Peccoli (Tranquility)

Another agritourism website find, instead this time was an absolute SCORE in every way. We stayed a gorgeous B&B which was a two story little cottage attached to a larger home; where the farmer, his wife & their children live. Their property is covered with grape vines and olive trees & has a beautiful view of the entire area.

We spent five days here, so we used it as a base to explore the entire region. We ventured south to a recommended beach on the coast (Claudia, the owner of the guesthouse, was full of lovely suggestions, but this was a bust). Perhaps living in Sydney has ruined our enjoyment of average beaches, but I can't recall the name of this place - it's really not worth remembering. We ventured north to the Cinque Terre and this was really as special as special gets. This literally means "five lands" but it really translates into "five picturesque, quaint Italian towns squeezed between magnificent ocean cliffs and grapevines" or more simply "heaven." We only spent a few hours here, but could easily spend a week or more. There is a pathway between all five cities and also a train.

Besides, the Cinque Terra, the loveliest part of this region was our little B&B itself and the charming town of Peccoli. This little town is quite dead with only 4 or so options for dinner. One of Claudia's brilliant recommendations was a "family style" restaurant which is a better way of saying "affordable enough that you can bring the whole family." It was miles more than affordable, it was comfortable but still elegant and absolutely charming & delish!

Our breakfasts at the B&B included homemade jam with bread, usually a homemade breakfast cake, tea & coffee, and very cloudy apple juice (my favorite). We were given a lovely tour about how they harvest their organic grapes into wine. They produce three types of wine: a basic white and two reds, one lighter and one heavier. After our tour, we had a lovely dinner overlooking the sunsetting property – the meal was all antipasto including fresh cheeses, meats, and jams; and of course, a sampling of their beautiful wines. “Sampling” is really an understatement, it included all three full bottles, which we shared with one German who didn’t drink at all and one lovely light-weight Asian lady. It also included a “sampling” of grappa which is a really highly alcoholic wine that tastes like rubbing alcohol. The combination of all of the above led to a not-so-romantic end of the evening. I slept with the toilet instead of my new husband, but I honestly have no regrets.