Travel

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We’ve just returned from a wedding at a villa in Umbria, and the desire to return is real! We spent a week lounging in the sun, drinking wine and eating delicious local food, swimming, playing with nieces and nephews, and making new friends.

My husband’s family is scattered all over, so this destination wedding was a way to bring us all together in an absolutely stunning part of Italy.

Villa Baroncino is in Umbria, just minutes from the border of Tuscany, down a long driveway and  atop a hill, minutes from the local town, but secluded from any sort of noise or traffic.

Italian Villa

Due to flights from Ireland and the two hour drive from Rome, we arrived at almost midnight. The next morning I couldn’t wait to open my eyes to explore the villa.

The drive up the gated driveway got me every time. It was just so beautiful and grand.

Villa in Italy

Views of nearby Lake Trasimeno greeted us every morning. The lake is great spot for swimming, kayaking, running, or having an aperitivo. More on that later!

Lake Trasimeno

Villa Baroncino sleeps 50 people, which makes it perfect for a wedding. Large families can all stay in the same spot, and its privacy and distance from any roads meant the kids in the family could run free.

We were in Villa #7, a studio-type room which included a small kitchen. The main villa building also has a kitchen that is stocked with all of the dishes, glasses, etc. you could need.

travel to Italy

The view to the right as we exited our room was of the pool and the eternally blue, cloudless sky.

villa in Italy

Our room was beautiful and comfortable. It came with air conditioning, but due to the stone structure, ceiling fan, and window covers, it was always naturally cool. There were times when I was a little cold in the mornings, despite it being hot and sunny outside.

Italian Wedding Villas. The bedroom of Suite villa 7.

Photo via Villa Baroncino

Villa Baroncino

Two saltwater pools kept us busy all day and into the night, and plenty of lounge chairs made it easy to find a spot to soak up the sunshine. . . and there was so much of it! The weather in Italy was truly perfect when we were there.

Villa pool

Umbria

The villa grounds were like something out of a movie. Grape vines, beautiful flowers, and plenty of green everywhere added to the feeling that we were far away from the rest of the world. It was a place to truly connect with nature while also being surrounded by rustic luxury.

vineyard   

Staying in the villa meant that we could cook our own meals, and two fire pit barbeques were perfect for grilling for our big group. I know a ton of planning went into all of us getting to the villa to enjoy the week and a beautiful wedding reception on the property, and I would say we all found it well worth it.

I can’t wait to share our day trips in Tuscany, the wineries we visited, and the food we ate along the way. Stay tuned!

Tags: Italy, Travel, travel blog, Umbria, villa

Camden, Maine has become an annual April excursion for us and a group of friends. While the weather can be a bit iffy, Camden is beautiful year-round, and we all enjoy good food, cocktails, wine, and laughs, making it easy for us to have a good time anywhere.

In 2016 we stayed at the beautiful Hartstone Inn, and for 2017 we decided to mix it up and stay at 16 Bay View, a new waterfront boutique hotel in Camden.

16 Bay View Camden Maine

16 Bay View is located in the heart of Camden, and while brand new, features an “old school with a twist” kind of a feel, especially in the lobby and The Vintage Room, the hotel’s restaurant and lounge.

16 Bay View

Our room was chic and luxurious with a working gas fireplace, balcony, and big fluffy bed.

boutique hotel   luxury boutique hotel

The gigantic soaking tub, however, was my favorite feature of the room. This bath was positively dreamy!

soaking tub

16 Bay View has an incredible roof deck with views of Camden Harbor, and took a quick peek of the views while we opened a magnum of Drappier Carte d’Or Champagne that we picked up for the weekend.

Drappier Champagne

I love Champagne so, and this was an excellent choice.

Camden Maine

Quintessential New England views plus sunshine plus Champagne basically equals my dream life.

Camden Maine

When the temperatures cooled off and the sun went down, The Vintage Room was the perfect place to cozy up with a cocktail and snacks like charcuterie. The food and drinks are great, and the service is even better. We love Marcus!

charcuterie

Manhattan cocktail

We managed to visit The Vintage Room a few times and even started a dance party on our last night, making for an even more memorable trip to Maine than last year. 16 Bay View was an incredible place to stay; I am still craving the fun and relaxation that the weekend brought! It’s definitely a hotel I would stay in again and again!

Tags: Camden, champagne, cocktails, hotels, Maine, Travel, travel blog

Yesterday marked eight years of blogging in this little space, which has been a vehicle for meeting some of the best people I know. Blogging has opened up travel opportunities for me, and the networking and contact-building I have done through blogging also helped me to create my Social Media/PR/Marketing business, which has been my full time gig for two years this week!

One of the most fun parts of blogging is looking back on life in blog posts. Here are eight of my favorite life moments, in no particular order, to celebrate eight years. Thank you for reading!

Learning to bake with whole grains at King Arthur Flour

This group getaway was so much fun! We stayed in a country bed and breakfast with the whole house to ourselves, and had our own baking class at King Arthur. It was definitely a bonding experience where I made some life-long friends.

King Arthur Flour

 

Winter on Martha’s Vineyard – A true getaway at Nobnocket Boutique Inn

The winter of 2017 included some heartbreakingly stressful moments for America, and when we needed to get away from it all before we lost our minds, Martha’s Vineyard was the perfect choice. Nobnocket was cozy and luxurious and steps from Vineyard Haven’s cute little downtown. I can’t wait to go back.

 

Nobnocket Boutique Inn

 

Safari Serengeti

Our two week safari in Tanzania was a trip of a lifetime, and I would do it over and over again if I could. Africa works its way into your heart and just stays there forever.

giraffe in the Serengeti 

 

This incredible Labor Day weekend in Sonoma County

Over the last eight years we have visited Sonoma and Napa many times. (Read all the posts on my travel blog post page!). This trip stands out because of the gorgeous little cottage we rented near Healdsburg, the glorious summer heat, canoeing on the Russian River, and the fact that I didn’t work for four whole days!

Russian River Valley sunset

 

Wine tasting in Italy

While visiting family in Marche, we had a private wine tasting at Castello di Semivicoli, which was one of the best afternoons ever.

Masciarelli wine tasting 

 

Getting to go to Sonoma County for work

When I left my full time, in-house job, it was to work on an account in Sonoma County, and I got to experience some pretty spectacular tastings and events.

 

wine tasting

MacMurray Estate Vineyards

 

Spending the perfect summer day on the North Fork of Long Island

My North Fork memories are bittersweet, as the wonderful PR person, Florence, who introduced me to the region and brought me there on Cross Sound Ferry last June, passed away unexpectedly a few months later. Still, I remember this day as summer perfection, from shucking oysters, to wine on the bluff at Kontokosta, to lots of laughs in the van along the way.

lavender fields in Long Island

 

Every trip to Ireland

I tend to go on and on about Ireland, and I can’t help it. It’s definitely one of my most favorite places (along with Sonoma and coastal New England and Puerto Rico), and I feel incredibly blessed every time I get to visit.

Errisbeg

Tags: blog, blogging, Boston, California, food blog, food blogging, Ireland, Martha's Vineyard, Sonoma, travel blog, travel blogging, wine, wine blogging

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