Luscious Lazio

There are times when a holiday is planned meticulously, with routes agreed, every campsite booked in advance and every attraction thoroughly researched. This was not one of those times. All we had discussed was that we would head south after visiting relatives in Tuscany and see where we ended up.

When we got into the Bongo on the first morning we had a quick look at the map to see where we could get to in around four hours, saw a name we recognised well – Frascati – and decided that was perfect.

Frascati is in the Lazio region around Rome, known for its crisp white wine, dark enchanting backstreets, beautiful villas and for the stunning scenery. We arrived in the main square in time for afternoon cappuccino and mignons – beautifully crafted miniature pastries filled with ricotta, chocolate or crème anglaise. The holiday had begun!

Frascati has a long history of hospitality, serving Romans and tourists throughout the ages as a convenient day trip from the capital and offering excellent wine and a large choice of street food and tavernas.

The region became particularly famous for its own style of tavernas (), set up to sell old wine at the end of the year when barrels and stores were needed for the next year’s production,