From Sarnano, it’s 20 minutes by car to the ski lifts and 45 to the Adriatic coast. But if long, straight sandy beaches are not for you, there’s a fabulous freshwater lake with cold, clear water and fresh breezes when summer temperatures climb into the high 30s.
There’s horse-riding, mountain-bike trails, numerous festivals in the town and surrounding area, and bars selling fantastic cappuccinos for £1. And then there’s the food. For about €20 (£17.50) a head, you can dine like kings. They’ll char-grill huge steaks in front of your eyes on a wood-burning grill.
The butchers (there are seven in Sarnano) raise the animals themselves, so the flavour of the meat is intense. Vegetables, too, are all grown locally.
This was the world that was rocked on its heels by the four 2016 earthquakes. A world full of flavour and fun. Last year I had recently completed an internet TV series, Cookucina, to showcase the local food, and a book, A Recipe For Disaster, about the rollercoaster ride of making that series, and the joys and (minor) aggravations of an Englishman’s life in rural Italy.
But then came the earthquakes, and for a while this world took on a different complexion – bruised but still staggeringly beautiful.
