italian villas
Short ceremony, simple dress, kitchen-cooked food, home-prepared flowers - my friend Sergei's wedding was a far cry from the lavish weddings you see nowadays. Even though he didn't spend a ton of money on it, we all enjoyed his wedding and it was a good time of fun, celebration, and fellowship among friends to recognize probably one of the most important events in Sergei's life. He was a student, so he didn't have that much money to spend on a wedding anyways. More than that, we wanted to save enough to have a decent honeymoon, and indeed he did. He booked a ticket for him and his new bride to fly into Rome and then promptly headed out to the northern coast. There they rented one of the many units among the Cinque Terre apartments nestled in the hills, among many other brightly colored houses on tiered lots overlooking the water. They didn't bother with hiking between the towns, but stayed in the town and fully enjoyed the culture, the quaint markets, and the beautiful views from their apartment. They were living the life among Italian villas while kicking off their marriage. After they came back, we were all interested in their trip. It turned out they stayed in many different Italian villas during their 2 week tour of Italy. They rented Umbria villas and Le Marche villas on top of their stay among the Cinque Terre apartments. From what we heard, these locales are simply beautiful, especially in the spring and early summertime. Many wealthy Americans wish to buy Umbria villas or Le Marche villas as vacation or retirement homes, and I would say that it's not an unreasonable choice. Many of these villas are well-constructed, are part of pleasant communities that share beautiful pools and golf courses and private beaches. These villas are definitely not for everyone, but you can always rent one to try it out, either as a vacation or honeymoon. I definitely wouldn't mind living in one of these villas, enjoying the weather, trying to assimilate into the culture, and hosting friends and family. It may be long shot, but it's not bad to dream.