A Bookish Afternoon in Montevecchia

I want to share one of my favourite days in Italy last June - though, to be honest, every one of those five days felt like a favourite - but this one was especially good.

After a morning of food prep, we headed into the Montevecchia hills for a book club. In a stunning home overlooking an orchard and mountains, I met women from Canada, South Africa, England, and the Netherlands. Conversation flowed effortlessly, as if we were old friends - many of them actually were - but they welcomed me warmly. Over a shared feast, we talked about everything and, at some point, books. My friend even left with a copy of Yellowface.

Sadly, all good things must end, so we left for the little village of Montevecchia in search of gelato. Montevecchia means “The Old Mountain” and this beautiful village exudes charm.

There were flower pots in the windows of old stone homes…

…and beautiful views looking out onto the valley below.

As we enjoyed our gelatos – I chose a double scoop of chocolate and pistachio – we walked around admiring the piazza.

It was a grey, rainy day but quite a welcome break from the heat of Lombardy in June.

We discovered a community library nook, which continued the bookish theme of the day. These lovely book nooks are located all over public spaces in the region.

It was a quiet Friday afternoon just before schools broke for the summer, so most of the residents were at school or work. Thank goodness the gelato shop was open!

Imagine how glorious it must be to ride up to the top of Montevecchia, and then to be able to free-wheel down again! After nearly two years of Peloton, I am hoping to go on an actual outdoor bike ride this summer too.