Getting there: My partner and I stayed at the “The Palazzo B&B” from 1st of April 2015 for almost a week. The Palazzo is located in central Fermo, small ex-Roman centre with its rich history. Flying from abroad, Ancona is the closest airport, 67km north (about an hours drive) along the coast of the Adriatic sea. Wake up at the palazzo The Palazzo is a 16th Century palace which has been splendidly restored by the original family owners. A large staircase leads us to our apartment, whilst other doorways and floors are out of bounds. We rented the large bedroom which included also self-catering kitchen with everything we could possibly need, maintaining a pleasant rustic farmhouse look. On our arrival we were pleased to find in the fridge some cold meats and local cheese to welcome us. The ceilings are really high throughout all of the rooms. With crisp bed linens prepared for us and an extra stock of shots of expresso provided in the room, I had no doubt that comfort was assured! The light and space makes the room feel very relaxing and everything was impeccably clean! Our large bedroom was exquisite with its original frescos on the ceiling. The feature of the ceiling is a beautifully depicted cherub, hovering above the bed, tethered lightly to two birds in flight. This central motif is finished with tasteful decoration and gold framing. It really is the most perfect first sight in the morning. In the adjoining room to our private kitchen, bathroom and bedroom is the old ballroom that is the most luxurious place to enjoy breakfast. The ceiling is intricately constructed with the family crest placed in the centre (see photo). This room is perfect for lunging around and perusing the regional guides. On Easter Sunday the countess brought fresh peonies and other flowers which smelled just amazing! We had so much space that it was a relief not to always feel pressure to go out but instead to buy ingredients for a tasty salad to have with a chilled glass of the amazing local wine, ‘Pecorino’. The breakfast was not only varied and fresh every day, such as freshly squeezed orange juice, great coffee but also daily baked a different local breakfast cake, besides the savoury breakfast options. Ancient Fermo Fermo is a place where you can just as easily rest peacefully, as you can satisfy the urge to do some sightseeing. The place is rich in Roman history and was also a Papal city. This is made very clear by the statue if Sextus the Fifth that keeps watch over the central piazza. The oldest library in Italy is based there and so are the oldest European Roman cisterns that are similar in scale to the famous cisterns of Istanbul. If you like opera it is best to come in summer, we were sorry to miss the season but we did visited the opera house and it is worth doing so, if only to view the old architecture or the fact that Giacomo Puccini announced his opera there in 1886 called “Le Villi”. Activities If you like walking, hiking, skiing, swimming or any kind of wind sport, this is the place for it all. It is only 20 minutes away from the sea at Porto St Giorgio and an hour and a half away from the local mountains or The National Park called “dei Monti Sibilini”. Here are a myriad of ancient hiking paths all linked to Dantesque myths and legends. You can also ski here in winter but for more challenging skiing, the tip is to head higher to near Abruzzo. Food and Wine We loved eating in the traditional ‘osteria’ restaurants that serve regional produce. Le Marche is now famous for the high quality of organic produce so you will not be disapointed. Truffle lovers, you are in for a treat! The local white wines are the paserina and the pecorino. The latter is a special wine that grows at high altitudes. It has the same name as the famous sheep cheese because it used to be the shepherds who founds it so high up in the mountains. It was never commercially viable decades ago because it gives so few bunches of grapes at harvest. However, now that the emphasis has shifted to quality, local winemakers have realised the pecorino grape has a great deal to offer. It is perfect with so many of the regional vegetables and seafood dishes so you must try it! The reds are fantastic too. Montipulciano and sangiovese are big here. You can even find ancient sources of syrah from the vines planted by old travellers coming down from Shiraz in modern day Iran. These reds were a real eye-opener to quality so must be tried. Again there are so many dishes they perfectly pair with, just get stuck in. Local wineries are easy to access and run by very friendly people. Other places I recommend beautifully travertine stone town of Ascoli Pecino which is surrounded by mountains and the views are spectacular. The town has a gorgeous main piazza with lazy period cafes to hang out in. Another town, Pesaro, which is a bit further North of Ancona on the coast in the birthplace of Rossini and has a festival every August dedicated to the operatic hero. My recommendation would be definitely for a relaxing but not boring at all holidays, there is plenty to do, if you want to, and if not, you can just enjoy the space, views and the peace the place itself offers. We were extremely comfortable and relaxed, the people were lovely and I will definitely try to return at some stage perhaps for skiing or kitesurfing trip next time.…