Bed and Breakfast Menica Marta Country House — Hotel in Fabrica di Roma

Recently, my wife and I found out that we are expecting our first child. This has elicited a great amount of joy in our family, as well as a bit of dread between the two of us. We came to the revelation that we would not be able to travel as easily as we once had. So, with four months remaining, we decided to take a trip. Fortunately, our schedules aligned for the first time in almost a half decade and we were able to take a trip to Italy for a culinary tour. ||||Our first stop was a different bed and breakfast about two hours (via treno) away. We both left impressed, thinking that the Menica Marta B & B would not even begin to compare. Much to our delight, we were wrong. ||||Aesthetically speaking, the Menica Marta B & B can most accurately be described as both strange and familiar. Strange not in an odd or weird fashion, no. Rather, it is strange because it does not quite seem real. How could it be? In a seemingly endless forest of hazelnut trees sits this idyllic cottage decorated with blooming flowers, countless strawberry bushes, and an earnest sense of familiarity. When you imagine Italy, you do not imagine this place. Instead, when you arrive you feel as if you have been here before. It is unreal to stand in the driveway, to look at the sprouting hazelnut bushes as the setting sun paints the sky in vibrant hues, and to feel as if you are at a home long lost to your family. ||||Much of this is due to Cinthia, the matron of the Menica Marta household. Upon first meeting her, much like the B & B itself, you are enraptured in a sense of familiarity. She appears as if she fell from a Disney movie, a fairy grandmother of sorts to grant with a fervent eagerness enough knowledge to traverse all of Italy should you decide to. Give her just an ounce of your interest and she'll turn it into a kilo of passion. ||||Rather than just leaving us to our own devices and hoping we find some level of enjoyment out of the beauty of the location alone, Cinthia took my wife and I on a three day journey, back and forth from her and her husband's home to the many differing sections of Viterbo. Whether it is hiking down the old Roman road or exploring the Palazzo in town, with Cinthia the whole of Viterbo seems to spring open. ||||In regards to the cooking lessons given to us by both Cinthia and her husband, whose love of cheese encouraged me to find my own love of cheese (Grazie, Enrico!), we found something truly unique. This is not a high end restaurant. The recipes are not something you'd find in a magazine or on a website. They were authentic. Some are shockingly old, while others incorporate newer ideas. All, of course, seem to include alcohol of some sort. Furthermore, all will remind you of how simply ingredients can make such complex, fascinating meals. Nothing is beyond learning when working with these two. ||||As we learned how to cook, Cinthia (who speaks English as well - which is good, because neither my wife nor I spoke Italian) helped us with learning the language. By the end of the three days, we actually able to understand her husband, who spoke very little English. In fact, as he was taking us to the train terminal, we were able to have, to a basic degree, a conversation with him. I'm not promising you that she'll also be your language professor since both my wife and I do speak Spanish, which is similar enough to Italian to make it a bit easier for us. Nevertheless, if you have patience and an earnest desire to learn, there is quite a bit you can garner from Cinthia, both within the realm of cooking and language. ||||To conclude, Cinthia and her husband do not simply run a bed and breakfast. No, they run a household. They are not simply the owners, they become family. Much as you might a relative you have not seen in so very long, both Cinthia and her husband will become familiar to you. When you leave, you will feel a profound sense of loss and a stronger...

My friend Madhu and I spent 3 really impressing and pleasing days togther with Cinthia and Enrico. Both of us want to stay more with this cozy family. We learn not only Italian food of middle Italy, but also much about Italian culture! || ||During the free time of the class. Cinthia and Enrico took us to visit another village and we saw the yearly festival of that village. It brought us back to the middle age of Italy. Villagers provide pretty good performance, delicious food, fresh wine and various shops for all the visitors. We also visited the castle with a guide who speaks English! We saw the faith of the villagers and their love of the village. The most important thing is, it’s not a program for tourists! It’s totally held by the villagers and not commercial. We really like it.|| ||During the cooking class, we had supper professional guide from Cinthia about pizza and pasta. Cinthia is a good teacher. She knows students and thus can choose a better way to teach us. We learned many ingredients and special cooking methods. Most of the ingredients we cooked are from the garden of Cinthia and Enrico.|| ||The living at Menica Marta is also impressed. Menica Marta is village style and finely designed. You can see their care from many details. The cleaness is reliable and the appliances are all ready. You can enjoy the beautiful view of the garden as soon as you open the door. We also made friends with Cinthia and Enrico’s pets: two dogs and two cats. (There are actually four cats but we saw two of them.) they are also well friendly and cute. Besides, every meal we had with Cinthia and Enrico are well prepared and unforgottenable. We feel like at home, but at the same time, we are also well treated as guests by them.||||All in all, we really enjoy this three days cooking lesson with Cinthia. I hope more and more people can find this lesson and share the happiness with us! At the same time, I also wish Cinthia, Enrico as well as our friends Monica and Ari happy everyday and meet more nice people like them...

Stayed here for a long weekend (Thursday evening to Sunday morning) with a group of 5 close friends. Stunning rural location in the Tuscan hills amidst hazelnut and olive tree groves. Cinthia and Enrico welcomed us into their home and their B&B giving us a very real taste of Italy. What a wonderfully warm couple.||Our cookery course was fab - simple, gorgeous fare made with the best of local ingredients including their own olive oil that was the best I've tasted!||We are not an easy group to please but we had such an amazing time. Our hosts took us on 2 excursions - the highlight for me being to Terme dei Papi, the thermal pool which is a must if you come here.||We had so many laughs in this peaceful corner of Fabrica di Roma. ||Would highly recommend to anyone looking for an immersive Italian experience. My first visit to Italy won't be my last.||Thank you Cinthia and Enrico - we will not forget you both and hope to see you...