Tenuta Villa Oleandro
About Our Books
Pan' e Pomodor - My Passage to Puglia by Ian R McEwan
When Ian first visited Vico del Gargano in 1981, his wife, Margherita, took him to visit old family friends. They were welcomed with open arms and immediately invited to dine with the family. On that evening, all those years ago, Ian decided that he would write a book about Vico del Gargano, its inhabitants, their dialect and their customs.
Despite visiting the town each summer, he never got past the preliminary chapter, for although there was plenty to write about, simply visiting the town was not enough. Only when the couple moved to the area and became totally immersed in local life did it become truly possible.
Although they'd had no intention of buying a derelict torretta and a 10 acre olive farm in the Gargano, Puglia, once they had committed, there was, as the saying goes, no going back.
Description
Many years previously Margherita's father had "escaped", as he himself put it, from the village and lifestyle of Vico del Gargano. Each year he would return with his family for the month of August and later Ian and Margherita visited Vico each summer too. For Margherita Vico had always felt like home. She seemed to have a subliminal bond, perhaps acquired when she'd been taken to Vico as a baby and left in the care of her grandmother for a while.
Instinctively drawn to the area, the couple demurred - the remoteness, the dialect barrier and strong negative family reaction, deterred them from actually making the move. Nonetheless, they continued to harbour dreams of a life on the spur of Italy's boot and, after a fruitless property search in France, when the opportunity arose for them to escape the UK to the Gargano they took a leap in the dark and embarked on a long journey that would change their lives forever ...
The Return of the Changeling - from Puglia and back by Marghaux Maye
Margherita is the eldest of three daughters born to an Italian couple who emigrated from Italy in the 1950s in search of work and a better life.
In this memoir she tells of her unusual start in life; a start that left deep scars which ran through her life like a thread. Eventually giving in to the pull on that thread, she followed her heart and returned her roots in a little known corner of Puglia.
Vico del Gargano is a place that time seems to have passed by. A land of beautiful coastlines, forested mountains, spirited people, assorted dialects, time honoured traditions, ancient crafts and for her, extended family connections.
Description
A Scottish born Puglian lass is drawn back to her roots. She and her husband leave a safe, predictable life and a much-loved cottage in a charming Gloucestershire village to buy a semi-derelict "casale" in the beautiful remote Gargano region of Italy.
This is the tale of their journey to a new life - a voyage littered with trials and tribulations; disappointments and triumphs; reminiscences and observations; good food and wine; and a host of pets that shared their lives along the way. Lots of beautiful photographs illustrate Margherita's story. Also included are poems written by the author, a selection of favourite recipes and a brief travel guide to the Gargano.
Read Our Books
We acknowledge that there may be some typos and grammatical errors in these books as they have not had the benefit of professional proof-reader/editor corrections. However, we hope that these will not spoil the read:
Pan' e Pomodor - My Passage to Puglia by Ian R McEwan
and
The Return of the Changeling - from Puglia and back by Marghaux Maye
Stay With Us
If you would like to "live the life" for a week or two, we have a beautiful, spacious and exceedingly well appointed apartment where guests can be comfortable and independent whilst enjoying our place in the sun.
Have a look at: La Casa Lavanda
Read what our guests say about us: Guest Reviews
Pan' e Pomodor
- My Passage to Puglia
by
Ian R McEwan
&
The Return of the Changelling
- from Puglia and back
by
Marghaux Maye
Tenuta Villa Oleandro
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Single Estate Cold Pressed
Superior quality oil obtained directly from "Ogliarola Garganica" olives using only mechanical methods.
Copyright © All Rights Reserved