Best of Umbria - please contribute!
Sep 11th, 2004, 06:46 PM
#41
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Outside of Trevi is a place called D'Ullivo which has the most incredible meals in the world. Enormous variety excellent quality. It is also a great inexpensive very comfortable place to stay. 1 mile north of Trevi in an olive grove with big clean rooms, olive tree furniture, great pool. Great place, great deal.
May 17th, 2005, 05:04 AM
#43
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Dog Mother, here's an article you will enjoy reading. It's written by a dear friend of my parents, Megan Rialti. She and her husband own and operate a B&B in a small town near Perugia. It's chock-full of information!
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/umbria/mr_umbria.htm
Now to some of your questions:
1. Best hilltown for me is Gubbio. Lots to see and do there because it's neither too large or small. And there's that funicular thingie that takes you up the hill to the church. Not to be missed!
2. Best car drive is TO Gubbio from the Perugia area. Full of twists and turns.
3. Best church is in Todi. It's so elegant and serene. Nice to see a church that's not over-the-top gaudy inside or out.
4. No pizza for us in Umbria!
5. Best purchase was the pottery we bought in Deruta. Absolutely gorgeous stuff.
6. Best event was simply sightseeing in Umbria. Bar none.
7. Best encounter was with the shopkeeper in Deruta. We went back and forth trying to pick out a piece of pottery, and when we were all satisfied with our choice, he brought out a tray of candied almonds to seal the deal! We were told it's local custom, and you always choose an odd number of nuts, so we all had three.
8. Best restaurant (I hope you take the trouble to go here) is LA FATTORIA DI MONTEMELINO in the small town of Montemelino, about 15 km from Perugia. We stayed at Megan's B&B and it's down the street. Our meal was so delicious that even if it weren't down the street, we'd have driven miles to eat there! The restaurant is a great favorite. The decor is that rustic/elegant style that the Italians do so well, and the food was heavenly and very well-priced, too. I think we spent about 60&uro; for dinner for two of us, including wine and dessert and coffee.
Here's my hint about Assissi. Yes, it's touristy but you can minimize a lot of that by approaching the basilica by a roundabout way. What we did was park in the first big parking lot (on the right, can't miss it). Then we walked up to the big fort at the top of the hill and toured it. You CAN'T walk through town to reach the fort; the path skirts the edges of the town. The fort provides fabuluous views and it's worth seeing. Afterward, we walked down the hill TO town, arriving at the basilica at the back of it. We walked through the residential part of town to get there. By doing this, we completely missed all the touristy shops selling junk. We were in a good frame of mind to see the church. After the church, we went into the center of Assissi and were amazed at all the touristy stuff all over! We simply hadn't seen it on our route.
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/umbria/mr_umbria.htm
Now to some of your questions:
1. Best hilltown for me is Gubbio. Lots to see and do there because it's neither too large or small. And there's that funicular thingie that takes you up the hill to the church. Not to be missed!
2. Best car drive is TO Gubbio from the Perugia area. Full of twists and turns.
3. Best church is in Todi. It's so elegant and serene. Nice to see a church that's not over-the-top gaudy inside or out.
4. No pizza for us in Umbria!
5. Best purchase was the pottery we bought in Deruta. Absolutely gorgeous stuff.
6. Best event was simply sightseeing in Umbria. Bar none.
7. Best encounter was with the shopkeeper in Deruta. We went back and forth trying to pick out a piece of pottery, and when we were all satisfied with our choice, he brought out a tray of candied almonds to seal the deal! We were told it's local custom, and you always choose an odd number of nuts, so we all had three.
8. Best restaurant (I hope you take the trouble to go here) is LA FATTORIA DI MONTEMELINO in the small town of Montemelino, about 15 km from Perugia. We stayed at Megan's B&B and it's down the street. Our meal was so delicious that even if it weren't down the street, we'd have driven miles to eat there! The restaurant is a great favorite. The decor is that rustic/elegant style that the Italians do so well, and the food was heavenly and very well-priced, too. I think we spent about 60&uro; for dinner for two of us, including wine and dessert and coffee.
Here's my hint about Assissi. Yes, it's touristy but you can minimize a lot of that by approaching the basilica by a roundabout way. What we did was park in the first big parking lot (on the right, can't miss it). Then we walked up to the big fort at the top of the hill and toured it. You CAN'T walk through town to reach the fort; the path skirts the edges of the town. The fort provides fabuluous views and it's worth seeing. Afterward, we walked down the hill TO town, arriving at the basilica at the back of it. We walked through the residential part of town to get there. By doing this, we completely missed all the touristy shops selling junk. We were in a good frame of mind to see the church. After the church, we went into the center of Assissi and were amazed at all the touristy stuff all over! We simply hadn't seen it on our route.
Mar 6th, 2006, 05:02 PM
#46
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Sue...our most recent visit was last spring...I can recommend not to give Perugia short shrift..it's a fascinating city and I can heartily recommend the Hotel Fortuna on the very top level of the city. Lovely lodgings and staff. Perugia's gigantic piazza is a real people watching and chatting place, eateries everywhere and a fabulous Perugian chocolate shop with a bright red awning.
Favorite town is Montefalco, where you'll receive a warm welcome from the mother-daughter (Christina) team that own the Enoteca on the northeast corner of the town's main piazza...sampling the wonderful local olive oil and wine is as pleasant an hour or two you can spend.
Also, the road to Norcia as stated above is a beautiful ride to take. The vistas are panoramically beautiful.
The church in Orvieto in some ways matches the cathedral in Assissi, and the town is most inviting.
Park at the bottom and take the funicular, then walk the short walk to the main piazza beyond the aforementioned church.
A picnic spot that we liked a lot is beside the small lake at the Temple of Clitunno on the main road to
Spoleto from Assissi. We knew about it in advance and bought paninis, tomatoes, cheese and wine in Foligno. We were the only two people there (April)..there's a minimal fee to enter.
The drives in and around Bevagna and Montefalco are quite beautiful also, passing farm after farm and delightful villages..
Don't miss Todi, a hill town to behold...the Ristorante Umbria at the top of the town overlooking the valley below is a great setting for lunch or dinner.
Enjoy Umbria..it's charming!
Stu T.
Favorite town is Montefalco, where you'll receive a warm welcome from the mother-daughter (Christina) team that own the Enoteca on the northeast corner of the town's main piazza...sampling the wonderful local olive oil and wine is as pleasant an hour or two you can spend.
Also, the road to Norcia as stated above is a beautiful ride to take. The vistas are panoramically beautiful.
The church in Orvieto in some ways matches the cathedral in Assissi, and the town is most inviting.
Park at the bottom and take the funicular, then walk the short walk to the main piazza beyond the aforementioned church.
A picnic spot that we liked a lot is beside the small lake at the Temple of Clitunno on the main road to
Spoleto from Assissi. We knew about it in advance and bought paninis, tomatoes, cheese and wine in Foligno. We were the only two people there (April)..there's a minimal fee to enter.
The drives in and around Bevagna and Montefalco are quite beautiful also, passing farm after farm and delightful villages..
Don't miss Todi, a hill town to behold...the Ristorante Umbria at the top of the town overlooking the valley below is a great setting for lunch or dinner.
Enjoy Umbria..it's charming!
Stu T.
Mar 6th, 2006, 06:31 PM
#47
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I live in Perugia and love Assisi - each town in Umbria has so much to offer.
If you are here on June 4, lots of people will be up in the National Park above Assisi having a picnic - there are fabulous views of the whole of Umbria and beyond, from up there.
There is a lot to see in the area surrounding Assisi - much less commercialized etc.
Lots of smaller less "important" towns give you more of a "feel" of Umbria -my favourite drive is from Assisi via the top of Subasio, stopping in Collepino on the way down to Spello.
If you are here on June 4, lots of people will be up in the National Park above Assisi having a picnic - there are fabulous views of the whole of Umbria and beyond, from up there.
There is a lot to see in the area surrounding Assisi - much less commercialized etc.
Lots of smaller less "important" towns give you more of a "feel" of Umbria -my favourite drive is from Assisi via the top of Subasio, stopping in Collepino on the way down to Spello.
