Il Melo Blog

Yesterday was still grey and miserable although the kids all played well (four way chats on their DSs) and we set the world to rights. In the afternoon we all drive to Amandola for drinks and gelati at the lovely Caffe Belli.

Miraculously, and in complete contradiction of the forecasts, it is an absolutely glorious day without a cloud in the sky. Cue sunbathing and reading for the adults and mud pies and den building down by the river for the younger members of party. They try making face packs from the river mud and found it has wonderful properties for improving the skin. I resolve to take some home and make my fortune. Also riotous games of hide and seek in several variations. When the sun is shining this is just the perfect place for kids! We were planning for go to Ascoli Piceno but nobody wants to leave il Melo on such a lovely day (which is what we found last summer) – so we’ll go tomorrow when the forecast is for cloud.

In the evening to dinner at Farfense in Santa Vittoria in Matenano – lovely and snug in its brick vaulted rooms; in the summer we love the terrace but the evenings are still chilly even on sunny days at this time of year. Fab pizzas for most of us but homemade pasta with truffles for Chris (as always) and rabbit Marche style (as always, too) for Dom who has quite sophisticated tastes for an 11 year old.