Prosecco is a cozy region of small towns and vineyards in the foothills of the Italian Alps.  What luck, to be passing right through the home of my favorite summertime drink!

The Prosecco Road starts in Conegliano and ends in Valdobbiadene.  I’m writing the names of those towns down because I’m proud I learned how to spell them.  In a little place called Folina, we looked at the sky while lying in a meadow full of flowers, and added one more Unexpected But Lovely experience to the Life list.

Further down the road and close to the Italy-Austria border is Malborghetto, a village I found while flipping through a Conde Naste Traveler magazine.  The pictures were beautiful so I booked a place for us to spend the night on the way home.

The pictures didn’t lie.

Casa Oberrichter was as perfect as its pictures.

Even though we were in Italy, Malborghetto had the cozy charm of Austria, with Alps and reindeer and houses cut like gingerbread cookies.  Even though it felt like Austria, the food was all Italy.  There are so many reasons we loved Malborghetto, but the pumpkin gnocchi with sage butter are all it will take to make me want to drive back here just for dinner.

We were the only guests at the hotel.  They made us chocolate chip muffins for breakfast, and gave us four bottles of blueberry juice.  One should never doubt an Italian when it comes to food, even if it’s blueberry juice.

In the morning I hiked while the kids slept in, and it sometimes feels like there are 10 years of hiking all bottled up from those years when the kids were small.  It’s so beautiful to have a little free time, and I can’t waste it by sleeping!

Malborghetto was the perfect end to a perfect week.  I wish I could say Italy is a cliche, but it isn’t.

There’s a reason why everyone goes to Italy for vacation, and we totally agree.