A City on a Hill

The town of Gubbio is where my grandparents were from; it is one of the most beautiful hill towns in Umbria, probably because there is no train station here, and so the touristi must come on their own and with so many more famous towns around here (Cortona, Siena, Assisi) it could get overlooked.  We were hoping to have lunch at Il Panaro yesterday--it's a small restaurant and bar that has amazing food.  No coat and tie required at Il Panaro---we found it was closed, and headed on to Gubbio where we knew there would be another restaurant we could enjoy....La Taverna del Lupo.

As a child I grew up with this photo---my grandmother had a calendar that had this photo on it.  Although I was too young to remember or ask what it meant, I later found out that the townspeople of Gubbio asked St. Francis to come to the town to talk with the wolf who was eating the citizens.  St. Francis spoke with the wolf, and St. Francis made the wolf promise to leave the townspeople alone.  So La Taverna del Lupo is the Tavern of the Wolf.  Owned by the Mencarelli family, who own several hotels in Gubbio, it's a very elegant place...not exactly where you would take a 20 month old, but she did well, and we all enjoyed our meals. 

Warm Porcini mushroom salad with Umbrian Pecorino Romano on arugula....OMG!

Pesto Gnocchi for Dr. C. and a bit of Rosso di Montefalco

 Truffled eggs for Eric

Lasagna di Gubbio---thin noodles, truffles, ham, and porcini with a white Pecorino sauce

Strangozzi (strangled spaghetti) amatriciana

Foie Gras ravioli with white truffles...............oh my!

All in all a great day to see the beauty of this hill town...we are walking off the foods that we've eaten since everything here is up hill!  Today we went to Norcia, a town in the National Park of Monte Sibillini...Norcia had for years been where the butchers of Italy would train in their craft--hence the title
Norchino, meaning butcher. 

Here are a few prosciutti waiting to be bought along with some formaggio! 

Enough said!


Buona Note from Spello!

Street Scene

Every year in anticipation of L'infiorata, the townspeople of Spello have a competition to see who has the best  floral designs outside their home.  As you can see, this one is already numbered and ready to be judged.   The container gardening here is amazing....when you have little space, you need to be creative.

The doors are also interesting to me; all different, some with a coat of arms, others plain with a key hole, and that's it.  Gets me thinking about the doors we open and close, and how each one presents an opportunity or a part of our lives...especially here, where we have family because we opened a door...

This is the door we opened 12 years ago and met our Angelini family....nothing has been the same since!

Yesterday in the Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore, there was a 1st communion celebration; this young man is dressed for it, but I think he was here in solidarity with a family member rather than a particpant.  I'm always amazed at the number of family members who turn out for these events; they may never go to church, but they turn up to celebrate their family.

Our daughter and her family arrived here today; they are taking a nap, and then I think it will be gelato time with our granddaughter Poppy!

Tomorrow we head to Il Panaro near Gubbio...it's a favorite of ours, and we understand that Lydia Bastianich takes here group tours here for lunch.  They only cook what they grow/produce---even the vino de casa is molto buono!   Until then, Ciao from Spello. 

Awakening to Church Bells

Church bells in Italian towns mean something; they not only mark the time, they are a call home.  In my grandmother's town of Gubbio they are only rung a few times a year, and today is the Festa di Cieri the annual festival of May 15 that has taken place for 100's of years.

 When townspeople hear the bells in Gubbio, tears stream down their faces; remembering past events in their home town.  The bells are rung with men standing on them----OSHA doesn't live here! I attended the Festa one year and it's a wild and crazy time--- part mosh pit, part religious experience, and part craziness Italian style---what's not to love? Especially when you already know who's going to win the race (it's always St. Ubaldo the patron saint of Gubbio!)

When people ask me about coming to Italy, they want to know where to go and what to see....Dr. C. and I have found that the treasure of Italy is not the sights, the food, wine, or even the art...it is the people.  From the person who greets you when you enter their shop with a buon giorno, to the gentleman sleeping on his porch in the mid-afternoon.....they all contribute to what makes Italy special.  If you are thinking of a trip, stay in an agritourismo or apartmento and become part of the family....we know nothing about hospitality compared to the Italians. 

This morning, we were greeted at the enoteca with a cappucino from Camellia.  She knows what we like, and it's on the table when we are settled.  We are home!   Buon giorno from Spello!

Bello Spello

Spello sits in the shadow of Mount Subasio, close to its more famous neighbor, Assisi.  Both have their own magic, but Assisi can be Disney-esque during the day---when touristi are everywhere.  At night, it's quiet, and you can have a table at any of the fine ristoranti. 

Spello is quiet most days....fewer touristi--this is the main street (there is ONLY one!) around 7 p.m. on a Thursday night.  Since Blogger was down yesterday, I didn't get to post, but these are a few photos from our day yesterday.  I'm still recovering from jet lag, Dr. C. seems to be just fine.....I'm still adjusting, but maybe it's the luxury of sleeping late and no workmen in our house! 

Our home away from home is Enoteca Properzio; one of the top wine bars in Italy---owned by the Angelini family our famiglia Italiana!  Rabid AC Milan fans, I'm a little bit afraid of what will happen when our son comes on the 26th and tell them he's an Inter-Milan fan!

Don't expect to find any of these wines in the states!  Come to Spello and enjoy the ambiance, and hospitality of the Angelinis and their awesome staff; Camellia, Domenica and Loretta.  They rent awesome flats in town, and include a wine tasting (which shouldn't be missed) with your stay. 

Saltimbocca alla Daniela

Yes, this is heaven on earth!

We are off to explore, I'll be back later in the weekend with more photos.  Enjoy your weekend!
On a side note, when I publish these posts, I get adverts in Italian down the side of my posts.  Not sure how they will come through in other countries!  Ciao!

Mangia Bene, and don't forget the wine!

Where else but Italy would you find works of art, that are fresh vegetables?  Our family brought this tub of tomatoes home today, and each one was perfectly pleated---so gorgeous!  

Yes, Dr. C and I have arrived in Spello, staying in un grande apartamento that our friends rent here in this small magical town.  I'll try and paste some photos of the flat (it's actually two that are connected) later this week.  I'm still pretty gorked from the trip---18 hours can do that to you.  

 This was part of our lunch--Portuguese tuna, preserved in olive oil, 25 year old Balsamic vinegar and organic olive oil with the fresh veggies, and mozzarella.  The wine is from the Tili vineyard here in Capo d'Aqua and it is called Etrusco.  Perfect choice for this meal, but I can assure you that this wasn't the only wine that we tasted; as I write this I'm sipping on some amazing champagne (yes, champagne from THAT champagne region)  

Tonight, we'll be tucking into bed early, and hopefully sleeping all the way through till the morning when the church bells ring.  Tomorrow we will probably check out the parks and play grounds nearby as our granddaugther will arrive on Monday and we'll be on "swing duty"!  A domani, Ciao!