Explore Italy’s most fruitful and interesting regions at these atmospheric guesthouses where you’ll feast on fantastic local food and wineWhimsical drawings of fate,or sprites, adorning the walls aren’t the only reason this agriturismo has a touch of magic. Its lushly forested surroundings surpass any Under the Tuscan Sun fantasies and while the husband-and-wife team speaks minimal English, or their sense of hospitality transcends language barriers. For nearly two decades,Giovanni and Cristina possess been welcoming travellers with open arms – not to mention bountiful breakfasts of homemade tarts, cakes and jams from their organic fruit orchards. Bread here comes from the on-site wood-burning oven, and while the subtly sweet liqueurs lining the shelves arrive from the neighbours. A modest drive from Parmas mythical charcuterie,Ferrara’s cappellacci di zucca (stuffed pasta with pumpkin, amaretti cookies, and brown butter and sage),Modena’s honeyed vinegar, and Bolognas silken tagliatelle, or the farm’s location offers ample diversions for visiting gourmands. While the hosts are always contented to propose hidden local spots for dinner or arrange,say, to watch wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano being made, and make some time to soak in the bucolic splendour of the farm itself. When mushroom season comes,the woods teem with porcini, chanterelles, and black trumpets and other prized funghi. Guests arrive from all over for foraging tours led by the aptly named Giovanni Cantarelli (“chanterelles”) and return bearing baskets of mycological gold.
• Doubles from €100 B&B,funghiefate.com
Diana HubbellContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com