Yesterday, Friday, we paid a visit to Casale Sonnino, near Porzio Monte Catone in the Colli Albani south of Rome. We have stayed there on three occasions, often with old friends. George Sonnino, who is the manager and half owner of the estate has become a good friend. He had kept our visit a secret from the two women who work there and of whom we are very fond. One of them, Tizianna, who spotted us from an upstairs window was so excited to see us that she literally jumped up and down. Dillon, a one year old once stray and near starving dog, who adopted the household last December, was so excited to see me that he tried to bite my finger off. George assures me he has had his shots for rabies.
We went for lunch with George and were joined by Liliana and her 94 year old mother, Vera, who are old friends of George. I had a bean soup which is one of the best things I have ever eaten. Also for an ante pasta we had for the first time artichokes alla Giudea which means in the Roman Jewish style. Lunch was followed by a visit to the retail section of a nearby winery where Lynne purchased four bottles of the wine she had been served at lunch.
Today we visited the gardens at Ninfa. Ninfa was an important medieval town on the road from Napoli to Roma and was part of the fiefdom of the Caetani family. Before it was destroyed in the mid fourteenth century during a war between two Caetani cousins it was a substantial town, protected by a wall with fourteen towers and containing a castle, seven churches, 150 houses, a town hall, mills and around 2000 inhabitants. The garden, began in 1900, covers the area within the original walls and is layed out amoung the ruins.
It is described as an orderly disorderly English garden and people who are familiar with more gardens than I will ever see claim it is the most romantic garden in the world. It is certainly one of the most beautiful places we have ever visited. Here is a link for an excellent video visit to the garden. http://youtu.be/UGEjoVlCj6A
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