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Gubbio, Gubbio, wherefore art thou, O Gubbio?

Gubbio, Gubbio, wherefore art thou, O Gubbio?

Old Mar 16th, 2017, 09:57 PM
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Gubbio, Gubbio, wherefore art thou, O Gubbio?

Sorry. That is somewhat dramatic.

We're going to be staying with about a dozen friends and family members in the hills just south of Gubbio in mid-September. What I would like to find out is whether any of you knows the area around Gubbio, Umbria, Italy, and could recommend your favorites for us to look into.
Namely:
noteworthy restaurants, osterias, trattorias, pizzerias?
bars and enotecas?
scenic drives?
other worthwhile sites such as museums, towns or villages that shouldn't be missed? (we're already looking forward to riding maitaitom's "Bucket of Bolts" to see San Ubaldo)
Although I'll continue Googling away at it, I have great respect for your collective expertise.

Some in the group want to do wine tastings, others are interested in a cooking class, and others want to hunt truffles. Has anyone partaken of any of these endeavors in this region? Can you hook me up with names or links?

Every bit of information will be truly appreciated. Please translate any Korean replies into English. Grazie!
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Old Mar 17th, 2017, 08:00 AM
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I assume you'll be visiting Assisi, Spello, perhaps Bevagna. Random driving in the area around Bastardo, Montefalco and south to Spoleto is very scenic.

We enjoyed the drive between Gubbio and Perugia on the secondary road (SR298). Easier in the morning and mid-day than in the afternoon when the sun is in your eyes.

We happened to be in Umbertide on market day which was fun but made parking difficult. [Generally, you should research parking in advance for any town you plan to visit.]

Recently, I really liked seeking out local crafts in the Lake Trasimeno area. Panicale, Paciano, Isola Maggiore, Tuoro...

Depending on how far south of Gubbio you're staying, consider an excursion to Urbino. It's a beautiful drive, and the Palazzo Ducale and cathedral are worth visiting. There's a café in the ducal palace, or look for Osteria della Stella where, supposedly, local boy Raphael dined.

In the opposite direction, we liked Todi and lunch on the terrace at Ristorante Umbria.

In Gubbio, we've had lunch on two trips at Picchio Verde (Green Woodpecker). The first time, we were the only tourists, but by the second visit it had been discovered.
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Old Mar 17th, 2017, 09:51 AM
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The Frasassi caves aren't that far, and they really are spectacular.
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Old Mar 17th, 2017, 11:34 AM
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Thanks for the replies! Keep'em coming.
Jean, we're going to be staying near Carbonesca. Assisi and Spello are already on our radar, and Montefalco is under consideration. That would be my choice for wine tastings, except for the drive back. I'd like to have someone come to our place.
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Old Mar 17th, 2017, 02:11 PM
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Definitely ride the little rickety bird cages to the top of the town! We had a lovely drink and snack at the top after hiking around a bit. Gubbio was a highlight of our trip!
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Old Mar 17th, 2017, 02:39 PM
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>>>We enjoyed the drive between Gubbio and Perugia on the secondary road (SR298)>>and Montefalco is under consideration
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Old Mar 17th, 2017, 02:58 PM
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If you chose Montefalco to reside, this villa was a great place to stay.

villazuccari.com/en
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Old Mar 17th, 2017, 04:22 PM
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In Gubbio, we were moved by the unforgettable memorial to WWII martyrs killed by the Germans. It was in the newer part of town.

I don't have words for this but it was a memorable part of our beautiful time in Umbria.
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Old Mar 18th, 2017, 05:26 AM
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I can recommend everything on Jean's list, and I would add Todi. For excellent salamis and local cheeses, Norcia and the surrounding area are unsurpassed.

Just over the border in Le Marche, a very beautiful drive would take you to the beautiful 9th century monastery of Fonte Avellana. They give guided tours in Italian, but they have a script in English which lets you follow along. They have a pharmacy that sells all sorts of products produced by the monastic order, mostly at their monastery in Tuscany. The bar sells liqueurs made by the monks, including a chocolate liqueur made on site. There are lots of hiking trails that pass the monastery.

Near Fonte Avellana, Frontone has a nice castle in the upper town, and great views over the countryside. There's a good rustic restaurant, La Taverna della Rocca, also in the upper town.

Most of September is not truffle season, unfortunately. The white truffle season begins on the last Sunday of the month. Any truffle hunts you find will be for inferior types, or even staged for the tourists.
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Old Mar 18th, 2017, 05:35 AM
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All of this is great!
I wondered about the truffle hunting. The prices for a day's excursion seem awfully high. We thought perhaps for the price you should be able to keep all of the truffles you find. Not sure that's how it works.
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Old Mar 18th, 2017, 10:12 AM
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Spello is our favorite place in Umbria! And Umbria might just be our favorite place in Italy!! You can't go wrong.

If anyone in your group likes Italian Ceramics or wants to bring back something for friends - Deruta is a must. Definitely check out Patrizio Chiuchiu who is really a wonderful artist http://www.derutanelmondo.it/en/cera...chiu-patrizio/

His pieces aren't inexpensive but are very beautiful. There are many other shops with more affordable options. The D'Orsi sisters are very, very nice with beautiful pieces and worth a visit just to meet them.

It seems everything in the town is made of ceramics - benches, clocks, even electric guitars!!
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Old Mar 18th, 2017, 10:46 AM
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A friend of mine runs a very snazzy artist's retreat in a town near Gubbio. She takes visiting fellows on a tour of the paintings of Piero Della Francesca, stopping in Urbino, Sansepolcro, Monterchi and Arezzo. Although I haven't had the pleasure myself, it is something I would very much like to do. Perhaps some or all of these stops might appeal to you.
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Old Mar 18th, 2017, 11:30 AM
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Hi Dave_Ohio,

It took DH and me two trips to cover some of the places mentioned by you and others, but here are the TRs that include them:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ellagio-tr.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-and-bus.cfm

Gubbio is mentioned in the second TR. Spoleto was our wonderful base for some of the other cities/towns. Our hotel in Spoleto had an excellent resto and it was the meeting place of a local foodie group.

See if you can find maitaitom's TR about the area as well.

Have a great time.
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Old Mar 18th, 2017, 11:34 AM
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I just started re-reading the Turin, etc. TR and am reminded it was written in 2005! However, the need to allow lots of time if you are flying alitalia hasn't changed at all! Hope it has some info that is helpful.
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Old Mar 18th, 2017, 11:53 AM
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Dave; Lots of good suggestions.

I think it's time to look at a map and see what town is more centrally located to take up residence for the cities/towns you want to visit.
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Old Apr 23rd, 2017, 09:24 PM
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Thanks, iris.

I realize that this location isn't the most central for taking in many interesting places in Umbria. However, it is the location of my youngest daughter's wedding celebration, a deposit has been paid, and it is a fait accompli (un'affare fatto). We are planning to visit Assisi and have wine tastings in Spello on one day. Perhaps a cooking lesson on another day, and, of course, a party for the newlyweds on another day.

I will get to Montefalco as well, one way or another, by Giorgio! I love Sagrantino!
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Old Apr 24th, 2017, 03:42 AM
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My husband and I have twice vacationed in Umbria. We've done two wine tastings with an outfit called Gusto out of Montefalco. The owners are Australians who settled in Umbria about 15 years ago. They offer full and half day tours of wineries largely near Montefalco, with or without an included lunch. I HIGHLY recommend such an outing. They're excellent hosts and have relationships with the area's best winemakers. Plus, you'll see some lovely countryside and learn about local wines and growers.
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Old Apr 24th, 2017, 06:54 AM
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It's hard to go wrong with restaurants in this area. There aren't enough tourists to encourage tourist traps. We don't live very far from Gubbio, and have eaten there fairly often. We've always chosen a random restaurant that looks good, and haven't ever had a bad meal.

I don't know much about Umbrian wines, because I drink very little wine, and, anyway, Umbria isn't really famous for their wines. I believe they mostly produce white wines.

I wonder how many people know that "wherefore" means "why". Juliet was saying to herself, "Why are you Romeo?", because his family were bitter enemies of her family.
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Old Apr 24th, 2017, 07:21 AM
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Umbria isn't necessarily famous for their wines (yet) but that doesn't mean they don't produce some lovely wines worth learning about and drinking if you're interested in wine. The red wine that Umbria is particularly known for is Montefalco Sagrantino. Montefalco Rosso is another. There are some lovely whites, too. We're nothing but wine amateurs ourselves but we have enjoyed the tours as an opportunity to learn about the area and to enjoy good food and wine with fellow travelers. Again, I'd recommend Gusto wholeheartedly.

Wine Enthusiast ran a cover story on the region a few years back. www.winemag.com/2012/09
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Old Apr 24th, 2017, 08:56 AM
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Dave,

I have great respect for your use of the vocative case.
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