We had a few hiccups in our journey as we made our way from Fano to Fermo. Our train arrived late and we missed the connection to another train that would get us to the Ancona Airport to pick up a rental car. Eventually it all worked out and we picked up this tiny Fiat Panda…barely large enough for both of us to fit.
Fermo is another hill town – with streets just as steep as the ones in Urbino. We have a small, very unusual apartment here with a good location not far from the city center. It’s in a former 18th century palazzo and our room is not in the palace, but in the horse stable!
At first we were dismayed because it’s a bit dark and gloomy but Larry rearranged the lamps and it made a big difference in our moods.
It’s quirky but not too expensive and the Internet is good, the water hot and the bed comfy. We can’t complain!
Views from the city center down to the valley are spectacular. There is an elevator that will take us to a lower part of the town. A view in the other direction looks out to the Adriatic Sea.
Today (Sunday) is bright and sunny. There is a Wine Festival in the town square Piazza del Popolo with some serious wine tasting and also a market selling crafts, antiques and local products.
The Pinacoteca Civica is the main museum in town. Our very favorite item is a wooden globe, 2 meters in diameter made in 1713 by cartographer Silvestro Moroncelli. Larry noticed that in this library, the smaller books are at the top and the larger ones on the lower shelves. That way, the librarian doesn’t have to carry the larger books as far down the wooden ladder (a theory anyway.)
There is also a painting by Peter Paul Rubens painted in 1608.
We had a delicious meal last night. Ravioli with porcini mushrooms and truffles, all swimming in butter. Plus a delicious salad of thinly sliced pork, topped with arugula and tomatoes. The restaurant was the cozy Capolinea Cafe. This nice arrangement of sage, flavored honey, and oranges was on the bar.
Soon we’re going on a tour of the Teatro Dell’Aquila and the Roman Cistern. LeMarche has turned out to be a wonderful region to explore!