((8))These Are Some of my Favorite Things((8)) - iamq and M in Umbria
Jul 20th, 2011, 05:32 AM
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So glad I found this trip report...it's fabulous. I love Italy, but haven't yet really explored Umbria, just did a day trip to Orvieto from Rome a few years back. After reading your report I want to book a trip to Spello! Now I'm going to take a peek at your photos! 
Jul 20th, 2011, 01:12 PM
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I enjoyed reading your trip report & all the "chatter" in between!
How lovely to have 10 days in Umbria! We recently spent 4 nights in Bevagna ... not nearly enough time!
Your Spello apartment was gorgeous! You've inspired me to consider an apartment for a different kind of holiday experience, especially in a small town.
Thanks for sharing your stories!
How lovely to have 10 days in Umbria! We recently spent 4 nights in Bevagna ... not nearly enough time!
Your Spello apartment was gorgeous! You've inspired me to consider an apartment for a different kind of holiday experience, especially in a small town.
Thanks for sharing your stories!
Jul 31st, 2011, 07:41 AM
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Other Things We Did
I loved the town of Montefalco. I would go back there in heartbeat and explore some more (and to eat again at L'Alchemista).
The Church Museum of St. Francis is a worthy destination here. The museum is well done and the church is actually not a church anymore, but part of the museum. The restorations they have done to the frescoes are lovely. The detail in the design work of the borders and accent work blew me away. When we were there a restoration person was working on one of the frescoes that decorate the underside of one of the arches. It was interesting to watch her work. I'm not sure how she felt about it, but I liked watching her. For those interested in olive oil, Romanelli has a store in town. It completely slipped my mind and I thought about it as we were just getting home to Spello.
Taverna Castelluccio is a must stop place if you’re doing Norcia/Piano Grande loop or drive. I am so glad we had lunch there instead of in Norcia. The food is good and surroundings are breathtakingly beautiful. Get a table outside or near the window and the meal becomes that much better.
On the way back from Castelluccio we took a detour to the town of Preci with the goal of going to see the Abbazia di Saint Eutizio. I had read a bit about this place. It was once considered by some the center of medical research in Italy with many medical advances being made there over hundreds of years. They apparently have an interesting museum to that effect. Unfortunately the museum was closed when we were there, but that didn’t stop us from exploring the area. It is actually a very pretty place with nice views over the valley and the surrounding hills. There are some very interesting prayer caves built into the hillside and pathways that take you up the hill for more views. The gardens are quiet and peaceful. There is also a small café/restaurant. We wouldn’t be making it to San Pietro en Valle and I wanted to stop at at least one old Abbey, so this was a nice compromise. There is a hiking trail loop from Preci and back that has the Abbey as one of its destinations.
If you find yourself in Spello and have some time and feel like going for a walk, I can highly recommend the trail that runs along the old Roman aqueduct all the way to the town of Collepino about 6 km. away. The aqueduct was restored by some people in town a few years ago. Every so often there are openings in it so you can look into and see how they made it. We both love Roman artifacts and ruins, so to be walking besides one for several kilometers was interesting. On the other side of the trail are old olive groves that stretch down the hill and above you and the aqueduct. Many of them had this years harvest hanging from the branches!
We went on this walk the Saturday morning of the Infiorate. The town was being cleaned up and people were just beginning to arrive in town, so we decided it would be a good time to leave! It was wonderful walking along the path as the noon bells in town began to ring. The sound of the bells echoed around the hills, but instead of stopping, the bells kept ringing and soon there was a song with melody and harmony being played by what seemed like more than one ringer in more than tower. Pretty soon the whole hillside was filled with the sound of bells. It continued on for what seemed like 30 minutes. We stopped and took it all in. It was one of those travel moments that give you goose bumps and leave you with a lump in your throat. We were at the right place at the right time.
Another worthwhile excursion was the two hours we spent wandering around the ancient ruins of Carsulae, south of Aquasparta. I had read about them here on Fodors and added it to our list. While maybe not an “A” list attraction for most tourists in Umbria, I would suggest it. It has some very well preserved buildings including parts of the theater and amphitheater. Plus, it was rather exciting to take a walk along the ancient Via Flaminia that runs right through the center of the town. The sense of history when one can do something like that is sort of special. I have an active imagination, so I was conjuring up images of Roman soldiers trudging down the road or peasants carrying their wares someplace to sell them. There are a few well preserved arches and foundations of homes and other buildings. It is sort of a wild and unmanicured place with wild flowers growing in amongst the ruins and hardly any other tourists to contend with, which is part of its charm. It felt like we had the place to ourselves. There is a small, but very well done museum on site with artifacts unearthed from excavations.
Our day to trip to Gubbio was spectacular! It is an amazing place and one of my favorite day trips we took. If you are anywhere even close to being close to it, GO! It is a truly unique place with so many things to see and do.
We stopped at Bevagna to have lunch and spent some time walking around the town during the day. I have to admit to not being particularly charmed by it like many other Fodorites are, but we didn’t spend much time there and we missed the Mercato, so I am probably not judging it fairly. We did eat very well at Osteria Podesta though. This was our sort of place! If we return to this area, Bevagna would be worth an early evening visit with dinner afterwards. It might even be fun to spend a two or three nights there.
This trip really cemented our “slow” approach to travel. Staying in a central base is the way to go for us. We don’t like packing and unpacking more than once or twice and spending ten nights in one place gave us access to experiences not possible in a two or three night stay.
I loved the low-key nature of Umbria and have been further taken in by Italy. I cannot imagine not returning at least every few years. The big conflict now is when we return to Italy, do we go back here or somewhere else? A return visit to Rome is definitely on the books and I can’t imagine not stopping in Orvieto again and exploring that area a bit. I loved the area around Gubbio and would love to explore Le Marche. Combining a large city visit with a rural experience would be fun. Then again, there is Lombardy, Piemonte, The Veneto, Emilia Romagna, and of course Sicily.
The trip home was...bearable, but it is awful to realize that another great experience is about to end. Travel depression combined with jet lag made the first three or four days home miserable. The cure was to pull out the maps of Italy and start planning the next one, and working on this mess of a report. LOL.
Well...that is about all I can think of right now. I am sure I will think of more and will post it. Please feel free to ask any questions or make comments.Thanks again to Fodorites for the invaluable help in planning and executing this trip!
I loved the town of Montefalco. I would go back there in heartbeat and explore some more (and to eat again at L'Alchemista).
The Church Museum of St. Francis is a worthy destination here. The museum is well done and the church is actually not a church anymore, but part of the museum. The restorations they have done to the frescoes are lovely. The detail in the design work of the borders and accent work blew me away. When we were there a restoration person was working on one of the frescoes that decorate the underside of one of the arches. It was interesting to watch her work. I'm not sure how she felt about it, but I liked watching her. For those interested in olive oil, Romanelli has a store in town. It completely slipped my mind and I thought about it as we were just getting home to Spello.
Taverna Castelluccio is a must stop place if you’re doing Norcia/Piano Grande loop or drive. I am so glad we had lunch there instead of in Norcia. The food is good and surroundings are breathtakingly beautiful. Get a table outside or near the window and the meal becomes that much better.
On the way back from Castelluccio we took a detour to the town of Preci with the goal of going to see the Abbazia di Saint Eutizio. I had read a bit about this place. It was once considered by some the center of medical research in Italy with many medical advances being made there over hundreds of years. They apparently have an interesting museum to that effect. Unfortunately the museum was closed when we were there, but that didn’t stop us from exploring the area. It is actually a very pretty place with nice views over the valley and the surrounding hills. There are some very interesting prayer caves built into the hillside and pathways that take you up the hill for more views. The gardens are quiet and peaceful. There is also a small café/restaurant. We wouldn’t be making it to San Pietro en Valle and I wanted to stop at at least one old Abbey, so this was a nice compromise. There is a hiking trail loop from Preci and back that has the Abbey as one of its destinations.
If you find yourself in Spello and have some time and feel like going for a walk, I can highly recommend the trail that runs along the old Roman aqueduct all the way to the town of Collepino about 6 km. away. The aqueduct was restored by some people in town a few years ago. Every so often there are openings in it so you can look into and see how they made it. We both love Roman artifacts and ruins, so to be walking besides one for several kilometers was interesting. On the other side of the trail are old olive groves that stretch down the hill and above you and the aqueduct. Many of them had this years harvest hanging from the branches!
We went on this walk the Saturday morning of the Infiorate. The town was being cleaned up and people were just beginning to arrive in town, so we decided it would be a good time to leave! It was wonderful walking along the path as the noon bells in town began to ring. The sound of the bells echoed around the hills, but instead of stopping, the bells kept ringing and soon there was a song with melody and harmony being played by what seemed like more than one ringer in more than tower. Pretty soon the whole hillside was filled with the sound of bells. It continued on for what seemed like 30 minutes. We stopped and took it all in. It was one of those travel moments that give you goose bumps and leave you with a lump in your throat. We were at the right place at the right time.
Another worthwhile excursion was the two hours we spent wandering around the ancient ruins of Carsulae, south of Aquasparta. I had read about them here on Fodors and added it to our list. While maybe not an “A” list attraction for most tourists in Umbria, I would suggest it. It has some very well preserved buildings including parts of the theater and amphitheater. Plus, it was rather exciting to take a walk along the ancient Via Flaminia that runs right through the center of the town. The sense of history when one can do something like that is sort of special. I have an active imagination, so I was conjuring up images of Roman soldiers trudging down the road or peasants carrying their wares someplace to sell them. There are a few well preserved arches and foundations of homes and other buildings. It is sort of a wild and unmanicured place with wild flowers growing in amongst the ruins and hardly any other tourists to contend with, which is part of its charm. It felt like we had the place to ourselves. There is a small, but very well done museum on site with artifacts unearthed from excavations.
Our day to trip to Gubbio was spectacular! It is an amazing place and one of my favorite day trips we took. If you are anywhere even close to being close to it, GO! It is a truly unique place with so many things to see and do.
We stopped at Bevagna to have lunch and spent some time walking around the town during the day. I have to admit to not being particularly charmed by it like many other Fodorites are, but we didn’t spend much time there and we missed the Mercato, so I am probably not judging it fairly. We did eat very well at Osteria Podesta though. This was our sort of place! If we return to this area, Bevagna would be worth an early evening visit with dinner afterwards. It might even be fun to spend a two or three nights there.
This trip really cemented our “slow” approach to travel. Staying in a central base is the way to go for us. We don’t like packing and unpacking more than once or twice and spending ten nights in one place gave us access to experiences not possible in a two or three night stay.
I loved the low-key nature of Umbria and have been further taken in by Italy. I cannot imagine not returning at least every few years. The big conflict now is when we return to Italy, do we go back here or somewhere else? A return visit to Rome is definitely on the books and I can’t imagine not stopping in Orvieto again and exploring that area a bit. I loved the area around Gubbio and would love to explore Le Marche. Combining a large city visit with a rural experience would be fun. Then again, there is Lombardy, Piemonte, The Veneto, Emilia Romagna, and of course Sicily.
The trip home was...bearable, but it is awful to realize that another great experience is about to end. Travel depression combined with jet lag made the first three or four days home miserable. The cure was to pull out the maps of Italy and start planning the next one, and working on this mess of a report. LOL.
Well...that is about all I can think of right now. I am sure I will think of more and will post it. Please feel free to ask any questions or make comments.Thanks again to Fodorites for the invaluable help in planning and executing this trip!
Jul 31st, 2011, 08:31 AM
#87
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Saraho,
We were there from June 20 to July 2. I would have liked to have gone earlier in June, but that didn't work out. As it happened, the weather was nearly perfect during our time frame. It was in the mid 80s most days and inched up to the high 80s on some days. We had rain one day and one night. The weather was remarkably variably from day to day. Some evenings were cooler with nice breezes and other nights were slightly humid with it being still. The week after we left the temps had risen into the 90s and low 100s apparently. That would have been too hot.
We were there from June 20 to July 2. I would have liked to have gone earlier in June, but that didn't work out. As it happened, the weather was nearly perfect during our time frame. It was in the mid 80s most days and inched up to the high 80s on some days. We had rain one day and one night. The weather was remarkably variably from day to day. Some evenings were cooler with nice breezes and other nights were slightly humid with it being still. The week after we left the temps had risen into the 90s and low 100s apparently. That would have been too hot.
Jul 31st, 2011, 08:49 AM
#88
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Let me add that the weather was much cooler once you got up into the Sibillini Mountains above Norcia and up on Mount Subasio above Spello and Assisi.
The other thing worth mentioning is that there seemed to be a breeze blowing through the streets of Spello most of the time that kept things cooler and bearable.
It was so breezy during the Infiorate that some of the designs had to be protected by tents and wind screens.
The other thing worth mentioning is that there seemed to be a breeze blowing through the streets of Spello most of the time that kept things cooler and bearable.
It was so breezy during the Infiorate that some of the designs had to be protected by tents and wind screens.
Aug 19th, 2011, 08:02 PM
#89
Bookmarking for a future long, enjoyable read. We are staying in a lovely property on the side of the mountain overlooking Spello in mid-October. This will be a tremendous resource for us. Thank you!
Aug 20th, 2011, 08:20 AM
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Seeing this topped reminded me that I never explained kybourbon's inquiry as to how we got the prosciutto past those cute little sniffing immigration beagles.
We went to the supermercado and found these huge ziplock baggies that were fairly heavyweight. We bought several. We placed the pig in the first one, and using a straw, sucked all the air out of it and wrapped it up tightly. We repeated this step three more times, so by the time we were done it was this quadruple baggged, air sucked out package that looked more like a kilo of some illegal drug than a cured leg of wild boar. We then packed it next too the two aged pecorinos that had a very pervasive odor to them in the hopes that the cheese scent (which is fine to bring back) would throw the dogs off the scent of the pig. I guess either we were lucky or it worked, because when it the bag came off the baggage roundabout it still had the goods in it. We have since been enjoying the prosciutto and also have been enjoying telling the story. I hope no one from customs is reading this.
We went to the supermercado and found these huge ziplock baggies that were fairly heavyweight. We bought several. We placed the pig in the first one, and using a straw, sucked all the air out of it and wrapped it up tightly. We repeated this step three more times, so by the time we were done it was this quadruple baggged, air sucked out package that looked more like a kilo of some illegal drug than a cured leg of wild boar. We then packed it next too the two aged pecorinos that had a very pervasive odor to them in the hopes that the cheese scent (which is fine to bring back) would throw the dogs off the scent of the pig. I guess either we were lucky or it worked, because when it the bag came off the baggage roundabout it still had the goods in it. We have since been enjoying the prosciutto and also have been enjoying telling the story. I hope no one from customs is reading this.
Aug 20th, 2011, 12:18 PM
#92
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Well, Ms. mcfong you are obviously a busy woman!
Glad you enjoyed it. As you know, Italy is truly a wonderful place. I am appreciating our time there now more than ever. The longer I am away, the more I realize what a great trip it was and how badly I want to go back.
Glad you enjoyed it. As you know, Italy is truly a wonderful place. I am appreciating our time there now more than ever. The longer I am away, the more I realize what a great trip it was and how badly I want to go back.
Aug 20th, 2011, 05:42 PM
#94
Iamq, i finally made it to Biordi today in North Beach. GORGEOUS ceramics!! I had emailed the owner to see if he had any shards to spare for my mosaic work. Turns out he was away for the day, and the nice lady working there called him and identified a few broken pieces, but hopefully I can go back when he's there and load up a few more.
Of course I couldn't make a clean getaway; bought a beautiful tile for the kitchen (definitely not going to be broken up at these prices!).
Of course I couldn't make a clean getaway; bought a beautiful tile for the kitchen (definitely not going to be broken up at these prices!).
Aug 21st, 2011, 06:03 AM
#96
The main shop is a sensory delight, but we were also able to go downstairs (down this wonderful, old timey North Beach, curved staircase) to the storage area while to see about the broken bits, and hang out while she called the owner. They have shelves and shelves of stuff below too! Love it. Thanks again for the great tip
Aug 21st, 2011, 07:36 PM
#98
Oh what I'd give for a couple of slices of wild boar on a slice of bread in one hand, and one of those luscious vine ripened tomatoes in the other just now!
Just stumbled over this imaq, thanks very much a great read.
Just stumbled over this imaq, thanks very much a great read.
