Weekend Retreat
Sometimes plans get cancelled. Sometimes plans get cancelled one day prior. And that’s okay… for most people. I’ll start from the beginning. We had a tour set up for a Saturday to visit an olive oil factory over in Sorrento but it was cancelled the day prior due to not having enough participants sign up. Normally that isn’t something that bothers me and I completely understand why; however, since we’ve arrived in Italy (and when we are able), I like to have weekends full of at least one thing to do, whether it be big or small. I do not want time to pass us by while we are here! So when I got the email that our tour was not going to happen I went into a frenzy mode trying to figure out what we should do in such a short notice. There are SO many options that it can get overwhelming. Then there’s also Covid… so many places can be limited or you have to reserve ahead of time, so I was starting to feel time already running out. (Ugh, can you tell I may have a slight problem with overthinking things??) After getting stressed out about nothing, I realized that maybe we needed to do just that- nothing. Next thing I know I’m booking an overpriced, last-minute room at a resort at the bottom of Mount Vesuvius (only in Italia right?!). And hey, while we were at it, I thought we might as well try a wine tasting and lunch there too. Then we threw in dinner under the grape vine pergolas just because we didn’t want to go anywhere, and why not?!
Our stay at Bosco de’ Medici was only for one night and very expensive, but it was pretty and fun. It actually borders the archaeological site of Pompeii! We ended up with the deluxe suite with a whirlpool bath (which we never had a chance to use). There was a very tranquil outdoor pool area, lined with palm trees, flowers, lemon trees, and a fantastic view of Vesuvio. The pool-side bar was an excellent plus! I could continue reading a series by Elena Ferrante while enjoying an Aperol spritz.
A little glimpse into our wine tasting and lunch below- we started off with a small olive oil tasting with bruschetta. Other things included the De’Medici starter with Neapolitan salami, prosciutto, smoked scamorza, and lemon flavored ricotta cheese; paccheri pasta with tomatoes of Mount Vesuvius and basil; and a dessert of limoncello and some pastry cream pudding that was delicious!
After we spent the afternoon swimming, we cleaned up and took a walk around the grounds before dinner time. They also have a cute little farm and garden area for kids to explore!
Dinner under the gorgeous grape pergola while listening to soothing Italian music in the background. The whole setting is like what your mind pictures Italy to be after watching movies or seeing postcards about it. I tried fried courgette flowers stuffed with ricotta and basil for an appetizer, followed by a delicious “Candelotto” pasta with Grandma Emiddia’s Genovese sauce with “cacioricotta cilentana cheese,” and then ended with tiramisu for dessert. I’m still dreaming about living under those grape vines 😉
Fried pizza 
Candelotto pasta 
Tiramisu
We also got to buzz around on a golf cart (with a staff member) to get an up close view of the vineyards and even some of the archaeological ruins that are right on the edge of the winery property!
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Our roots will forever be from here, America, born and raised. Yet, life requires us to move more frequently than we care to count. Whether living stateside or abroad, you can always find us traveling somewhere. We scout out places that you only think you can dream of one day seeing and we seek out those that aren’t found in guidebooks. We then bring them to life here in our travel memos, so hopefully, one day you too can visit them or at least be able to live vicariously through us. This blog isn’t just about crossing off places from a bucket list. It’s about absorbing and learning how other cultures grow and fit into the same world that we do. Life is short and the world is big. Enjoy and get out there!
American Roots. Traveling Boots. 