“Time sometimes flies like a bird, sometimes crawls like a snail; but a man is happiest when he does not even notice whether it passes swiftly or slowly.” – Ivan Turgenev
Coming from a frenetic life in Rome after more than twenty years of striving for a career and a salary that no longer made any sense, the couple moved to Orvieto and started to truly live like never before and finally learned the art of “down-shifting.” They began to use all 5 of their forgotten senses again – to smell the lavender and the wild mint, to hear the birds chirping, to taste truffles, to see the glittering stars and the fire flies and to feel the soft clayish earth beneath their fingers.
Welcome to the slow life and enjoy nature at its best
All of this of course served a purpose and created what today is the essence of the Antica Olivaia –a slow farm for a slow life. Therefore, the owners’ hope is to welcome you to their country farmhouse and to help you, even in a short amount of time, to slow down and enjoy the tranquil rhythm of nature for a truly relaxing farm stay in Umbria.
So try to imagine this…
After a good night’s sleep in a rustic but comfortable room, you wake up to the sound of birds chirping and have a hearty breakfast served out on the veranda that will give you the energy for whatever you wish to do that day (or not do!).
Walk around endlessly on the 7 hectares of the estate and discover olive groves, forests, fields, creeks and wild animals running freely.
Find places and hidden corners on the estate in which to relax, sleep, lounge, read a book and (why not?) just do nothing at all. Rest your mind and body at the farmhouse’s swimming pool while the smell of lavender, rosemary and wild fennel envelop you and help you drift away.
Cradle yourself up in a comfy hammock while you lose track of time and stare up at the sky, listening to the birds and the wind in the trees (now when was the last time you took a nap in one of those?).
Watch the peregrine falcons hover over some unknowing prey across endless verdant fields.
Reflect on the “meditation bench” with Orvieto perched on its lofty plateau and an entire valley floating right before your very eyes.
Take in a massage on our panoramic terrace to rejuvenate the body or take a fun cooking lesson with Marco to become a “fearless” cook.
Go sightseeing underground in Orvieto’s many caves and wells and visit the spectacular gothic Duomo – one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Italy.
Pay a visit to one of Umbria’s medieval towns, like Citta della Pieve or Todi, frozen in time where traditions centuries old are still alive today and the faces of the town people still look like those on a ceramic plate from Deruta.
Participate as a spectator in medieval jousting competitions, historical costume parades and other religious and pagan celebrations along with traditional food festivals and dance among the locals.
Enjoy a delicious meal (or two!) cooked by Marco and Daniela in traditional Umbrian style which will awake food lovers’ palates and satisfy even the most spacious of stomachs.
Finally to close the day and meal off, drink a night cap of homemade limoncello or wild fennel liqueur while watching the stars and the lightening bugs all around you.
And then off to bed for the best night’s sleep ever…and that’s just a typical day!
