Nestled in the hills of Italy near Assisi is a bed and breakfast called Malvarina. Its steep driveway winds through an olive grove where trees stand in neat rows that terrace along the hillside overlooking the city below.  A garden of vegetables and herbs is illuminated by streaks of morning light and in the distance the cackle of chickens mingles with the robust fragrance from rosemary bushes that line the walkways.  Eighty percent of the food served at Malvarina comes from the farm which has been owned and managed by a warm-hearted and lively Italian family for several generations.  Filippo, the son of the owner, is a petite, dark-haired and dark-eyed man in his mid-twenties who greets guest as they arrive with a broad smile and a hardy handshake.  He is the only English speaking family member but the language barrier is no match for the welcome extended to guests.

Meals are shared family-style in the dining room where friends and fellow travelers gather around large tables with blue checkered table cloths and hand painted dishes from nearby Deruta.  The crackle of logs warm the space and permeating the air is the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked bread that emerges from the wood burning oven adjacent to the fireplace.  Platters of food appear in succession offering succulent anti-pastas, minestrone soup, olive oil, spaghetti, leafy salad and pastries followed by a small cup of dark espresso and a shot of limoncello.  Everything about the dining experience suggests abundance; abundant food, wine, conversation and time.  The atmosphere of the room seems to invite a person to linger over a meal, taking in the sustenance of good food and the company of others.  It’s a reminder to savor the simple pleasures of life, like a dinner that extends late into the evening hours, letting it fill the soul as well as the stomach! 

(Photos courtesy of Malvarina)