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Barry Raven

      A year on, and another exploration of this wonderful country.  By now, the bug was deeply embedded in us, so we thought we would try another region – "Le Marche".  At the time you might have asked "where"?  It was largely undiscovered then, but two years on and most of the world seems to have found it, through travel writers, magazines, and television.  Our dream home must have had our name stamped on it.  We found it after only two days of looking, even though in its original state the locals called it the "Bat House"!  A year of hard work and fairly primitive living and we had a home to be proud of. 

     We now go to what has become our local town of Sarnano in the province of Macerata, where these days, it’s not uncommon to hear as much English spoken as Italian.  The scenery here can take your breath away at times.  We have the rolling hills of Tuscany, the hilltop towns of Umbria, and the mountains and skiing of the Dolomites all rolled into one. And the icing on the cake?  The winter may be very cold, but it is also very short. So if you want a slice of everything Italian, it’s all here in Le Marche.

      The local people are most probably the thing that decided us that there was definitely "no going back".  They have welcomed us, taken us under their wing and guided us through the inevitable culture shocks you receive when you set up home somewhere new.  Two and a half years down the line and we feel completely at "home" after those first uncertain steps.  Tonight we will have another large gathering of friends round to enjoy the wine the food, and "Live the Dream" once again.

     Our home in San Venanzo, Monte San Martino between Sarnano and Amandola in the Marche region of Italy, nestling in the hills of the Valley of Tenna.  The setting is rural rustic, with fantastic views.  We offer a range of services to the home owner who does not live here permanently, if you find you can not be in two places at the same time we may be just the people you are looking for.  We cover everything from odd jobs to full house management services.  Plus real English B&B in the main house or our apartment on the ground floor where you can enjoy your privacy along with the advantage of joining us for a glass or two to chat over any queries together, and share our experiences of this wonderful place we now call home.

Learn more about Liz and Barry Raven at www.lizandbarry.com 

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