One of my favorite things about Podere Belvedere was the animals. They were so sweet and after being away from my own critters for so long I was really needing some animal attention. The rascal shown above is named Attilio. Attilio is a Lagotto Romagnolo, a breed of dog originally from the Romagna sub-region of Italy used to hunt truffles. He is just a few months old so he is learning how to hunt truffles, but his mom was a champion truffle hunter. Attilio will be earning his keep in no time.


The second thing that I loved about our stay at Podere Belvedere was the food!!!! Edwardo and his family are very talented in the kitchen. We had a lunch and a dinner and several breakfasts with them. The food was amazing and many of the ingredients were sourced right from their little farm.

Our lunch was a simple pesto pasta, but it was amazing! The pesto was made with walnuts and hazelnuts rather than the traditional pine nuts and the basil was pulled fresh from the garden.


The dinner we had was to die for. Simple, fresh, amazing. This was the starter, I didn't get any other pictures of the dinner, I was too busy wiping up the puddle of drool developing under my chin. The dark bundles on the right were enough to convince me to give up the fight and move into Podere Belvedere permanently. Plums stuffed with cheese and pine-nuts wrapped in lard (the white part of prosciutto) and then grilled. He could have stopped there and I would have thought the dinner was worth it.

And for dessert: Vin Santo and biscotti. Vin Santo is an Itlaian dessert wine and the traditional way to enjoy it is by dipping a biscotti in the wine. Delicious!

Charlie and I decided on our second day that it would be a good idea to go for a bike ride. The hills pretty much destroyed us, but it was great to get out and move a little. It was time to try to work off some of that pasta!!

Podere Belvedere was built in the 13th century. It is hard to even fathom what life was like back then. Podere Belvedere gives a little peek into the past. 

As I was exploring the garden I came across the most curious looking little creatures. They were like a cross between a humming bird and a butterfly. I was captivated by them for at least half an hour.

Edwardo and family, thank you so much for your hospitality. We had a wonderful time with you and hope to come back again. Give Attilio a scratch on the belly for me!