A visit to Italy should include a stop in Umbria - a beautiful region bordering Tuscany, Lazio, and Le Marche.
Last month, I traveled to central Italy for the 70th birthday celebration of Brunello Cucinelli, the Italian luxury creative director and chief executive of the brand bearing his name. I traveled to Perugia, the historic capital city of Umbria. Situated on a hill, Perugia is the largest walled medieval city in Italy. Then it was a short drive to Solomeo, a hamlet within the Province of Perugia, that, since 1982, has served as Cucinelli’s home and, since 1985, his business headquarters. It was a brief trip - just two days - but it was filled with gorgeous views, historic walks through the village, delicious food, and great company.
Enjoy these photos.
Right after my trip to Greenland and Iceland, I flew to Italy. Often called Italy’s green heart, Umbria is known for its medieval hill towns, dense forests, and local cuisine, particularly foraged truffles and wines. Perugia is the regional capital, steeped in history, architecture and charm.
In the afternoon, we stopped in a cafe – look at this cream. It was the best cream, which was layered on everything.
The coffees were full of cream…
… and so was this pastry, with chocolate nibs on top.
We stayed at the Hotel Castello di Reschio, which sits on a 3700-acre estate in the Umbrian countryside. The 1000-year old castle was turned into a hotel and resort with 30-suites.
Many of the rooms have views of the rolling hills and landscapes, while others looked onto the estate’s central gardens.
Dinner at the hotel was divine. This is Carpaccio – a dish of meat or fish thinly sliced or pounded thin, and served raw, typically as an appetizer. Ours also had filberts, or hazelnuts.
Crudo, literally means “raw,” and encompases fish, shellfish, or beef. Unlike Japanese sashimi where the fish is slightly dipped in soy sauce to finish off the dish, Crudo is topped with olive oil, citrus, or some type of vinaigrette to enhance the dish.
A delicious souffle topped with vanilla crème. It was perfectly baked in a copper ramekin.
The next day, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast – a perfectly perfect Italian cappuccino.
… and saccottino al cioccolato… which literally translates to little sack of chocolate, the Italian version of the pain au chocolate.
… there was also beet juice served in charming glasses…
… and quiche filled with Italian cheeses, eggs, vegetables, and baked into a deep-dish flaky pie crust.
There was also a buffet of fresh fruits, yogurt, and granola.
Did you see this image on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48? Many residents in Umbria create these tiered herb gardens in front of their homes. Very useful, very practical, and very pretty.
And here I am with my dear friend, Terre Blair – all gussied up for the big party. We were asked to wear shades of white, gray, or beige.
This photo needs no caption… but here I am with McDreamy himself, actor Patrick Dempsey.
The celebration was held in the amphitheater of Brunello’s brand Umbrian home in the hamlet of Solomeo. The cypress trees in the background – all restored by Brunello.
Before dinner, Brunello presented a show of about 60-models in brand clothing showing a retrospective of his collections. The group stood on tiers at one end of the theater.
Brunello’s daughter gifted him with a statue of Apollo playing a lyre. It was presented with the enormous birthday cake on the left with 70 candles.
For dinner, the most delicious main course was paccheri al pomodoro – prepared in copper pots by Chef Bobo Cerea.
And here is the guest of honor himself, Brunelli Cucinelli with his beautiful wife, Federica Benda. Happy Birthday, Brunelli!
If you’re planning your next vacation and want to include different, interesting sights and experiences on your itinerary, consider a trip to Iceland and Greenland. The two countries are between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans separated by the Denmark Strait and filled with gorgeous, dramatic views, excellent food, and the most welcoming residents.
If you follow my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48, you may have seen some of my photos from this recent trip. Among the highlights - I visited an inactive volcano just outside the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, relaxed at the Sky Lagoon geothermal spa, toured the Vaxa Impact Nutrition hydroponics facility, traveled aboard the Swan Hellenic Vega expedition ship and viewed up close, some beautiful glaciers, icebergs, fjords, and landscapes. I visited small villages, met with local artisans, enjoyed dinner at the secluded Camp Kiattua, and of course, caught glimpses of the famous Northern Lights. It was a most memorable excursion with good friends.
Here are some of my photos, enjoy.
One of the first things we did once we arrived in Iceland was to take a helicopter ride to see one of the inactive volcanos. Iceland is home to around 130 volcanoes in 30 different volcanic systems. Thankfully, only 18 have erupted since 871 AD, when the country was first inhabited by humans.
We were all able to descend deep into one of the inactive volcano’s craters. A volcanic crater is an approximately circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity.
Here is our group descending into the crater of the Þríhnúkagígur volcano, the only volcano in the world where it is safe to enter its magna chamber.
This volcano is dormant and hasn’t erupted in more four thousand years. What we saw was amazing.
The magma chamber is often referred to as the heart of a volcano. Here are some of the various colors on the surrounding walls.
Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions in the world, with eruptions occurring every few years. However, the volcano we visited shows no signs of activity in the near future.
This is the Miso Cod with glazed carrot purée, oyster mushrooms,
coriander-toasted almond salsa.
And the homemade feykir & asparagus ravioli with lobster sauce, lemon, and Icelandic chervil. If you’ve never had feykir cheese, it is a rich sheep’s milk Icelandic cheese. Everything was delicious.
Here’s my dear friend Terre Blair in front of the Sky Lagoon geothermal spa in southwestern Iceland.
These are the steps in and out of the lagoon. One can take as much time as desired in the lagoon’s warm waters.
The waters of Sky Lagoon contain minerals that can detoxify and can help remedy skin ailments. We all were so excited to take a dip. It was the best place to be on a cold, dreary day.
Here I am under the thermal waterfalls – so invigorating.
I visited the team at Vaxa, a hydroponic vegetable grower in Iceland.
VAXA Impact Nutrition produces microalgae in their state-of-the-art facility for aquaculture fish feed and as nutritional supplements for people. VAXA Technologies converts clean energy into food, producing sustainable crops rich in Omega-3 and protein.
We also tasted Omnom, Iceland’s leading chocolate maker.
Our trip across the Denmark Strait from Iceland to Greenland was on the Swan Hellenic Cruise Ship, SH Vega. WE saw some of the most amazing views from this expedition ship and learned all about the largest island in the world, Greenland.
Do you know… the difference between a glacier and an iceberg? Glaciers are located in the Arctic and Antarctica. They are bodies of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight and formed by the accumulation of snow over many centuries. Icebergs are smaller pieces of ice that have broken off, or calved, from glaciers and now drift with the ocean currents.
We saw many icebergs during our journey.
Just a decade ago, these mountains were covered in snow.
Remember this photo that I posted on Instagram? It got lots of attention. We were in a beautiful fjord on the east coast of Greenland where we captured a small iceberg for our drinks. I used some of the ice in this drink.
The cold East Greenland Current passes through the Strait and carries icebergs south into the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Denmark Strait was formed roughly during the last ice age. When the ice sheets advanced and then retreated over the North Atlantic, they created a landscape with a depression that gradually became the Denmark Strait over the course of thousands of years.
We visited a small Inuit village on Prince Christian Sound. The Prince Christian Sound is a waterway in Southern Greenland.
The tiny village is called Aappilattoq, which means “sea anemone” in the local Greenlandic Inuit language.
The cluster of colorful houses is home to just under 100 people.
Near the southern tip of Greenland is an old mining town of Ivittuut, now a collection of uninhabited houses and sheds. Ivittuut was once the world’s largest source of cryolite, an extremely rare mineral that was historically used in the extraction of aluminium from bauxite ore.
We spotted some cryolite on this step.
Here we are on the ship at night – taking some fun photos.
And here I am on the ship’s bridge with the captain.
We also visited Camp Kiattua, a secluded and exclusive camping retreat. The Inuit-inspired tents and grounds are surrounded by nature and magnificent views.
The fire pit is surrounded by comfortable, big chairs – it’s true “glamping” style.
Here I am with the proprietor of Camp Kiattua, Anika Krogh, and her young daughter. We had such a nice evening here.
I caught this beautiful view from my room on the ship.
And here they are – the Northern Lights, the natural light display in Earth’s sky seen in high-latitude regions. Also called auroras, it is a vivid demonstration of the Earth’s magnetic field interacting with charged particles from the sun. The lights show as dynamic patterns that appear as curtains, rays, spirals, or flickers. I hope you think about visiting this part of the world someday – Iceland and Greenland and the Denmark Strait. You’ll love it.
Many varieties of holly, Ilex, have compact habits and glistening, bright green foliage, that's excellent for hedges, borders, and yes, mazes.
As many of you know, I am in the process of planting a living maze in a lush pasture just outside my Winter House. I started planting this course one year ago with a variety of different hedges, espaliers, and trees. So far, there are European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, parrotias, espaliered apple trees, American sweetgums, barberry, London planetrees, privets, holly, and yews. This week, more rows of sod were removed and three different types of holly were planted - Ilex crenata 'Chesapeake,' Ilex crenata 'Compacta,'and Ilex glabra 'Shamrock.' Every specimen is placed according to a very detailed map I designed specifically for this maze.
Here are some photos of my growing maze, enjoy.
Every few weeks, while we can still plant in the gardens, we add another section of specimens to my living maze – this time, three varieties of holly. The maze is more than one third complete and is developing very nicely. I designed the maze with different plantings to add texture and interest. Each row will branch off with various pathway options and dead ends – with only one correct route to the center.
The first step in our maze planting process is to remove the sod where the plants will go. Chhiring goes over the designated beds with our Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter. The sod cutter goes over the area smoothly and deeply. Everything must be done as precisely as possible for the maze. This sod cutter is so easy to maneuver and so sharp, Chhiring finishes one row in just minutes.
The maze is drawn out on a map, so it is important to refer to it every time something new is added. The area is measured multiple times before the actual sod is cut and removed. Here, one can see where Chhiring sliced the grass strips.
The sod strips are divided into sections, so it is easier to roll and lift. Here are several pieces of sod neatly rolled up and ready to be repurposed in another area of the farm.
Chhiring drops generous handfuls of fertilizer down the rows of bare soil. A slow release fertilizer designed for shrubs and evergreens is best. Also look for food that promotes faster establishment, deeper roots, and good soil structure.
Here, Chhiring places the potted holly in their designated section, five feet apart from each other.
We always plant in an assembly line fashion – it is efficient and works well when working with mass plantings. All the potted holly is lined up nicely in the bed.
Among the holly cultivars we’re using – Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’ or Shamrock holly shrub, an Inkberry holly. It is a broad leafed compact, rounded, evergreen shrub with slender foliage of thick, spineless, dark green leaves. This holly thrives in moist locations and features greenish-white flowers that open in spring and mature to black, pea-sized berries that feed the local bird populations in fall.
Ilex crenata ‘Chesapeake’ is a Japanese holly that shows off a compact, upright, pyramidal shape, with small lustrous evergreen foliage.
And Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’ or compact Japanese holly is a low, compact holly known for its small black fruit, rich dark green foliage, and spreading habit. It will grow to six feet high and wide making it a good choice for a maze hedge.
Each holly hole is dug with enough room for the plant’s root ball. Holly thrives best in an area that gets equal parts shade and sun, and where it can live in well-draining soil.
The holly is carefully placed in the hole, but before backfilling, it’s always good to check that the plant is positioned with the best side facing out, or in this case, facing the path.
Here, Ernesto gives the shrub one last look to make sure it is straight with its best side facing in the right direction.
This shrub is now ready to be backfilled.
Soil is pushed back into the hole surrounding the root ball. The soil is then carefully tamped down to ensure good contact between the plant and the soil.
Next, all the soil around each plant is raked, so the bed looks neat, tidy, and finished.
Ennio makes sure the soil is also level in between the plants. Later, these beds will also get top dressed with a layer of mulch.
… and then Chhiring gives everything a good, thorough drink. Remember, if you drink and eat, so should your plants.
Because holly shrubs are evergreen, these will look beautiful all year long.
Here is one row all planted and done. In all, more than 50-holly shrubs in this section of the maze. There is still lots one can do in the garden – what are you planting this weekend? Share your comments – I love hearing from all of you.
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