Living the Dream with Tuscany Easy Travel
“Meet Marradi” … the people, the town, and the spirit of a special village in Italy. This is the place where I live, work, and play.
When I am asked about my story and how I arrived in this small town of Marradi, Italy. My response is always, “Marradi found me!” When I say that, I most certainly mean “I.” There is no other way to put it into words.
My goal in this blog entry is to give you an idea of how truly lucky I am to be part of this community; not only because of the people, but also because of the beautiful area, and a way of life I have fully embraced and can not imagine life anywhere else.
Let me introduce you to La Bottega di Marradi, a shop of local produce and my friend Sara. I met Sara in passing from time to time in Marradi. I was always happy to see her because she greets everyone with a beautiful smile. Even though we did not know each other well, she was always quick to ask me, “Come stai?” (“How are you?”) — again with a big beautiful smile. She was very patience with me as I stumbled through trying to answer her in Italian.
As time went on I came to understand that she worked at a shop in the center of town, La Bottega di Marradi, along with Andrea, Flavia, and Emiliana.
The town of Marradi boarders the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. This gives La Bottega di Marradi a unique opportunity to feature items of both regions. Locally featured items include: honey, jams, chestnut puree (made from a recipe handed down through the family using local chestnuts called, “Marron Buono”), cheeses (specializing in sheep and goat), cured meats of all varieties (using special curing processes), and extra virgin olive oil called “Olio Brisighello.” Trust me, I can tell you from experience, the meat and cheese are fabulous!
Want to try a local beer? You will find beer made in Marradi, with local brewers using the local famous ingredient chestnuts.
When dreaming of a trip to Italy think of the tastebud-tempting items that are available at La Bottega di Marradi. Be prepared for the beautiful contagious smile of my friend Sara!
