Our Italian Summer, Part 1: The Home Base
Updated: Feb 2, 2021
I am so excited to bring you this multi-part Italy series based on our 10-week immersion nella bella Italia. Since so many people are starting to plan trips for next year, and since some of you have specifically asked about our Italian summer immersion, I thought I would round up all of my notes and share them with all of you to help in your planning phases.
Since this is only Part 1, if you'd like to get an alert when other parts are posted, please subscribe by clicking the text in the green box at the top of this post!
This post is really for everyone and anyone. If I could do most of this on my own with two small children (ages 3 and 7) or as a family of four (the last three weeks that my husband could join us), then anyone can do this!
There will definitely be sections on accommodations, transportation, booking activities, best local-recommended/frequented eats, tips on doing it all with kids, etc.
This series is divided into short itineraries that can be combined as you’d like:
- Part 1: choosing a home base, a breakdown of the whole summer, where we stayed, etc. (what you're reading now)
- Part 3: When you only have 2 1/2 days in Florence and Your Son's Name is Dante
- Part 4: Two kids, a stroller and 2 1/2 days in Venice
- Part 5: A quick escape up the central Italian Coast – Grosetto & Pisa (and why not Cinque Terre with two small children)
- Part 6: Napoli, Capri and Pompei in 3 Days (2.5 if you have to)
- Part 7: All the hidden gems you never thought to see and are so much more authentic than the usual tourist attractions (Tropea, Gargano/Peschici, Forme, Ortolano)
- Part 8: Logistics when traveling through Italy (internet/phone, transportation in and between cities, places to stay, etc.)
While some of these itineraries are jam-packed, if you happen to have more time, you can definitely stretch them out over a few more days and squeeze some more activities into the mix! We had to squeeze in a lot into the 3-weeks Marino was able to join us for.
Our 10-week summer immersion exploration of Italy – A Summary
Before COVID messed with our plans, we had decided to forgo annual summer camps for our children in favor of summer language immersion travel (we speak Spanish, Russian, Italian and English at home). Well, we got one summer in 2019 – 10 weeks in Italy!
Now, with this intention in mind, I knew we’d need a non-touristic home-base where English wasn’t spoken, and where there would be a group of children for our children to play with. We also knew that Marino would be joining us for the last 3, and Ale for the last 2, weeks of the trip and so, we left the cities and sites that they wanted to see (and that we could fit into such a short period) for later.
So, the trip went a little like this:
- Week 1: Settle in and get to know everything and everyone in Tarano - our Home Base
- Week 2: Tarano with a day trip to Rome for the Zoological Museum and Villa Borghese
- Week 3: Tarano, with a day trip to the Selci Sports Club (pool day) and a day trip to Rome for the Children’s Museum & Italian book shopping
- Week 4: First overnight trip – 2 nights in Grosetto, 1 night in Pisa
- Week 5: Resettling in to Tarano, day trip to Rome, for the Spaghettongola (Clam & Spaghetti festival) and the Selci Atheltic Club (pool day)
- Week 6: 3 day/2 night (with overnight train) to Tropea, Calabria
- Week 7: Resettle in Tarano, hang out and finalize all plans for all 3 weeks
- Week 8: Marino arrived! 2 ½ days Florence (and Fiezole), 2 ½ days Venice
- Week 9: 1 Day Rome, 2 days Tarano (for the Sotto le Stelle festival), 2 days in Abruzzo Ortolano and Forme (Crocante Festival), 2 more days in Rome and Frascati and Ariccia
- Week 10: 3 days for Napoli, Capri, Pompeii, 3 days for Peschici in the Gargano Preserve, 1 final evening in Rome and Frascati
Our Home Base
It just so happens that Zia Ale’s (my soul sister) family lives part-time in a small town called Tarano (45 min outside of Rome) in the Sabina in the Province of Rieti, with a rich history dating back to at least the 10th century.
Having both grown up there and in surrounding areas, Marisa and Enzo (Zia Ale's parents) try to spend as much time there as possible with all of their friends and family and they also just happen to have a quaint 1-bedroom apartment (currently for sale!) that we could call our home base between trips.
Tarano epitomizes a sleepy Italian town and if you speak a little Italian (or even just try) the locals will gladly share bits of information they’ve gathered about its WWII history, give you a tour of the “magazzini” (storages/garages that snake into the depths of the hill), and speak to the historical significance of its architecture.
You can also get fresh produce from many of the locals who gather at the sole café/bar/restaurant, "La Fontana" to the locals, in the evenings to play cards and just chat - and some of the best vegetable sott’olio from a farmer named Luciano (the Italian way to preserve veggies with olive oil).
Because I really wanted Dante and Leila to connect with the local children, we did not take many trips in the first few weeks. We got to know the streets of Tarano (where few cars can even get through), the local folk, and we just got to hang out in a magical setting so unlike anything I’ve ever lived in.
We spent a few days here and there at the Club Sportivo di Selci or travelled to neighboring towns in the Sabina. We visited Forano, and Borgonuovo, amongst others, for a dinner out, or sometimes, for a music and/or specialized food festival.
The video above (sorry if it makes you dizzy) is of a pasta festival in Forano. Each ticket got you four pasta dishes – ragu di pecora, pesto, tonno y pistacchi, and fagiolini! You could easily purchase dinner for two and feed a family of four, with four different pastas, bottled water, and dessert included!
We also took a few day trips to Rome to visit Explora - Il Museo Dei Bambini Di Roma (Children’s Museum), Museo Civico di Zoologia (Rome’s Natural History Museum), and La Casina di Raffaelo (Children’s Book and Activity Space) (subscribe above to be alerted to Part 2 of this series which will have all the details on planning your Rome itinerary!).
I think if anyone is looking for this kind of immersion travel, it is important to find a small town that receives sufficient public transportation, is near a grocery store, and that is a relatively short distance from a big city that can connect them to the rest of Italy. That is, unless, you are interested in renting a car, in which case, if you’re interested in my thoughts on that, Part 7 of this series, which includes practical considerations re grocery stores, transportation, SIM cards and getting data, etc. Please click on the text in green at the top of this post to subscribe and receive an alert when other parts of this series, including Part 7 are published!
I also strongly recommend renting an apartment/house in the town limits, as opposed to the surrounding countryside. There are some wonderful agritourism hotels but, staying in the town makes it so much easier to get to know the locals and for the kids to gather with other kids.
And, if you’re weighing an agritourism hotel vs. an apartment in town, you will save so much on your budget with an apartment! First of all, the price of the apartment will be fantastic, especially if you’re staying for a month or longer.
Second, your food budget! We spent approximately $100 USD per week for one adult and two growing children buying most of our food to cook at home (see Part 7 for my thoughts on the best supermarket chains - subscribe above to get alerted when it is published). As a side note, many Italians prefer to eat dinner at home and then go out for a coffee or ice cream with friends.
I would be more than happy to connect you with some of the lovely people I met in Tarano, who may have access to accommodations and could support your immersion experience. (I do not receive any financial gain from this, I just want others to experience the beauty of this kind of travel).
A Typical Day in Tarano
Did I mention we were in Italy in the summer? It was hot! Most of Italy shuts down during the hottest part of the day – lunch through 4p.m.-ish. With average daily temperatures in the high 80s with 75% humidity, I understand the custom.
Also, so many people and children come out in the evening, when the temperature is more moderate, that Dante and Leila never wanted to miss out. However, this meant going to bed far later than usual. So, when figuring out our groove, we had to adjust to the fact that bedtime was 10/11p.m. every night!
How the local kids could still manage to wake up at 7/8a.m., I have no idea. Dante and Leila were waking closer to 9:30/10a.m. By the time they were dressed and ate breakfast, it would be 11a.m. We’d have a good hour of outdoor time exploring Tarano, kicking the ball around, or heading to Zia Mirna’s house to play with Riccardo.
Then back home by 12:30p.m. while the whole town shut down until 4p.m. Home time was filled with reading Italian books or playing with the few toys we packed or borrowed from a neighbor.
When 4p.m. hit, we were back out again, exploring and playing. Dante and Leila would have their small group of mixed-aged children they would play with and I would be chatting with local parents and grandparents. After a quick stop at home for dinner, we’d be out again, usually at La Fontana, for an ice cream and to play some more. I know the below picture is super low quality but it was just so perfect - the kids all hanging out together, chatting, just up the hill from where I was sipping a cold coffee with Marisa.
Day Trips - Generally