How many of us dream of living in a villa in the Umbrian countryside… but how many of us would quit our jobs and move abroad (not to mention do all the work) to actually make it happen?
In Episode 563: How to Renovate a 17th-century Umbrian Villa we are joined by Kaila Merrill, native Vermonter and now owner of gorgeous Poggio Belvedere, a 17th-century farmhouse deep in the Umbrian countryside that she and her husband Ludovico have lovingly renovated from the ruin it had been reduced to. It’s now a luxury boutique hotel and villa-for-hire.
Kaila talks about the imagination it took to be able to visualize what their new home could become, and the endless Italian bureaucracy that had to be waded through to make it happen.
She also shares the struggles of having a child abroad and learning how to be a mother at the very same time she was opening her boutique hotel and learning to be a business owner. Another challenge? Creating community and getting social interaction when you live in the middle of nowhere—no matter how gorgeous the surroundings are, you still need human connection.
Don’t miss our first interview with Kaila, when she was just emerging from the renovation process and at the same time going through the grief of losing her mother.
Find out more about Poggio Belvedere (or book your stay!) here.
You can listen right here, or find the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and elsewhere.
Related Episodes:
Episode 537: Navigating US Taxes as an Expat (with Nathalie Goldstein)
Episode 523: Legacy and Loss (with Kaila Merrill)Â
Episode 448: If You Could Live Anywhere (with Melody Warnick)
Five key takeaways from the episode:
Here are 5 key points summarized from the transcript:
- Kaila Merrill owns Poggio Belvedere, a 17th-century farmhouse turned luxury villa/boutique hotel in Umbria, Italy, which she and her husband renovated extensively over the past 4 years.
- The property offers stunning panoramic views, a pool, and various accommodations for couples, families, and groups, attracting a mix of young professionals and multigenerational families.
- Kaila discusses the challenges of giving birth and raising a child in a foreign country, dealing with isolation, language barriers, and building a community in rural Italy.
- She shares a personal story about her friend’s stillborn child, Arlo, and how they commemorated him with an olive grove on the property.
- Kaila emphasizes the importance of allowing time to relax and enjoy the property when visiting, suggesting it as an ideal spot for retreats, writing, and reconnecting with oneself.
Full episode transcript:
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Katy
Hello, this is The Bittersweet Life. I’m Katy Sewall, away from Rome now. I am now over in Umbria, relaxing after the beautiful 2024 Rome adventure. Tiffany, still back in Rome, but I am not alone. Who is with me today?
Kaila Merrill
Hi, I’m Kaila Merrill. I am the owner of Poggio Belvedere, and we are in the countryside of Umbria. I own this property also with my husband, Ludovico. I am originally from Vermont, he is originally from Lake Como, and we found ourselves in Umbria.
Katy
So where would you describe where we are in Umbria for people who have visited here before?
Kaila Merrill
Okay, well, I grew up in a rural setting in Vermont, but our guests, some guests that come here are like, wow, you’re really out there. And I’m like, oh, really? I describe it as the countryside without being so far from the masses, because really, we are 25 minutes from Perugia. We are 40 minutes from Assisi. We’re 20 minutes from Deruta. All the fantastic towns of Umbria, plus an hour from Montepulciano, Cortona, all the Tuscan towns. Like, we are really this fantastic jumping off point. And we are also two hours from the seaside in Le Marche. So you can just jump straight on the highway and be at the ocean in two hours. But when you’re on the property, you feel like you’re the only person in the world. I don’t anymore because I get overwhelmed by work. But when you’re a guest, you truly feel like you’re alone here on top. I mean, Poggio Belvedere means hilltop Poggio, and Belvedere is beautiful. View. And we truly are sitting atop of this hill and the views that we have here are really unmatched, I mean, and can compare with the Tuscan Instagramable vistas. It’s not true.
Katy
I was actually, I’ve only been here for two. Well, two nights, I guess, a couple mornings. And I’m like, how quickly can a person fall in love with a view? Instantly? I think I could take the same picture over and over and over again. And yet it is ever shifting because in the morning, the sun rises over the hill over there and the valley around you fills with mist. And I even saw a little deer running through the grapevines over there. And then you hear nothing but birds, which, believe me, after being in Rome is quite odd, you know, and lovely in that regard. And. Well, and if Kaila seems at all familiar to you, she was on episode number 523. It was called Legacy and Loss. And we talked about her and her mother, her mother passing away and that how that led to the decision in part to purchase this place. So you wanted to show us around a little bit and talk about sort of the history where we are today. So, I mean, it looks perfect. Everything looks absolutely perfect. Flowers blooming, pool installed, bees happily buzzing around everywhere, salamanders lounging. I mean, when you look at this view, what do you do you also see the work you put in.
Kaila
Yes, unfortunately. I mean, that’s the daily struggle. I see what needs to be done, but it’s a process and my husband and I are both working on that because we have worked so hard in the last four years. We arrived four years ago, a month ago. And that’s wild because it feels like a lifetime and it also feels like two years. So in a lot of ways, I mean, we’ve. We’ve done so much. So the building itself, the bones were here. When we arrived. The bones were here. So we’re looking at a 17th century stone farmhouse that was the head home for the farmers in the area. So they were. It makes sense because we’re on top of the hill, we’re looking at all the agricultural fields around. And they could manage what their workers were doing from here. They’re like the royal farmers. Basically, they were the head farmers. So it’s always been a working farm area. Now these fields are mostly filled with vineyards. Some have been taken over by other agricultural products. Back in the day, every field you see were vineyards. Also, this area dates back to Etruscan times. There’s a stone wall at the vineyard that is our view and that has Etruscan heritage and has been proved to have roots pre Roman. But anyway, the home when we arrived, really, I mean, I say looks the way it did, but there is a pink part of the home that is the addition that a German couple put on in the early 90s. So I am a baby still. I am, I’m a 91 baby. And if I think about it, I love thinking about the fact that this home was working and evolving as I was growing as well and it was waiting for me in some ways. Or I like to think that because really we then we found this home after my mom had passed away. So I like to think about it in that sense. But this German couple did this fantastic renovation where they. We think it might not be legal really because the views, the windows are huge. So we’ve got a dining room with like floor to ceiling windows. And in a traditional farmhouse, they’re tiny, tiny windows. So our property has these huge windows in every apartment. And for that you get that morning sun. And truly you were mentioning the views before. You’ve had some magical misty mornings. I wish also it would blow off a little bit because the blue, blue sky brings three more mountain ranges that you can’t see now. And it does, it changes. Like even a year after I was here, I would look outside and be like, oh my God, I’ve never seen that house before and. Or that little town or this or that. And it just evolves more. You look at it, which is really magical. So anyway, thankfully to these Germans, we have a beautiful addition that was put on which they also divided the property into five apartments. So for someone looking for a home, it’s not really ideal because there’s not an internal staircase. It was divided for us. We already knew we wanted to do this kind of business and it was like, oh my God, this is perfect. We also bought the property at a very low price. We then put double into it with the renovation, which I’ll describe. But when we bought it, it was hard to see the potential. I didn’t love it the first time I saw it. Then after like a day and I revisited, I was like, okay, I can see this. Originally we were going to put the pool up there, which is hidden for those who can’t see, is hidden by the stone part of the home and doesn’t get most of the day. Sun doesn’t have the view that the pool does now. So where the pool is now, it was a steep, steep slope going down to the olive grove. We’ve got about 80 olive trees. We Leveled out that entire pool level stretching all the way to the parallel, the vineyard. That is our view. And it was overgrown. It was woods. It was, you know, not nice woods. It was just overgrown. Years of overgrown bushes and trees. I mean really, if those who are listening come and stay with us at some point, you will see that when you arrive that all the outdoor landscaping was us. So the lands, the outdoor portion was a huge part of the project for us, which we did the stone stairs going down to the pool, this pergolata, which is a wooden structure, this is a very old, over 100 years old Gelso. So mulberry tree. And that is the backdrop for our outdoor kitchen and bar, which is poolside. And so that really allows us to offer on site cooking classes, demos, experiences, wine tastings. And so that’s really a wonderful portion of the property that we’re working to utilize more as we start to rent the full property more, which I’ll get into. But there are two options here. So we operate as a boutique hotel and we also operate as a luxury villa rental. So you can come just depending on our calendars, you can come and rent an apartment like Katie came and stayed as our guest. So you can come as a couple. We have a lot of honeymooners. Yeah, a lot. And when we were building this brand, I really thought that our target audience was going to be like the empty nesters, kids just out of the house wanting these, the couples wanting to travel more. Instead we’re having all young couples, like pre kids or no kids, honeymoon, just married, all these young professionals from all over the world. And that’s been really fun because they’re great guests. Like first of all, they know how to use Google and can get around without our assistance. But they’re also very curious and really go with the flow and not, you know, traveling can be stressful, especially when you get older. And so it’s been a real pleasure to have this audience that I didn’t really think was our audience. So we get a lot of them and then we also rent the full property to. Now the phrase is multigenerational families who are traveling together. You know, the grandkids, the parents, the grandparents. This place is perfect for that because the ground floor is this huge two bedroom apartment with the magnificent dining room, massive fireplace, stone fireplace, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, handicap accessible. And then we move upstairs to the other three apartments and we’ve got another ground floor apartment as well underneath this ground floor. So that allows people to gather but also to have their space. We’re all about space here. Like, you know, I left you to your own devices. I want people to have the time. And to me, that is the ultimate luxury, is time to stop and breathe and reconnect with yourself. I mean, this was a journey I had to go through after losing my mother and still battle with daily. Now I have a 2 year old, but that is what this place is perfect for. So when backtracking to the Germans, they bought this property in the 90s from another German family who went bankrupt that they were friends. They had to kind of take them out of bankruptcy and help them bought the house. There was a tree growing in the middle of the house. There was no roof. It was a ruin, a complete ruin. I mean, when you enter at the property, there’s a beautiful stone wall and iron gate. We did that when we arrived. It was a little chain. There’s a parking lot that we excavated that was all stone. And we created an entire parking lot up there for two guests. Because there’s some apartments on that side. There’s apartments on this side. So again, there’s a lot of space. Even when we’re at full capacity, you don’t feel like there are people here. You might meet someone at the pool maybe, but people are out exploring. Some are at the pool. It’s. Yeah, there’s space.
Katy
Let me ask you a question.
Kaila
Yes.
Katy
Did you enter this experience, like, somehow prepared? I mean, I think about, like, even if I was putting this together, you know, I might have a vision, but I’m like, even just coming up with like, what to plant would be something I’d have to try to figure out. Or like, I mean, heaven forbid, you are trying to figure out how to remake a place. I know you come from a background in hospitality, so you did have that. But what about, like, massive remodeling? It was.
Kaila
Yeah. And I didn’t mention that inside there were three apartments that were completely gutted and we needed to do those as well. So the top three, the one you’re in and then two others upstairs, the bottom two were finished, let’s say, but we still had to put our touches. It was. I don’t know. I mean, Ludo comes from a design background, but really it was a dual project. And I kind of took over a lot of the interior design, which, if I’m really being honest, came from my mom, like, came from her roots. She was French Canadian, had gorgeous taste. And it was this wonderful blend of European, like old world and bright, cheery colors. And she wasn’t afraid to choose bold colors. With softer tones or different patterns together that might clash. But when she did it, it made sense. So that was really with me the whole time. And I started creating all these Pinterest boards, and I don’t know, I just, like, had this vision in my mind. I don’t know where it came from, really. Like, also, I learned during the renovation of Ludw was, like, he can’t visualize things. So, like, I learned this that, you know, I’d be like, no, stand here and, like, picture this. No, I can’t. I can’t. And so, you know, we quickly fell into our own roles. Like, he really handled the bureaucracy and paperwork of the whole project. I mean, the paperwork was, like, over a year to get a pool approved. And then the day that the pool was going to be made, they came, dug the hole, cement arrived, poured it, pool was done. We were like, oh, my gosh, we’ve been planning for a pool for a year, and now it’s done in one day. It’s done. So that portion was really wild. Plus, I had to be transferred as a resident. So did he. We had just spent years abroad. That whole element was massive. Luro’s father actually helped us a lot with the outdoor project. He is kind of like a jack of all trades. Didn’t necessarily go to school for engineering or project management, but just had his own businesses and really kind of taught himself. So, like, this wooden structure under the big mulberry tree, there’s two small marble tables where you can sit and have a glass of wine and look out at the view. That was his idea. And then together, he and I really developed the style of the outdoor. And Ludo was really financial officer. He’s the project manager. He is the communicator, negotiator between all the. All the builders, all the finding us the workers. So, I mean, really, our skills worked so well together, and we managed to get this done in a very short amount of time. If you think about really what we’ve done, the fact that we’ve now just finished our third season as a business, I think is pretty impressive. Plus, we had a child in that time.
Katy
Definitely. Want to talk about. Well, we can right now if you want to, because that was one of the things we didn’t get to last time we talked was the whole ordeal of what it is to give birth in a country that’s not your own. I mean, this is your own now, but, you know. Yeah, you were relatively new. Do you want. Let’s talk about it now. So tell me. Yeah, Tell me about about that. She’s now almost two years old. I got to meet her when we first arrived.
Kaila
She’s gonna be two in a week. And, well, it’s pretty crazy because I just received from Vermont from my father figure some old home videos of my mom and me. This was before he was in my life, but so my biological father was actually taking these videos. He was a big photographer. And. And what’s so wild is that the videos. I’m the age that Ellie Lu is now, and so I’m watching my mother parent me. And it honestly, like, we spend Saturday watching them. And I’ve kind of been afraid to watch them, but it was so validating. And I say that because I’m all alone here in another language, going through motherhood, the first two years of motherhood, plus first two years of business, three years of business, and trying to remind myself every day that I’m doing the right thing and that I’m doing a good job. But it’s only me telling myself that. And if other people tell me, I’m like, I don’t know what they’re talking about. So it watching my. I mean, literally, it’s a carbon copy. My mother parenting me and me parenting Ali Lou is carbon copy. Not to mention that Ellie Lu is my twin. We look exactly the same when we were. When I was her age. So that really now I’m in a place very recently where I’m like, okay, I’m doing a good job because I now, where I’m standing now, have a foundation of love, confidence, nurturing. So if I just keep going and trust myself, I feel like I can get there with her as well. With that being said, it’s been really hard also because, you know, Ludo and I, he. His parents live up north as well. We don’t see them that often. So we’re everything for each other. We’re business partners, we’re married, we’re raising a child. We’re each other’s best friend, you know, and so we put all this pressure on each other, which is really tough. And it’s also just not fair. Like, I have really realized in the last year that I need community. But my go to is to isolate myself because I’m an extroverted introvert. So I need my time away to recover and rest, which is great. Here I can hide and do my work and do my yoga, go on my walks, and I forget to engage with people until it’s too late, and I feel already too isolated. So I am trying to put myself out there more, but it’s not easy because it’s in another language, which I can speak Italian. I can. I can totally share who I am with people, but I’m missing the nuances. So I can’t have this conversation in Italian. I could have a summary of this conversation, but that pulls at my heartstrings because it’s like, yeah, a smile does go a long way, and I do feel as though people understand who I am here. But there’s more, and I know, and there are great people here, and I know that I could get to them on another level if I had the language in a different way. So, you know, and three years ago, when I fell pregnant, we didn’t have the community that we have now. Now, finally, after we. I’ve birthed this child and I’m raising her here, she goes to daycare in our nearby town of Spina. Now. People are starting to be like, oh, they’re staying, they’re here. People used to ask me if I was going to give birth in the U.S. i was like, no, I live here. I didn’t understand that. And in retrospect, maybe I should have. But, yeah. And Umbrian people are closed off naturally, and they know that about themselves. It’s so funny listening to them talk about it. Even the young ones, like, I thought, oh, maybe it’s a generational thing, and the younger people are more open, but they’re not. They’re not mean. They’re just closed off. They don’t know how to go up to someone in a crowd and be like, so what do you do for a living? Or like, anything. It’s really wild. And so that. That was very isolating. And I was expecting. Coming from a very small community, I was expecting, you know, coming here and being like, oh, it’s like another Vermont community. No. Now, sure, yes, we’re starting to find that. And. But still, even now, you really have to work to, you know, have. Make friends. And I think a lot of people feel that way, no matter where they live in the world at this point.
Katy
But it’s true that you. I mean, because you are. Your closest town is a very small town, even though you are, like you said, very close to all these very notable places. If you’re a visitor, your closest town is a very small town, you’re not going to encounter a lot of expat Americans like you would in Rome, you know, so you’re not going to just run into people who are like, oh, yeah, Vermont. I used to live in Vermont. You know, you’re not. You’re not going to find those people.
Kaila
Yeah, yeah. Which is a blessing and a curse because. Probably more of a blessing because it forces you to learn the language in a different way. And there are a lot of expats here, actually. But it’s funny. So it’s. Some of them, they seek out the English, other English speakers here, even if they’re Italian. But maybe, you know, the mom was German, so the girl grew up speaking English, so she’s friends with the other English speakers here who are from Chicago. And. But what I found is that nobody speaks English to me. And maybe it’s because my Italian is good enough so they don’t feel like they need to. Like, even people that can speak English, they come and speak Italian to me, which is. Sometimes it’s hard because I’m like, okay, I don’t really know how to explain this, but it’s good because it forces me to get better. But even that small town, like, so we’ve got a butcher shop and a grocery store in Spina where our daughter goes to school. And now everyone at the grocery store, oh, Kyla, they give our daughter pizza, a little piece of pizza. And like, oh, Elisabetta, how she’s grown. Like, you know, so it’s all. It’s. It’s like I call them the characters. It really does. It feels like this film where it’s just like these characters in this little town again. Now it’s starting to feel good. But if I think about the last few years, I mean, when we were in the throes of the renovation and I felt pregnant, we were planning to plan to get pregnant, but didn’t realize it would happen so quickly. So it was like, okay, we’re opening in July and it’s February and I’m pregnant. And I had a terrible first trimester, like, depression, the worst depression I’ve ever experienced. Worse than when I lost my mother. And, like, truly, I was in bed for weeks, could not get out of bed, so nauseous. And Ludo was so concerned because he had. He had never seen me like this. Like, he was calling the doctor, like, is this normal? And the doctor’s like, yes, she’s a woman growing a baby. But, you know, even that, because he didn’t trust me. In that moment, I felt even more isolated and so missing my mother. So before I fell pregnant, I felt my mom here, everywhere, everywhere. I spoke to her every day. Like, I truly, she was the essence here. As soon as I fell pregnant, she was gone. And Eventually I decided, well, that’s because she’s now in my body, putting her spirit into my daughter, her granddaughter. I’m really not a religious person at all, but death has kind of forced me to be spiritual because, honestly. And I think I might have mentioned this on the last interview, but what’s the alternative? Like, really, then I just have to think, oh, no, she’s completely gone, and there’s no message. Nothing that has anything to do with her. For the rest of my life, I. I hope that I live a very long life, and I hope my daughter does and my husband does as well. But during those long years, I will be missing my mother. So what’s the alternative? Like, I decide, no, she’s nowhere to be found, or I find her in the small moments of each day. So during the pregnancy, she was really. She was gone, Completely gone. And so it was like another layer of isolation, loneliness, longing. I didn’t even tell many people I was pregnant because I just, like, couldn’t pick up the phone. You know, another part of, like, time change is, you know, when I want to chat with my friends in the U.S. they’re asleep, and then it’s the afternoon by the time they wake up. And then I’m like, I don’t really feel chatty. And it’s just day after day after day like that. And my dear, dear friend by the pool, I don’t know if you noticed, there’s a sign that says Arlo Grove.
Katy
Yep.
Kaila
So my friend and I, who I grew up with, she was. She’s a sister to me. She fell pregnant two weeks before I found out I was pregnant. And I actually was in the US When I found out I was pregnant. And I was with her when she found out she was pregnant. Then I left and then was like, oh, I think I might be pregnant. And then I came home and was like, luna, I’m pregnant. Like, I had been gone, like, three weeks exactly. Visiting family in the U.S. and so then we did our entire pregnancy together from afar, texting every day. And it really brought us closer. A week after her due date, she lost the baby, and she had a stillborn, and his name was Arlo. So Arlo and our daughter Ellie Lou, should have been cousins, and they should have been two weeks apart. They are my family. Like, her mother was my mother’s best friend. Like, we grew up together. Her sister is my soul sister. She’s about to be the godmother of our daughter. So this was so tragic. And meanwhile, she’s suffering. I’m here Totally alone hearing of this tragedy while I have this 40 week belly. I think that really informed then what happened to me, which I don’t really feel like going into detail, but it was an incredibly traumatic birth. It was a natural birth, but it was so long and so painful and nobody would listen to me except for Ludo. He was my cheerleader the whole way through. I could not speak any Italian while I was there because I was like so raw that it was like I was just like, English was coming out, of course. So that also I think made the doctors think that I couldn’t understand Italian. And they were really condescending in moments where they should have been helping me. And like, you know, just an example of like, oh, yeah, like that. It’s never going to come out like that if you keep pushing like that. No way the baby’s ever going to come out while I’m four hours in to pushing labor. Like the end part that’s supposed to last 30 to 2 hours. 30 minutes to 2 hours. Anyway, we planted 10 olive trees for Arlo and did kind of a play on word of olive grove. Arlo Grove, 10 trees for the month of October. He was born and died the 6th of October. Our daughter was then born the 22nd of October. Katie, who lost Arlo, just came here actually for a wedding. We also do weddings and she was a friend of the bride. She now has an eight month old daughter. So she was pregnant for like two and a half years, which is wild. I can’t imagine doing that. She is so strong, as is her husband. They were here and they got to come to the Arlo Grove for the first time. And that was all really full circle. And her mother is now coming at the end of next week. So really they are my family. And each year family keeps coming, finally starts to come and see what we’ve done. And that’s also validating because they’re like, oh, wow, you really are isolated up here. You’re alone. Like, oh my God. Some friend, close friends from Australia came this year. Like all of a sudden it’s like I’m getting the support that I so desperately needed then, which, you know what, that’s life like. And that’s, that’s what makes us stronger. That’s. It’s made me stronger and. And I at times have found it making me bitter. And maybe one of the characteristics my mother had as she got older was some bitterness, which I really hope I can learn from her. She always wanted me to learn from her mistakes and told me I was A fast learner. So I’m hoping that I can remove that bitterness to some degree.
Katy
But, yeah, when all of that is happening and you’re so alone, what kept you here? Was it that you both had invested so much in the property already? I could also see if you’re feeling like that, alone and isolated, you might just say, well, why don’t I just go home and be with Katie and my other friends who can support me?
Kaila
That’s really funny, because I, like, never once thought about leaving. I don’t know if it was. I’m very stubborn and have a pretty intense work ethic. So I think, like, giving up was never an option. And at the same time, it’s like, yeah, they are my family, but, you know, blood is thicker, and I don’t have that anymore. That has also been really hard at times for me. You know, when the tragedy happened with Arlo, their family went into lockdown, really, because they had to protect each other, go in their foxhole. And I wasn’t a part of that. Mostly because I was living abroad, but also their family. I’m not. And that realization was really tough and another layer of making me feel like I don’t have anywhere to go. Like, this is where I am, and Ludo is my everything. Poor guy. My mother, before my mother died, she’d always say, poor Ludo. And he would say, I never understood what she meant. Now I want to talk to her.
Katy
But I mean, with the child, you know, you do have the blood back in a way. Like, your mother is gone, but now you have a direct descendant, a direct connection. Does that make it feel different?
Kaila
Yeah, it definitely is healing my heart every day. And sometimes I think that this world couldn’t have handled both of them at the same time in the same universe because they’re just so vibrant and joyful and funny and thoughtful and wonderful. Like, I mean, I’m describing a two year old, and yet I see all of this in her already, which, when I was looking at the home videos, I was like, wow, I look way more like a baby at the same age than my daughter does. And I think it’s because, like, she’s already experienced a lot, whether in this life or I don’t know if I believe in other lives, but there’s stuff in there. She’s got. She’s got informed stuff in her, in her soul. But, yeah, having her, I mean, it’s bittersweet. It’s. It’s the. It’s the tragedy and sorrow of looking at her and thinking, how is it possible that my mother is never going to meet her and see her and play with her and kiss her and then the beauty of. Yeah, but I get her kisses that remind me of my mother. Like when I first gave birth and was nurturing Eli Lu as a newborn so many times. I almost called her Kaila so many times. And Ludo did it a couple times as well, which made me feel like, okay, it’s not just me. There’s something going on. So all those things have helped. And again, I. But I could have chosen the other route of negativity and. But I mean, this, where we are definitely helps to head into the positivity side of things. This view and nature and the good and the traditional and the small towns and the quaint people and the just. It’s like stepping back in time. It really is. So that’s. That’s helped.
Katy
Yeah.
Kaila
Yeah.
Katy
And it is hard to express. Of course, audio is a limited medium in its own right, but it is hard to express the sweepingness. The sweepingness, if that’s even a word. It’s not the sweeping view. The sweeping view. And I have had that thought in the couple of days I’ve stayed here, that what an interesting and unusual childhood. She will have to, like, grow up in a. In a place that’s kind of as epic and expansive as this. You know, I’ve been thinking about that a lot, because while we were on the Rome trip, one of our guests asked me, where do kids typically play? And of course, there are playgrounds scattered amongst Rome. But a lot of where you play is in a piazza or in the courtyard of the apartment building that you live in. And this is just, what if she’s just surrounded by the natural world? And I guess it’s like, what I can’t really express is how far in the distance you can see, which also, I think, has an effect on the human mind. So it’ll be interesting to see what she grows into, you know, being out here in her childhood.
Kaila
Yeah. And with, you know, it’s important to me to keep intact a few traditions from my childhood. One being Thanksgiving, which we did last year, an inaugural Thanksgiving for about 20 people in the town. And we taught Italians about Thanksgiving. I cooked the turkey in this outdoor oven that was right behind us now to perfection. We had a Michelin star chef as a guest, and I made him cut the turkey, carve the turkey. He came to me and was like, it’s perfectly cooked. And that was the first time I had done anything in that oven. It was. It was yeah, but, you know, Thanksgiving and those few little things, even sandwiches. I really miss American sandwiches. And I do. I remake them here in my kitchen. Those little things that I want her to experience and be able to choose what she enjoys as well. But yes, this as her backdrop and foundation. I only hope it will do good.
Katy
Yeah. All right, well, we have to wrap it up, but. So is there anything you want to leave people with before I both leave this beautiful property and people consider coming here, hopefully.
Kaila
And just that you really can’t envision this place until you’re here. And many of our guests come for a couple nights and they always wish they stayed longer. So come, stay longer than you think you need to stay. Allow yourself time just to be here. Don’t pack your days. Pack your days in Rome. Pack your days in Florence. Leave these days for the unexpected. Bring your family or bring your partner or come alone. Alone is great, too. I’m jealous of the solo travelers that come.
Katy
I can’t think of a better writing retreat spot than this.
Kaila
Exactly.
Katy
As I spent many a morning sitting in a sunbeam reading a book, I’m like, I can’t think of a better spot to sort of just get your thoughts quieted and focused on things.
Kaila
And that’s something I want to start doing. And writers retreats, also painting or workshops, things like that. Tapping into those. Some women’s retreats as well. But yes, don’t be a stranger. And please, we would love to have you and get in touch. You can find us on our website, which is WWE in italy.com My email is there listed also on Instagram Vero in Italy. And if you have a question or you just want to chat or say hi, please feel free. We’re here and it’s just the two of us behind this brand, so we will be the ones to welcome you. And yeah, and here’s to many more years, I hope at Poggio Belvedere. And hopefully we can do something as well at some point in the future.
Katy
That would be great. And of course, I’ll put that link in the show notes. And if you follow us, bittersweet life on Instagram. I’m sure we’ll be posting lots of pictures. Thank you so much for doing this and thanks for hosting me as well.
Kaila
Oh, it was a pleasure. Wish you could stay longer. Yes. Just wonderful to have you and wonderful to be on the podcast again.
Katy
Yeah.
Kaila
Thank you.
Katy
All right, well, we’ll leave it there. And until next time, this is the Bittersweet Life. I’m Katie Sewall. Talk to you soon. Bye!
Visit Rome in 2025
Send us a note at bittersweetlifepodcast@gmail.com and find detailed information about the upcoming 2025 Roman adventure at our website http://www.thebittersweetlife.net
