The Transitions Abroad Community (Alpha)
Umbria, Italy
I have just returned from a farmstay (agriturismo) in the enchanted region of Italy called Umbria, which is every bit as beautiful as Tuscany in my opinion, and whose varied landscapes range from the ultra-lush greens of Lago Transimeno to the colorful yet often sparse and wild Sibylline Mountains. I have lived and traveled extensively in Tuscany -- and even throughout many of the varied regions of Italy -- but Umbria may now have captured my heart.
Truffles -- a rare and expensive delicacy in most parts of the world -- are ubiquitous and quite inexpensive. The many varieties of pork and wild boar sausage (often truffled) are exceeded only by the varieties of Pecorino sheep cheese. Not to mention the Montefalco Sagrantino red wine which is as good as some Brunello di Montalcino varieties.
We took the Slow Food route (Osterie & Locande d'Italia: A Guide to Traditional Places to Eat and Stay in Italy) or cooked for ourselves making ample use of fresh white and black truffles while eating and drinking the wines very slowly and staying in an agriturismo (actually an old small stand-alone 2-bedroom stone house). It was a feast for all the senses which was easy on the budget. But much more on this in a later series of articles.
And our toddler (below) was treated like a prince--had his hands and cheeks kissed on many occasions--by both the Italian mamas and the bambini who took a liking to him as they do to most children... He was quite happy eating his pasta with truffles or cinghiale (wild boar), driving with us through new landscapes, and it was a pleasure to travel with him.
A mile of sheep ironically made us late for our Slow Food meal in Castelluccio.
This vagabond horse handled the road's curves better than we did in our car 5,000 steep feet high in the Sibylline mountains of southern Umbria.
One of thousands of beautiful small towns near Norcia in Umbria.
Lago Trasimeno has so many greens the person tasked with counting them quit after he reached 100, in accordance with his union.
Yet another leaning tower in Italy... Troppo di vino...
The agriturismo (a villetta in this case) where we chilled in Umbria near Lago Trasimeno.
Even the farm animals are friendly in Umbria
A brief trip to Assisi during a festival commemorating Saint Francis was quite colorful -- not to mention full of Italians passionate about the festivities from throughout the country. In fact, some were quite vociferous in their impatience at the wait while other pilgrims finished their Mass so that the celebrations could begin. "Why is it taking them so long to pray?"
We saw monks who had come from Sweden to Niger -- many of whom openly hugged in the streets as long-lost brothers. Others openly joked with the crowds or were dressed like modern dandies. Religion and aesthetics are so closely intertwined in Italy, which reflects the many ancient pagan and christian influences.
But what stood out above all on this voyage were the incredibly warm, hardy, and modest Umbrian people, the wonderful food (I think far superior to the average in Tuscany), and the wide and varied landscapes...
If you have the chance, please visit this enchanting region -- preferably in spring or fall before the tourists come storming in.
Truffles -- a rare and expensive delicacy in most parts of the world -- are ubiquitous and quite inexpensive. The many varieties of pork and wild boar sausage (often truffled) are exceeded only by the varieties of Pecorino sheep cheese. Not to mention the Montefalco Sagrantino red wine which is as good as some Brunello di Montalcino varieties.
We took the Slow Food route (Osterie & Locande d'Italia: A Guide to Traditional Places to Eat and Stay in Italy) or cooked for ourselves making ample use of fresh white and black truffles while eating and drinking the wines very slowly and staying in an agriturismo (actually an old small stand-alone 2-bedroom stone house). It was a feast for all the senses which was easy on the budget. But much more on this in a later series of articles.
And our toddler (below) was treated like a prince--had his hands and cheeks kissed on many occasions--by both the Italian mamas and the bambini who took a liking to him as they do to most children... He was quite happy eating his pasta with truffles or cinghiale (wild boar), driving with us through new landscapes, and it was a pleasure to travel with him.
A mile of sheep ironically made us late for our Slow Food meal in Castelluccio.
This vagabond horse handled the road's curves better than we did in our car 5,000 steep feet high in the Sibylline mountains of southern Umbria.
One of thousands of beautiful small towns near Norcia in Umbria.
Lago Trasimeno has so many greens the person tasked with counting them quit after he reached 100, in accordance with his union.
Yet another leaning tower in Italy... Troppo di vino...
The agriturismo (a villetta in this case) where we chilled in Umbria near Lago Trasimeno.
Even the farm animals are friendly in Umbria
A brief trip to Assisi during a festival commemorating Saint Francis was quite colorful -- not to mention full of Italians passionate about the festivities from throughout the country. In fact, some were quite vociferous in their impatience at the wait while other pilgrims finished their Mass so that the celebrations could begin. "Why is it taking them so long to pray?"
We saw monks who had come from Sweden to Niger -- many of whom openly hugged in the streets as long-lost brothers. Others openly joked with the crowds or were dressed like modern dandies. Religion and aesthetics are so closely intertwined in Italy, which reflects the many ancient pagan and christian influences.
But what stood out above all on this voyage were the incredibly warm, hardy, and modest Umbrian people, the wonderful food (I think far superior to the average in Tuscany), and the wide and varied landscapes...
If you have the chance, please visit this enchanting region -- preferably in spring or fall before the tourists come storming in.
Add a Comment
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Comment by Nora Dunn on October 22, 2008 at 9:50pm - Absolutely beautiful pictures! Well, now you've gone and done it. Now I have to see more of Italy too! Geez...
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Comment by Veronica Hackethal on October 20, 2008 at 7:14pm - Amazing photos-- and the little bambino is one of the best. Italy is such a great place for kids-- all that spaghetti and pizza!
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Comment by Pearl Harris on October 19, 2008 at 8:25am - Your photos are superb - the landscape looks amazing and your little boy is really sweet.
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Comment by Gregory Hubbs on October 18, 2008 at 5:40pm -
Yes, the timing perfect. Coming back was the only mistake.
Perhaps starting a business importing from small farms might be an option...
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Comment by Volker Poelzl on October 17, 2008 at 3:56pm -
Greg,
It sounds like you had a great vacation. You didn't miss much in the past three weeks, except for the Wall Street melt down and a few presidential debates. You went on vacation at the right time.
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