Castellare's unique feature is it's location, completly sorrounded by nature. A driveway of about 700 meters connects the buildings to the main road, a charming winding street called Via di Parga with some breathtaking views. Then the driveway in the woods, where one feels the strains of contemporary life stay behind as the transformative power of nature takes over. Every time I come back from the center and the driving in traffic , I feel restored.
The house appears after the last curve as the most cherished retreat, a place where I have always felt welcomed, from the day I moved in, and it was just the cat and I. Although Castellare really conveys the feeling of being out of time, the neaby village of Molino del Piano (about 5 km away , downhill), embraced me like family. The people have something magical about them, as they are open and friendly and kind, and we easily bonded. To try and participate to local life, like going sometimes for breakfast or a coffee at the local bar ("bar" in Italian is a caffetteria), play tennis in the village courts, or even try the weekly appointment at the free cinema, may give a glimpse to what it means to live in the area. It's a life of simple pleasures, lots of smiles, friendship and all the inspiration one can wish for in perfect reach, may it be the opera , art to last for a lifetime of awe, the discovery of surprising corners of nature, the wandering in one of the most beautiful regions of Italy.