Italy…..and most of Europe….just amazes me. After all these years so many of the same hotels, restaurants and cafes still exist, most with the same owners and menus! Over the years somethings have changed of course (usually prices!) but in reality almost 20 years later and many trips since our first I can still rely on some favorite spots still being around.
Sept 9 Sat
We have left Tuscany……I miss it already!!
We got lost a number of times today. Did make it past Siena safe and sound though…..and with both cars still together!
South of Siena is the Crete Sienesi. The landscape is drastically different than Chianti. No grapes here. I think someone said they grow wheat or semolina. It’s quite barren looking really, lots of brown/grey tilled fields, but the cypress trees stick out so much more. Not sure we saw that famous winding treelined road but so many others that are just spectacular…..all seemed to have gorgeous stately villas at the end. It really is very beautiful in a different way. I liked it a lot and would stay anywhere around here too in a second. The rolling hills are incredibly stunning.
Arrived in Asciano around noon. Market day and very busy. We parked in the first lot that we came to which was about as far away from the market as we could possibly get. Was a bit worried about leaving all our stuff in the cars…..all the additional acquired food that was taking up space so couldn’t really hide all the luggage….but that turned out to not be a problem as a couple of the guys were more than happy to not traipse around the market.
Asciano is a very hilly town!! Picked up more goodies and some porchetta buns and snacks for a picnic lunch. Stopped along a dirt road with a beautiful view to enjoy our picnic….until the bees came along!! Ack!! Lucky we had the buns cut in half because they were huge, even for the guys, but so yummy.
The plan was to head to Sinalunga and then Lake Trasimeno depending on the time we were making. That plan lasted only until we got twisted and turned around in Sinalunga and ended up in Torrita de Siena. Quite a pretty walled town and we probably should have stopped and explored but when we thought we’d found a place to park a lady in a uniform came over and started yelling and pointing her sign at a little passageway so we obliged and followed another car that she’d sent on their way. Another very narrow arched passage that we had to fold in the mirrors for. Out the other side and out of town too!! No idea what it was all about so we just carried on. Too bad because it looked interesting. They also have a palio here each year but using donkeys instead of horses. Back into grape growing territory…..vin santo is a specialty in this area.
We somehow ended up driving for what seemed like hours (one maybe!) through cornfield after cornfield. Found a spot to pullover and out came all the maps. Had not passed one sign that told us about any upcoming towns, not one that even told us the road number, so we didn’t even really know what to look for on our maps. Noticed that there was a big overpass only half completed off to the west and because our maps were nice and new showed the incomplete highway so we then at least knew we were sort of heading in the right direction. Finally saw a sign for Foiano and back on the highway towards Mercatale. Got our first glimpse of Lake Trasimeno. Was close to 3PM by then so decided to just head to the Casa.
Found Mercatale and the road that we needed to turn on for Casa Lucati. The road was not based on a number or signage but by landmarks like “the white building on the corner across from the……”!
Ah, the road to Casa Lucati!! What can one say, it was something else. We knew it was a rough road but it was REALLY a rough, white road. The first 50 feet off the highway was paved then graded gravel for about a kilometer then just gravel and lots of pot holes. BUT the views, as we bumped, grinded and climbed our way up, were just spectacular. Very foresty along part of the road then the trees would open to the valley and hills covered in olive groves. Lots of pine type trees the higher we went. A few sheep here and there, some on the road. We did pass a few houses but it’s really pretty isolated up here. It said it was approx. 8k up the road but it certainly seemed further and of course driving and dodging pot holes it took at least a half hour to get to the house. Arrived just before 4.
Casa Lucati is probably everyone’s dream home in Italy!! It is beautiful, the views are spectacular. It has a well equipped kitchen, lovely living room, big dining room, 4 ensuite bedrooms, a huge family room and second kitchen in the basement with a ping pong table and washer/dryer, all this plus “the barn” which is a separate studio unit with a glorious big deck overlooking the pool and the view.
Did the draw for the bedrooms and then S and B braved the road and went back to Mercatale to pick up a few things for dinner tonight. The rest of us sat out on the deck of the barn, cracked open a bottle of wine and enjoyed the great view. That was until the sun started going down and almost immediately the wind came up and it got quite chilly. First time since arriving in Italy I think that I had to put a sweater on!
S & B came back with goodies to make burgers…..the guys were thrilled!! Nice big salad and great BBQ burgers.
R & G and B & S all headed off to bed quite early so Jill and Larry and Ken and I decided we were going to play ping pong. So much fun even though none of us know the rules…..although Larry said he did but not too sure about that! Discovered that there really was no need whatsoever for the table. Jill and I used the floor, walls, counter and the ceiling beams. We laughed so hard it was hopeless.
Off to Cortona tomorrow.
Another beautiful, warm day, until the sun went down!
Sept 10 Sun
Up early and out to enjoy my coffee and the view…..except there isn’t really anywhere right out the main door to sit. Jill and Larry got the barn and I didn’t want to disturb them, so went down stairs to where the patio area is which was quite pleasant and enough of the view to take in.
S & B decided to pass on Cortona so the six of us went off to explore in two cars.
Cortona is another favorite place. I have a lot of those I guess. It’s way up on a hill, seeing it as you drive up is spectacular. We parked in the first lot we came to and oh, what a civilized place this was! They have an escalator which saved a lot of energy for walking around the walls and up to the Fortezza.
Pretty sure this is the hilliest town yet. Wonderful little shops, a great bakery or two, restaurants and cafes, a cute gelateria with ice cream cone seats. Cortona TI office has one of the best city maps yet. Very easy and detailed so we didn’t get lost. Stopped at a cafe for coffee and delicious little dolci to get us started. Found a great little shop selling little olive oil soaps that are really fragrant but very light which will make great gifts for the girls at work. At a bakery they were just pulling fresh loaves out of the oven so we ended up buying a nice big one that Larry ended up carrying around all day. Piazza Republica and Signorelli are just lovely. I can see why Frances Mayes fell in love with this place. Was expecting it to be really busy and crowded but wasn’t compared to San Gim or Siena. Duomo looked lovely but mass was still happening so we didn’t go in.
Thought we’d be able to walk up to the Fortezza along the walls but we couldn’t so had to zigzag our way up using a few different streets. Stopped in the Chiesa de Santa Margherita. Not many people around so L and I wandered into the church for a quick look but sounded like they were about to start mass so we left but looking like it would be quite interesting to go through. It’s supposedly built around St. Margherita’s tomb. Nice little cafe next to the church so we had more coffee, cappucinos and espressos this time…..Ken and Larry had two!! The coffees were really good and I think the cheapest yet, espresso 1E and Capps 2E. When we left the cafe and came around the corner to the front of the church there was a monk standing at the door greeting people as they entered!
Coffees gave us the energy we needed to get the rest of the way up to the Fortezza because it was all up hill, quite steep in a few places. Fortezza de Girafalco was built in the 16th century for the Medici. 3E gets you in to wander around. There was an art exhibition but most of it was very modern stuff. A few nice water colours. Once up there the views were awesome. You can see for miles in every direction. You can also see the old walls of Cortona and just how big it once was.
It was quite a walk back down to Piazza Signorelli. I think Cortona must have the most churches of any of the towns we’ve been to, all were nice, very earthy looking. Pretty sure we passed at least 4 or 5 on the way to lunch.
Taverna Pane e Vino, very good. We all ordered pasta or pizza, or so we thought. Larry ended up with a salad that was ribbons of zucchini, twisted and tucked to look like a big green flower with a bit of shredded lettuce and anchovies in the middle……such a Larry moment!! He was a trooper though, a bit of olive oil and balsamic and he dug in. We did share some of our pizza with him. All the food, even Larry’s salad, was really good, the wine too! Huge portions. Lucky we got there when we did because 10 minutes later there was not a seat to be had. Our bill for 6 of us, which included a bottle of wine and two bottles of water, was 62E!!
Time to leave so the others went to check the train schedule in Terontola (for J & L to Rome later in the week) and Ken and I went to Umbertide (pronounced OOM-BEAR-TI-DEE) to pick up more groceries. Got there only to discover that not only was it Sunday and the grocery stores close early but it was also the annual Fiera dell’Agricoltura weekend in Umbertide. What a fun place!! There were booths and stalls set up for blocks and blocks selling all the usual market stuff….clothes, food, tons of candy etc. A big amusement park with rides, music blaring. Everyone along the street was sitting outside their apartment buildings visiting, chatting with everyone who walked by. The Italian version of a country fair!
There weren’t as many of the meat or produce stands as I was hoping like the roast chicken or porchetta guy. A couple restaurants were open and a deli type place. The deli guy came in off the street to help us. Picked up some different types of salami, cheese (to go with the bread that Larry had carried around all day!), some home made antipasto and a little bucket of olives. Wandered around a bit more and did think of calling Rae and telling them to come but decided we’d just head home. I think Umbertide would be a good place to check out one day, looks like there could be lots to see here.
You do not leave Umbertide the same way you came in!! One way streets so we somehow managed to get lost…..Citta de Castello was the next exit so we were definitely going the wrong way. Turned around and finally saw signs for Cortona so off we went in the right direction.
Home and sat outside with a glass of wine enjoying the view and telling everyone about Umbertide’s fiera. Was great until the wind came up and it got quite chilly. Had a great dinner and evening. Just put out all our goodies from today for everyone to pick at. The olives were a real hit. They were very meaty, quite a bright green and absolutely delicious. Did some laundry and a few games of ping pong.
Assisi tomorrow!
Sept 11 Mon
Another gorgeous day! The sunrises here are lovely. As the sun starts to come up it outlines the mountains and the mist in the valley goes from a fluffy white to a fluffy golden colour. Once the sun peeks over the top of the mountain the colours change again. Pictures just don’t do it justice.
Another favorite town!! Assisi is gorgeous, especially as you are arriving. As you drive up the road there it is at the top of it’s hill, just spectacular!! No pic which is too bad because again you just can’t describe how beautiful it is.
Luckily we were early enough to find great parking spots, the lot was still pretty empty at 9;30. Was about an hour drive.
First stop was the Basilica. What can one say about this place! I think we were all quite moved by it. It is one of the most spectacular churches we’ve seen. Just walking into it gives you goose bumps. We were rather “awed” by it. Hard to describe the feeling we had, none of us are religious by any means, except maybe Susan who was literally brought to tears!! Lots of people inside but it was so quiet, so much respect for St Francis and all he represented. Love, peace, simplicty, love of animals and birds.
The church has many beautiful frescoes and paintings. There is the upper and lower churches built between the 13th and 15th centuries. The frescoes on the walls of the upper church tell the story of St Francis’ life. It was quite badly damaged in the 1997 earthquake but you can see the restoration work that was done and is still going on. So much to see inside, you literally walk along with your head going up and down and sideways the whole time (probably why everyone is so quiet!). Downstairs the lower church is very dark and there is almost an eerie calm about it. St Francis’ crypt is down there. Many people sitting in the pews praying, some weeping, very moving to see and really felt like we didn’t belong, like we were intruding. This was the one thing that Susan had really wanted to see (she is Catholic and does go to church every now and again) and was quite overcome by the whole experience…..said she had never felt like that in any other church…..ever! Even Larry, who is Jewish, said visiting the basilica could very easily convert him!
We all met up outside and headed up Via San Francesco. Assisi is a very beautiful town. Incredibly clean, very hilly, lots of great little winding, some narrow, streets and alleys, buildings covered in trailing and potted plants. Lots of shops selling all types of religious knickknacks, souvenirs, etc. Piazza del Comune was small but very nice. The Temple of Minerva and Torre del Popolo and a dribbly little fountain make a great centerpiece. The stairs of the temple date from the 1st century BC, the temple from the 9th and the tower sometime around the 13th.
Found a great spot for lunch, can’t remember the name though. Up a little alley, not the best decor but the kitchen was open at the back so you could see them cooking away. Mother Teresa ate there…..her autographed picture with the owner was up on the wall! The food was excellent!! We should have known by now when they say the pizzas are only big enough for one person, they really mean 2 or 3. A bit smarter today so we only had 6 between the 8 of us and it was still a lot. A couple of birra to go with them made it even better! Lots of nuns and fathers/priests/brothers were enjoying lunch and a bit of wine too! Our lunch for all of us, including the beer, came to around 50E. The only negative for this place would be that once it got busy it got really warm inside.
After lunch we went in search of the Roman forum and arena, not to be found unfortunately. Down to the Basilica de Santa Chiara (Poor Clare’s) built in the 13th century. The poor Clare’s were the nuns of St Francis who were also lived simple lives helping the poor. Quite a plain church but with buttresses. Just wandered around, in and out of shops etc. Did think about going up to the Rocca Maggiore but was just too hot for any more hills today.
Leaving was much more exciting that arriving! B was bbqing tonight and wanted to pick up a few things. Saw a super big Coop just off the autostrada near Perugia but missed the exit so took the next one. Before we knew it we were IN the centre of Perugia. Had a great unplanned tour through the city and the ring road a couple times. What a nice place it was!! After passing the University a second time, both cars pulled over to do a map check, found our way back to the autostrada and to the Coop in Umbertide, where of course we got lost yet again trying to get out of town. Saw a sign for Arezzo so had to find a place to turn around and found the sign for Cortona heading in the right direction. Passed fields and fields of tobacco! Had no idea they grew it here. Lots of drying towers too. So many small side roads on the way home with the names of villages…..I hope we get a chance to explore some of them.
Dinner was excellent. We were able to sit outside a little longer tonight. No wind and very pleasant temp. Sat yakking and admiring the view with Cinzano and wine.
Tomorrow is market day in Gubbio so that will be our destination.
Great day in a beautiful city.
Sept 12 Tues
Beautiful sunrise this morning. A bit of a slower start for Ken and me and B and S. Rae and Glen and J and L took off early with the shopping list. Finally out the door around 10. Took about an hour to get to Gubbio. Busy of course because it’s market day but we did manage to get a spot, or sort of one, right by the Roman ruins (1st century AD). People just pretty much park wherever their car fits, so luckily someone pulled out with the same type of car.
It’s quite a big market with all the usual food stalls and of course the clothes and household goodies. Found the others and stopped for coffee and paninis and then off to explore. Gubbio is nice but not as attractive as the other towns we’ve been too. It’s also very hilly. There is Piazza Grande, which has a stunning palazzo, one restaurant and great views but it just seems to be missing something. J and L did the “bucket of bolts” funivia”…..they said it was quite breathtaking, literally!! But the views were amazing from the top and the only problem was having to take it back down. Came to the Fontana dei Matti (Fountain of Lunatics)….we did not walk around it three times! Had a look at the Roman ruins on the way back to the car and that was about it.
Home via a long way around…..through Umbertide twice!! Just how do we manage this?? Somehow we ended up on the other side of the railroad tracks that ran along the road we should have been on. At least it was on a different road this time so made it a bit more interesting. The others arrived home after we did……their detour took them to Citta di Castello!!
Nice afternoon relaxing. Sitting around having a glass or two of wine, a swim in the pool and enjoying the great view.
Blake bbqed chicken and pork chops, Rae and I made a bit pot of cannellini beans done with onion, pancetta, garlic and basil from the garden. A big salad with bocconcini. All was really good.
Only a couple nights left with all of us together so we had to get to work on all the wine that we’d been accumulating. Opened my last bottle of Lambrusco, which was really good.
No plan for tomorrow other than the wine tasting/tour/dinner that we booked through Gorgace.
Sept 13 Wed
Slept great, not up until 8! Must have been the wine.
Very hazy sunrise this morning.
Big breakfast this morning…..eggs, toast, fried the leftover potatoes, beans. All good.
J & L and R & G decided to go to Sansepolcro. Ken and I and S & B went to check out Lisciano Niccone. Found a great little cafe for coffee and brioche type bun filled with chocolate (v.g.) It’s a pretty small place, I think this cafe might be the only one in town. Cute little piazza with a fountain and a few apartment buildings and that was pretty much it.
S and B wanted to go back home so we dropped them off and went exploring further up the road. We decided to try and find the church that we see across the valley. It has to be quite large as it sticks out quite a bit above the trees. Just past our house the road going up/down that side of the mountain becomes paved but was not in any better shape than our gravel road. There were pot holes big enough for a smaller car to get lost in, was even a bit tricky in places for us to get around them. Where there wasn’t pot holes the pavement had heaved, a lot, like a foot or more so had to be very careful going over them. Very interesting drive for sure. Many, many crossroads with no signage of course. None of the roads were on our map but we did try a couple and luckily came back out on the “highway” at a village with a couple shops but mostly warehouses (Calzolaro?). Stopped at a little trattoria where we had lunch, which was very good. Couldn’t see the church anymore so just carried on until we came to a sign with a church on it pointing up a hill. Turned and started our way up but way too many hairpins and it seemed like it was still miles and miles up that road, which wasn’t in the best of shape. It looked pretty impressive, more like a castle than a church. Sadly though we decided to turn around when we could and start heading back home because we just didn’t know how long it was going to take and we had our dinner/wine tasting tonight.
The wine tasting/dinner was at Fattoria I Girasoli di Sant’ Andrea. Have to say it was a pretty disappointing experience after reading all the rave reviews!! It said it was a steak dinner (we knew not like at home), salads, antipasti, dolci, the tour and the tasting with Martin (our Gorgace contact that we book the tour thru) for 25E per person.
Started off with a glass of wine while waiting for everyone to show up. About 20 people altogether. The tour began just as the thunder started to rumble off in the distance. Tour was interesting enough then we all had to get into our cars and follow Martin down to the winery for the tasting and dinner. More thunder, much louder at this point, but was still nice enough. We were at a table for 8. Tasted a couple of their reds and white, one sparkling that was a bit sweet but quite tasty and another that was very, very sweet, perhaps a dessert wine but they didn’t really say. Was expecting little bits of bread or crackers and maybe some cheese to go with it all to cleanse our palates after each tasting but there wasn’t. The wine was good enough but we didn’t buy any because we still had wine at home that we had to finish off.
While all this was going on there was a camera crew off to the side of the driveway with a beautiful red ferrari. After our tasting we all went over to investigate and found out they were filming a commercial for something. The guys all got to have seat in the car. Fun.
Dinner was very odd. After the tasting they brought out the antipasti which was some little breads with tuna (v.g.), a pate and tapenade that was really garlicky but very tasty. Then we each got a slice of what appeared to be meatloaf, also good. Then came about a ladle full of what as like stew, also very tasty. We all kind of looked around and wondered aloud if we should eat or was something else coming to go with the stew??? We heard the next table asking if this was the steak and should they eat it now. All a bit confusing with no one, not even Martin (never saw him again), explaining dinner. Everyone started picking at it. Out came a salad of radicchio and what I think were anchovies (n.g.) Everyone had finished the stew when they came out with bowls of peas and a few minutes later with some roasted potatoes. That was it apparently because the next thing that came out was dessert, which was a fruit tart and some biscotti (v.g.). We weren’t sure if we should just get up and go or what. The people at the next table asked if we should just leave….we didn’t know. We all sat around for another 20 minutes or so thinking Martin, or someone would come out and say something, or to sell us some of the wine or thank us for coming, nada. Finally people started to leave so we did too. Oh well, it wasn’t bad, just weird.
Started to rain on the way back up our hill. At least the road wasn’t as dusty. By the time we got home it was just pouring and the thunder sounded like it was right on top of us, only a couple flashes of lightening though. This is the first rain we’ve had other than the storm our first night in Venice which seems like eons ago now.
Tomorrow Jill and Larry are leaving for Rome. R and G are driving them to the train station in Terontola very early. Blake is going to drive Ken and I down to meet them around 9 or 10 in Mercatale. We’ll then head off to Montepulciano and Pienza, B & S are off to explore on their own.
Good day!
Sept 14 Thurs
It rained a lot today!! Not all day but enough for me.
Met up with R & G just after 9. It wasn’t raining but mostly cloudy with the sun poking out every now and again. Still quite warm though.
Back into Tuscany! Decided to check out Chiusi first. Nice town, lovely little historic center. There is an Etruscan museum, a very nice cathedral and an underground city. We grabbed a coffee in the piazza and decided that we’d have a quick look around and then just head straight to Montepuliciano as the weather wasn’t looking too promising. Found a fun little antique store that had miniature liquor bottles. A friend collects them so picked up a couple unique ones for him. One was an artichoke, with artichoke liqueur, the other a coffee bean with of course coffee liqueur.
It was market day in Montepulciano so parking was a bit of challenge. Found a spot near the bus depot where the market was set up. Checked out a few of the stalls then up the hill to town. It’s actually right on the top as opposed to built into it or up to it, great views from just about anywhere. Walked thru the gate (Porta al Prato) and walked up and up and up! So many vino nobile places! Went in and out of all of them I think. Tasted at a couple of them and found a place for salumi tasting too! Monte has the best little alleys. Some were very steep (and narrow) but all filled with window boxes and doorways with pretty potted planters. Walked along the walls admiring the views, which were beautiful even on a bit of a dull day like today…..very humid though. Walked up to the fortezza but was not open (?) which was too bad because it sounded like it could be quite interesting.
Back down to Piazza Grande, nice but not the most spectacular that we’ve seen. The Duomo, which was unfinished, reminded me of the San Lorenzo (?) in Florence. Not too many people around and only one restaurant with tables set up outside, no umbrellas up, because of the iffy weather I guess. Loved the well with the lions and Medici balls.
Had a great lunch at the Caffe Poliziano. A glass or two of the vino nobile to go with the delicious frittatas with ham and some kind of wonderful creamy, rather sharp cheese and a big salad. Not too bad for the 4 of us at 70E. Too bad we couldn’t have sat out on the balcony to enjoy the view.
Stopped and bought our vino nobile on the way back down the hill. Had started to drizzle a bit on and off.
On to Pienza. Pienza, Pienza……oh my goodness what can one way about it!!! It is absolutely my favorite place. Sadly it had started raining so hard we had to go and buy umbrellas. And it was still gorgeous. Every street was beautiful, some really nice little gardens tucked down the alleys, flowers and plants everywhere. Will definitely have to come back on a bright sunny day, it can only be better and it was already pretty darn good!! Walked around the walls for a while but the view was so obscured by the clouds there was nothing to see.
Pienza is a UNESCO world heritage site. It was called Corsignano until Pope Pius II thought he would like to create a model renaissance city out of his hometown back in 1459. And he did it, although it never got finished in his lifetime. The piazza was a bit plain, not very big but seemed a little homier, cozy or something like that. The Duomo and town hall are quite small but lovely, also a pretty well. The Relais Hotels has taken over what used to be the cloister. It has a lovely porticoed courtyard with tons of plants and flowers…..would be a lovely place to stay!! Wandered around for a bit before it started raining just too hard to enjoy it anymore.
We’d planned on Montalcino as our next stop but was just pouring so started heading back towards home. The weather started getting better as we got closer to Lake Trasimeno so stopped at Castiglione del Lago. Drove along the lake hoping to find a spot to maybe come back to later for dinner but everything seemed to be some sort of a private beach club, so just headed up to town.
It’s quite a nice little place. The fortessa overlooks the lake and I’m sure on a nice day it’s lovely. Not too much open, maybe the weather or and extra long siesta today. Found a cafe to have coffee and snack and to warm up. Seemed a lot cooler here for some reason, maybe right on the lake??
By the time we’d finished the rain had started again pretty heavy so headed to somewhere closer to home for dinner. Tuoro sul Trasimeno is on the way up the hill leaving Lake Trasimeno. Seemed to be spread out all over the place and not the most attractive place. We found a place that had a segafredo zanetti sign out front so even if the food was only ok we knew they had good coffee. There was nothing out front that we saw that showed the name of the place….but they had a sign for “dining” (?). Had a huge outdoor area all covered with umbrellas that probably would have been packed if it hadn’t been raining. Inside was a bit strange….sort of like a big open bar and kitchen when you walk in, then you walk thru a big hallway where the staff parked their vespas/motorbikes and then into the first part of the dining room. There was another big dining area thru an arch. It was just 7 so there was only us and one other man. Very friendly, family run place. They spoke very little English and the menus were in all Italian but we were pretty good at reading it and ordering by now. Had glasses of their house red, which was really good. Started with antipasti. Delicious eggplant parmigiano. Rae and I each ordered one but truly we could have split one order. It was so rich and so good we did manage to eat it all! Only ordered the primi piatti because we figured they’d be huge and we did not need the secondi! All of them were excellent….and huge! Glen and I had the spaghetti amatriciana, Rae had some type of ravioli and Ken had the veal in marsala sauce and he was so excited because they had french fries, so had an order of those too. Everything was absolutely delicious!
By the time we’d finished our antipasti more and more people started coming in. The people at the next table were Swiss and were renting a place somewhere in town. They knew everyone in the restaurant so assume they were regulars. They’d brought their two huge doggies with them who very nicely sat under the table and never made a peep. The place was just buzzing by the time we left. Our bill for 4 was just 40E, excellent!
Home up the twisty wet road. Actually was a much easier drive at night because you could see headlights coming along at the curves, and no dust because of the rain.
Very wet tonight. I hope tomorrow is OK because we’re supposed to do a hike in the morning with Martin.
Sept 15 Fri.
Pretty socked in this morning. No nice sunrise, actually no valley or mountains at all! No rain though, just fog. We could barely see beyond our stone wall so called Martin to cancel. He said he was just going to call us as it would not be too pleasant hiking the hills after all the rain.
After breakfast we finished off our laundry and started to pack up and tidy up. The weather finally cleared up around 10 – 10:30. S and B decided to for a drive to Lake Trasimeno and we’d meet them at the little restaurant in Lisciano Niccone for lunch around 1.
The sun had come out by noon and was quite hot and steamy. Rae and I were prepping all our leftovers for our version of ribolitto soup for dinner. Once we’d done that we went off to meet S & B.
Lunch was very good. The place gets packed with guys having lunch and playing cards. They all looked like construction or maybe city work crews. The wine was flowing! Ah, that Italian stamina, have no idea how they could go back to work. Chicken parm for me, Ken ordered the steak that all the workers had ordered, everyone else had pasta of some sort. The portions were huge and the food was very good.
Left just after 2 so off to do a bit of exploring (and getting lost). Went to Castello de Reschio. Had passed the signs many times and could see the castello up on the hill. It’s not open to the public because people still live in it! The family has owned the property since the 12th century and are now selling off bits and pieces of it. It’s being developed for a mix of vacation rentals and permanent houses. There is an equestrian center where they breed horses, tennis courts, swimming pools, a restaurant and bar. It truly looks like something out of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous! Ken wouldn’t let me take the brochure, or what was really more like a binder with all the information. Will have to check when we get home but think it is very likely way out of our league!
S & B took off back home so R & G and Ken and I went to find Preggio…..another road sign that we’d passed many times. What a find!! It’s a beautiful little hill town with gorgeous views. It was immaculate, everything so neat and tidy. There are a couple of restaurants and a little alimentari and not too much else but so lovely. The church looked very old. Asked the guy changing the lightbulb above the door if we could go in. “Si, si please, I come un momento”. We assumed very wrongly that he was like the handyman but when he finished and came back he’d turned into the priest!! He spoke in rapid fire Italian so we tried to explain that we did not speak Italian and did he speak any English….”si, si, a little”. Well no, like as much as we spoke Italian a little!! He was speaking mostly Italian with an English word thrown in here and there. Asked him to speak “lentamente” and got our phrasebook out. He took us on a wonderful tour that lasted about an hour……who knew there was that much to see and hear about in this little church! He was very proud of it and loved being in Preggio. It is the Chiesa de San Francesco. If we understood what he was saying St Francis started a convent here in 1200 something. There were paintings and frescos thought to have been done by Pinturicchio and a reliquary with a thorn from the crown of thorns behind the alter. He showed us the special light that had been put in to illuminate it without opening the little doors. There’s a festa here at Easter when it is carried around town. Two organs, only one is used now, neither are that old from the 1800’s. He was such a gracious man! We laughed together at our poor commands of each others languages and thanked him profusely for a long tour and sharing all the beautiful things in his church. He thanked us for coming and was happy he could show us. We don’t normally donate but in this case we all dropped a few euros in the box on the way out! A small price to pay for a wonderful experience.
Preggio would actually be a good place to stay. No nasty dirt road and only a few minutes drive up from the main road, gorgeous views, neat and tidy, a restaurant and a little shop for necessities.
Home to finish packing and have our soup and whatever other leftovers for dinner. The soup was delicious, finished the salumi and cheese and the wine and cinzano.
Tomorrow starts another adventure! Rae and Glen are off early tomorrow morning to catch a flight from Pisa back to London……we’re going to miss them! B & S and Ken and I are off to Massa Lubrense, near Sorrento for a few days before heading to Rome. I can’t believe where the time has gone! So much more of Italy to see!
Amalfi coast next……
My Travel Journals 