italian Fix readers? Click here — we’re looking for your best memories, photos, recipes, trials, and tribulations. We’ll feature the snazziest tips in upcoming editions.
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With love + stracciatella,
Bianca
PS I’m backing 15 people on their future visions. Come work & play & create a new chapter.
PPS Let me know if you’re grooving on this new newsletter format? Is it helping keep Pandemruary at bay?
