Guardia Sanframondi, Sannio Cooking and Culinary tour, September & October, 2024

Day 1  

Our driver and I will pick you up at the airport and we'll drive to Guardia Sanframondi, stopping along the way to eat a pizza.

Settle into your home away from home, a cozy 1 or 2 bedroom apartment in the heart of Guardia Sanframondi. 

Stroll around Guardia a bit before a welcome dinner. Nonna Anna will prepare a home cooked meal and make you feel like family.

Day 2 

After breakfast, we will learn to make fresh pasta and a sauce with Nonna Adelina (Lina) whose family has grown grapes and produced their own wines for generations.  She also grows her own vegetables in her beautiful garden, where we will find our ingredients.  Ernesto will show us the winery, followed by wine tasting and a feast on our pasta as well as other delicacies from Lina's garden.

  

Mid day is siesta time in Italy, a good time to relax and sink into the rhythm of Southern Italy and rest from your long trip or have a coffee at a bar and banter with the friendly and curious locals.  Later in the afternoon, get to know your way around Guardia Sanframondi with Rossella as we tour the historical center of Guardia, with its castle, medieval houses, and UNESCO churches and get a glimpse of everyday life before modern times.

In the evening, enjoy the local area, go to a pub, listen to Italian music. La vita e bella.  Dinner at a beautiful restaurant near the historical center.

Day 3 

After breakfast, we will take a drive to Saepinum in Sepino, Benevento, where you can experience the convergence of time and space on this archeological site and feel the energy of  multiple civilizations beginning even before the  Samnites of the 5th century B.C., through Greek and Roman days, Medieval times, 18th Century to the present moment.  

We’ll continue on to Sassinoro to the beautiful church of Santa Lucia, atop the temple to Demeter, the goddess of unconditional motherly love.  On our way back to Guardia, we’ll stop by a buffalo milk dairy and taste their buffalo mozzarella and most amazing buffalo milk gelato.   

Day 4 (Sunday)

After a "piccola colazione" small breakfast, consisting of a cappuccino and a pastry, we will gather ingredients for a large Sunday meal and cooking class at my home.   Enjoy the rest of the day to relax, passaggiata or stroll around town, as they do in Italy with the locals, have an aperativo at a bar, listen to a local band, have a gelato...ah, la dolce vita.  In the evening, we will drive through the beautiful countryside to another mountain village for the famous Mushroom festival or Chestnut festival (Subject to season).  Sample homemade dishes.  Dance to traditional folk music.

Day 5 

Today we will visit some of the local towns and enjoy their specialties on a tour of the Sannio region.  Step into a ceramic studio in Cerreto, the ceramics town, for a glimpse of the artist at work, and a hands on lesson.  Castelvenere and Solopaca are other wine cities in the area.  We will visit vineyards, taste wines and sample some of the regional cuisine.   

  

Day 6 

Connect with the local community picking grapes on a vineyard. (season permitting)  A true family affair for all ages; picking grapes, singing songs and having lunch under the vines.  After a rest, we will visit one the wineries followed by a wine pairing dinner.

Day 7 

Feeling sore from picking grapes?  We’ll visit a spa, relax with a massage, a swim.  In the evening afternoon, we will enjoy a tasting menu of local delicacies paired with local wines at a Michelin rated restaurant.

Day 8

Nature walk in Mount Tiburno followed by food preparation at an agriturismo. 

In the evening we will have a Farewell party with all our new friends at the castle sampling local wines and local dishes.

Day 9

After breakfast, we leave for Naples and check into our beautiful hotel by the sea.  We’ll have a stroll along the seaside, then a food tour to taste the best Naples has to offer.  From famous coffee houses, pastries, pizza, spaghetti al vongole, ragu.  We will visit the historic center, farmers markets, fish market, and underground markets dating back to Greek and Roman times that are now ruins. 

Day 10

Depart from Naples Airport

Other options:  season permitting, we will go mushroom hunting, then make pizza topped with our mushroom find.   Cooking and eating day with Lina.  We can learn some of these home cooked meals such as chicken piccata, or cutlet, beef with mushrooms and wine, lasagne, sauteed vegetables in season, eggplant parmesan, preserving fruit, eggplant, sun dried tomatoes, coffee cakes, bread, biscotti,  Limoncello.  

Boat ride on the Amalfi Coast, visit Pompeii, Capri or Ischia.

Taste of Tuscany

Thank you for your interest in my Taste of Tuscany itinerary which I just created from my recent trip there.   I hope you enjoy some of my suggestions for your next trip to Florence and the Siena region of Tuscany.  If you do, please let me know in a message and maybe a photo.  I am organizing this particular tour during this harvest season from October 21-27.  Let me know if you would like more information about this trip, it is limited to a small group of 8.  

As a travel consultant, I have been organizing bespoke tours all over France and Italy since 2012.  Now I just enjoy traveling and sharing my wonderful local small/slow travel experiences with the intension of helping small family businesses recover from the past couple of difficult years.  I have more itineraries to share from around the world, so be on the look out. 

I would love if you would share some of your favorite local producers, boutique hotels, bed & breakfasts, tour guides, restaurants and artisan stores so I can create a sharable directory by region/town.   

I envision the Next Renaissance will be in the small towns and villages in Italy, where the people have lived close to the earth for generations, cultivating a simple but beautiful way of life we can all learn from.  There is a shift away from big travel business, toward slow/small travel.  It is the way I like to travel.

 

Enjoy!  Buon Viaggio!!  ...and please mention my name to the locals :)

Taste of Tuscany Tour

By Sweet Life Italy (aka Alecia Caine)

 

Friday, Oct 21 - Day 1   Montalcino Wine Excursion  

Drive through the beautiful Siena province to Montalcino where we will stay for 2 nights at Paradiso di Caruci https://paradisodicacuci.com/, a family owned Winery and Bed & Breakfast that produces a small quantity of exceptional Brunello.   Tour the vineyard and winery with Francisco followed by a Wine Paring Lunch.   In the evening, wander around the historical town of Montelcino during the Sagra del Tordo, taste the famous white truffles, chestnuts, mushrooms, fresh pressed olive oils, salumi and wines, of course.  

For transportation from anywhere in Florence, train station or airport, contact Marco Modesti at info@tuscanytopdrivers.com

Saturday, Oct 22 - Day 2  Tuscany Tour, Montalcino Medieval Nights. 

Drive to Pienza, a beautiful medieval village that was completely renovated during the Renaissance.  Enjoy the views and also try the Pecorino cheese this town is famous for.   Then drive through the famous rolling hills of Val d’Orcia on the way to visit the town of Montepulciano.  Then back to Montalcino for a special dinner during the Medieval Palio di Arcieri or Archery competition hosted by Francesco Ditta from Paradiso di Caruci.

Sunday, Oct. 23 -  Day 3  Tuscany Tour, Florence

After breakfast, we are on our way to Siena, a beautiful terra cotta medieval town.  See the famous Duomo, climb to the top to see spectacular views.  Walk the quaint circular streets stopping in the specialty shops for regional delicacies, panforte or biscotti.  Make your way down to the Piazza del Campo where the famous Palio di Siena, the horse race that takes place twice a year.  Enjoy a coffee in the Piazza.   Drive through the Chianti region, enjoy lunch at Dario's Antica Macelleria. https://www.dariocecchini.com/   On to Florence and check into your hotel. The Calimala https://www.hotelcalimala.com/  (or Hotel Bonifacio is a budget conscious option https://www.hotelbonifacio.it/en/home-en-3/)

Monday, Oct. 24 - Day 4  Florence, the Birthplace of the Renaissance

The morning light is amazing in Florence and has inspired artists and art lovers for centuries. It’s no wonder Florence is at the heart of the Italian Renaissance.  The scent of cappuccino and fresh baked Cornetti will gently signal it’s time to awaken to your own personal Renaissance.  Begin on to the rooftop bar/terrace of your hotel, to enjoy the most amazing breakfast you will ever eat in Italy while taking in the breathtaking views of Florence.  After breakfast, your guide will meet you downstairs for a private walking tour of the Duomo, Giotto’s tower  Brunelleshci's dome, MichelAngelo’s David and my favorite Botticelli, The Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Museum.   After a long day of sight seeing, it’s time for a siesta to refresh and be ready for an aperativo at Enoteca Alessi https://www.enotecaalessi.it/.  With a huge selection of Italian and international wines as well as whiskeys, spirits and liqueurs from all over the world, you can enjoy a bottle or 2 among friends with a tagliere of Italian cured meats and cheeses.

Dinner at Ribeo, https://www.facebook.com/OsteriaRibeo/ the hand cut Chianina tartare will not disappoint.  On the walk back to the hotel stop by My Sugar Gelato Artiginale https://my-sugar.business.site/.   The Black Sesame and salty caramel are my favorites.

For tour guide in English contact Carol Ann Sicbaldi https://carolsmoveablefeast.com/ or Christina’s Florence christinasflorence@gmail.com

Heliania Vogli at https://www.florenceconnection.net/

Tuesday, Oct. 25 - Day 5  Central Market and Cooking Class

Our chef will meet us after breakfast and take us on a tasting tour of the Central Market to indulge in regional delicacies such as truffles, Pecorino or Sheep Cheese, olive oil, prosciutto, salamis and wines.   We will gather ingredients for a cooking class followed by lunch. https://divinacucina.com/divine-days-with-divina-cucina/ After a siesta, visit the tiny but packed art and leather studio of Daniela Baldini http://pitturantica.it/ for ancient style paintings and leather objects.  Shop at Melrose Vintage  https://www.instagram.com/melrosevintagestorefirenze/?hl=it  and for leather goods. Enjoy an aperativo at La Menagere https://www.lamenagere.it/

Wednesday, Oct. 26 - Day 6  Foodie and Artisan Tour of the Oltrarno

After breakfast, finish shopping to bring some goodies back home, stroll around, sit in a café and just enjoy with all your senses.   In the afternoon meet up with Lorenzo Marchi for a fantastic food and wine tour of the other side of the Arno, known as the Oltrarno infoLorenzoMarchi@gmail.com.   You will visit the quaint authentic neighborhoods where the Florentines hang out tasting all the best from the Tuscan region.  Stroll around after your tour and check out the artisan studios in the cradle of the Renaissance.  You will see small workshops of Goldsmiths, bookbinding, handmade leather and paper products, crystal, bronze and musical instruments

Thursday, Oct 27 - Day 7  Last Day in Florence.

After breakfast, enjoy the day, take a stroll, shop, have lunch.     

 

Contact:  Alecia Caine abccpa@sbcglobal.net  Instagram :  Sweet Life Italy  Facebook :  My Sweet Life Italy

https://sweetlifeitaly.blogspot.com/

It's Time for the South of Italy to Experience a Renaissance

I wrote to the Wall Street Journalist who wrote this article about the wines of Southern Italy: 

Dear Ms Teague,

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article about wines of Southern Italy and A16 restaurant.   

I live part time in California.  The rest of the year I live in Guardia Sanframondi, a hilltop medieval village in the Campania region of Southern Italy.   Surrounded by vineyards of Fallanghina and Aglianica grapes and olive groves.   This area, named the European Wine City since 2019, called to me in 2015.  At the age of 50, after raising my 2 sons as a single mother, I followed my heart to Guardia and purchased an old home in the historical center and changed my life.   

A few years ago, on a visit to the bay area where my son who was studying podiatry at Samuel  Merritt, I discovered A16 while searching for authentic certified Napolitano pizza,  and they did it right.  Then I discovered they had several wines from Guardia Sanframondi.   I took a photo of the wine list and sent it to my Italian friends who were the grape farmers and wine makers.  They were amazed and proud  to see their wines in a restaurant in San Francisco.

Since then, Ive been organizing tours for Americans, to come experience our authentic Italian village.  I arrange cooking classes with the nonnas, pasta  by hand, wine tasting and education and helping to pick grapes with the families during Vendemmia.   Im also part of the folk dance group, and my guests are treated to local celebrations where we dance, play music, taste regional delicacies and drink wine.  My guests are treated like family and have an  unforgetable time.  

It's been my goal to help promote tourism in this region in Benevento called the Sannio and introduce Americans to the simple joys found in everyday living in the South of Italy.  I consider myself very fortunate to have made a life here and I want to inspire women in their 50s and beyond to know that it is never too late to follow your heart and live the life you dream of.  

After reading your article, Im inspired even more and I would like to invite you to be my guest in Guardia Sanframondi and be your private guide.  In early August is Vinalia,  our week long wine festival, when the town springs to life with art, music, artisanal local foods  and wines.  September is Vendemmia and a great opportunity to hands on experience the beautiful wine culture when all the family members return to help pick grapes, sing while they work, and lunch under the vines.  Its a very beautiful family tradition we just dont have in the USA wine industry. In 2024 is the next Riti Settinale, a religious and deeply spiritual festival that happens only once every 7 years.  Last time was in 2017, over 250,000 people came from all over the world, including famous art critics and New York times journalists. 

I have a website and blog called Sweet Life Italy and Facebook, Instagram accounts with the same name .  Im not a big tour operator, I simply share my magical life in Italy and people find me and come for a unique experience, some have purchased a casa  and end up living here part time, as well.  I handle all aspects of travel,  except airline bookings.  I can arrange transportation,  lodging, tour guides and create a unique  custom designed itinerary based on my clients desires.  Im happy to send some examples of past trips.    Professionally,  Im a CPA and I coach women over 50 to live the life of their dreams, as I am.  I call my practice CPA for Create Prosperity and Abundance. 

My dream now is to host a group of wine journalists to my village and help Create Prosperity and Abundance for the people of Guardia who have adopted me into their families and culture.  It's  time for the South of Italy to experience a Renaissance.

I look forward to your response.  Please  contact me by this email: abccpa@sbcglobal.net. 

In gratitude,

Alecia Caine

Project Goddess retreats

I came to Italy to connect with the Goddesses.  Italy has such a rich history of ancient Egypt  Greece, Rome and so many other civilizations, mermaids, fairies, gnomes, it's truly magical.  

 Not to mention the most fertile and bio diverse landscape.  It's like all of Mother Earth's energy is pumping in this peninsula.   

I'm organizing Goddess retreats here. 

 Somehow, spirit opened a portal for me and I stepped through.  

First Sunday lunch in Italy

Today was my first Sunday in Italy.  Sundays in Italy means traditional big family gatherings with delicious home made foods.  Everyone dresses for the occassion and family members come from other cities in Italy for this once a week reunion festival. 

On Sundays, the shops close early.  Except for the morning farmers market where everyone is out greeting each other Buongiorno, buying fresh seasonal produce for their big meal of the week, meeting for cappuccini, it is very quiet in Guardia.

I have been fortunate on many occasions to be invited as a guest at Adelina's for Sunday Pranzo. Lina is a traditional Nonna, she cooks everything by hand, from pasta to cheese, breads, salumis, limoncello and her famous cheesecake.  She grows her own tomatoes to make passato by hand or sun dried tomatoes that she collects and dries on a basket mat that her great grandmother used.  There is eggplant for melanzane parmagiana, zucchine flowers to be stuffed with Lina's own ricotta, squash for roasting with her potatoes and peppers also for stuffing.  The olive oil for dipping her stone ground semolina flour bread comes from her olive orchards and her wines come from her vineyards.   I love Sundays at Lina's.

On many occasions I organized group lunches and dinners for some of my guests so we can taste the wines and experience good classic Italian cooking by Lina, who also teaches cooking classes where we learn to make pasta by hand. 

I asked Lina to please put together a nice Sunday lunch for me.  Surely she was cooking for her family who visits from Rome on the weekends.  Even though we could not be together in person, i have been looking forward to her cooking for 6 months.  

When I heard that 3 other Americans also arrived and had to do 14 days of quarantine, I thought about hiring Lina to prepare and deliver lunch for all of us.  Everyone loved Lina's cooking, we used to always have lunch at her home and remembered her spreads during Vinalia, which we will also miss this year, since we are confined at home.  This would be a good opportunity to help each other.  With very few tourists coming this year, budgets will be tight.   

Lina and I worked on a menu, after I got everyone's food preferences and dietary restictions she came up with:  Antipasti of melenzane parmigiana, stuffed peppers, zucchini proscuitto rollups.   Handmade Pasta alla bolognese, roast pork with roasted potatoes, peppers and squash from her garden.  garden fresh tomatoes and cucumber salad and her famous cheesecake for desert.  Accompanied by some of her fresh baked semolina flour bread, a bottle of her own olive oil and a bottle of red wine.   You know, the usual, she said.

 

Everyone was very excited and getting hungry as I kept us up to the moment on Messenger with photos Lina sent from her kitchen.   The meals were delivered by Adelina and her son, Amedeo, in sweet picknic baskets.  She also included and a bag of fresh fruit and veggetables from her garden.  What a feast,  we have enough to eat for days!

When I called Lina to tell her how happy everyone was,  I started to feel my heart expand and tears poured down my face.    Its amazing how the flavors of home, mixed with the distinct smells in the air brought on a flood of memories of my life in Italy and in this medieval village.    With everything changing in the US, and the realization that nothing will ever be the same.  I felt the stress of the past 6 months finally leave my body.  I didn't realize how tense and fearful  I was,  so afraid I would not make it back home to Guardia for at least another year!  I just couldnt believe I was really here until this meal and it brought me back home with the bite of pasta alla bolognese.   

When I thanked her, I started to cry, I was so emotional.  I shared my appreciation for all she does, that living the way she lives is rare and something to be cherished.   Im not sure she sees her way of life as a priveledge, the way I do.  The truth is everyone should be living this way, close to the earth, in harmony with nature.  I am so grateful to say Italy is my heart's home and I followed my heart home.

InterDependence Day

On this 4th of July, our celebration of Independence, there were no fireworks, no beach parties, no gatherings. Many people were angry their freedom was infringed upon. I didn't miss any of it since this is the first time in 5 years I'm in the United States for Independence Day. So, I sat and watched the full moon and contemplated the true meaning of freedom.

I see people clamouring for their freedom to do what they want no matter if it harms others. This is a very selfish interpretation of the concept of freedom. The very word Independence connotes a fierce individualism that is the cornerstone of American's right to be free. For them its all about Me, me, me.

But what about the freedom to do what is in alignment with your heart. It takes great courage to hear and listen to your heart. Most of us are caught up in our head or other people's agenda's, we can't even hear our heart's calling. It takes even greater courage to take action and follow your heart, follow your passion, follow your soul's true calling.

I call for a name change to Celebration of InterDependence. When you follow your heart, you are in alignment with your own freedom without infringing on the freedom or welfare of others. Then the Pursuit of Happiness applies to all.

"It's a Different Time"

People say that things never change, but this is the furthest from the truth. 

If you have done any healing work to heal your trauma, you know that healing works in cycles.  Trauma doesnt disappear, but you learn to heal it so it  has less of an affect on you.  You might still get triggered, then you feel bad for a while, but you get up again, each time it gets better, you don't react nearly as harshly you did before seeking treatment.  It takes time but eventually, you no longer lash out in anger, hatred and violence or shut down and become numb.

Its the same with society.  So much has changed in the past 400 years.  Black people were kidnapped from their home in Africa and thrown into slavery,  then the Civil war broke and eventually Lincoln emancipated slaves but he was shot before there was a plan to integrate black people into society.  That is when this country took a huge step backwards with the Jim Crowe segregation laws that kept blacks marginalized for 100 years.  

For a 100 years, black people did not have any rights!  

Then, in 1968,  Martin Luther King gave black people hope and the Civil Rights Movement was born.  Unfortunately, he was shot and and so was JFK and we took many a step backwards and forwards over the past 50 years...until Obama became president and he gave hope back to blacks and all of us who were ever marginalized.  Unfortunately, the current administration didnt do anything except undo every good thing Obama got passed in spite of the Republican congress.

Now, its like what Reverend Sharpton said yesterday at George Floyd's memorial service..., "Its a different time" he said.   During the Civil Rights Movement,  mostly black people were protesting,   now, there are people of all colors, ages taking to the streets in peaceful protest saying "No Justice, No  Peace."  There are people all over the world protesting for Justice.   They are coming to our aid.   

There are many more people in support of peace than against.

Yes, there is still police brutality as we see on the videos, but with technology, the truth can no longer be hidden.  We are not going to stop until the police officers are held accountable for their brutality....and "Qualified Immunity" is reformed.   After that, we will have to tackle the lax gun laws, another problem where change is hugely overdue.

So next time anyone says things never change, you can tell them they are wrong about that.