Gubbio: The Medieval Town

 

Buon giorno,

It's been a long day, and I'm hungry and tired, but I did enjoy my trip to Gubbio. First I had to find the bus station which is a fair step away from here, and the route I chose was not the best. For one thing it involved an endless flight of stairs down. And then google maps directed me to turn left when I should have turned right.

I knew I was way out of my way when I ended up near the minimetro stop. I asked some folks for directions, and fortunately they spoke a little English. I cannot say enough about the kindness of the people of Perugia. They seem genuinely happy to help! An older woman knew just where I needed to go. I arrived and bought my tickets and asked where to get the bus. I couldn't find the quay, so I went back and asked. The lady acted like I was an idiot because--you know what?--I was an idiot. The quay was right there behind me.

The bus soon came and we were off. One thing I learned today. While Tuscany is beautiful, Umbria is Even More Beautiful. The hills are heavily wooded with a variety of trees in their various hues of green only interrupted by vineyards and olive groves.

It's rather a long ride to Gubbio, but we arrived and I made my way to the historic center. It's a beautifully preserved Medieval town, but first my most pressing need was a toilet. I found one, and it was free, but the problem with free toilets in Italy is that they are ill maintained. There was no toilet paper. Never expect any. This is why I ALWAYS carry one of those little packs of tissue with me.

I had a lovely time just wandering around. I took an elevator up near the top of the town and walked down. It's very touristy, but not tacky and not at all crowded.

I made my way back to the bus stop, and took a photo of the unimpressive Roman Theatre on the way.

It turned out we were waiting at that wrong place, and fortunately a local corrected us. The bus shows up when it shows up, so I had to wait quite a long time, and the bus took a different route home--a a very scenic way up and down and around those Umbrian Hills. Just gorgeous.

Once in town the traffic was clogged, but we finally pulled into the station,  and I found an easier, more direct way home. Now I need to cook some linguine. I've already had my herby amaro and some almonds. My pasta will be dressed with some cacio e pepe sauce got from the store. It will be yummy!

Ciao for now

Palazzo Baldeschi al Corso and Some Shopping

 

Buon giorno,

As I had a Project Day yesterday and am planning another for tomorrow, I thought I'd give myself a comparatively easy day today. And also today was the morning of the planned blackout. I was hoping that the workers gave a generous estimate, and so it proved. The power went off later and came on earlier than they announced.  I'd taken care of all my personal needs before the power went off, as I must use the electric kettle to get warm water.

The Palazzo is fairly nearby, but it has very odd hours, so I saved it for today when it would open in the morning. Bur before it opened I got some cash and strolled around marking shops I intended to visit. and watching the merry-go-round in the Piazza.

I am happy to report that with the exception of a mother and young child, all the riders were middle aged or elderly adults having fun. It's the sort of thing I would do, too.

                                         

Then I walked down that intriguing passage pictured above.

At length the Palazzo opened and I entered. I got a handsome discount for being old and proceeded. on my visit. The young ladies in charge were very eager to help me. I think I was their only visitor at that time--because the joint is not open that much, and visitors need to plan.

Most of the Palazzo has been gutted, but on the first floor some lovely ceiling frescos survived.

The young ladies highly touted the "Special Exhibition" of contemporary artists in dialogue with the Middle Ages. I was unimpressed.

The other floors were more interesting to me. There was a reasonable collection of Renaissance and Baroque works. I enjoyed the landscapes and portraits most of all, and the same was true in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century works.

I saw a very impressive and beautiful collection of Umbrian Majolica. The colors just glowed!  I don't feel right about taking photos of these exhibits because I'm concerned about copyright.

I also came across the personal out put of an eccentric artist, who managed to convince he he was gay. Sure he had plenty of female nudes, but they didn't have the--uh--resonance of his male nudes.

This was a pleasant way to spend the morning, but I also had some shopping to do. I attended a chocolate shop a little further down the street that I found more elegant and less touristy than the ones nearer the Cathedral.

I also returned to the tiny shop selling Umbrian goodies.Let me take a sip of one of my purchases. It's an Umbrian liquer called Amaro d'Erbe. Smells sort of herby, but also like booze. It tastes very nice--not bitter at all, which is what amaro means. But I can tell from one sip that it is strong! I need to go slowly with this, and I have some left for tomorrow.

I slept pretty well, but I had an interesting nightmare. I dreamt I was at the train station about to board when I realized I hadn't packed. I had my luggage, but I'd left my belongings behind.  This won't happen in real life.

Ciao for now

Assisi: In the Steps of St. Francis

Buon giorno,

I've given up on getting hot water out of the tap. I'll just use the electric kettle some more. My hosts informed me that the power is going to be turned off tomorrow morning, so I need to make my arrangements early. 

Not waiting around for hot water, meant I got to go to Assisi. It's an easy trip from Perugia, but it is a Project, and I'm worn out. I stopped at the fancy bakery and used my voucher to get a couple of sandwiches because I'm also hungry. As I came home I spotted a lot of folks sitting outside on this pleasant afternoon enjoying their aperos.

From Assisi station it is wise to buy bus tickets from the kiosk across the street. It's a long way to the historic center and the last part is very steep. In fact the whole place is steep. I got a work out, but it was well worth it.

Francesco Bernardone was the son of a prosperous merchant who horrified family and friends by abandoning his carefree life as a rich young man about town for the life of a religious beggar. He took "Poverty" as his lady, and lived the life of an itinerant preacher supported by alms. Later he founded the Friars Minor with his followers, who dressed in coarse brown robes and lived a life of self denial and service. Francis is one of the most beloved of Roman Catholic saints (Even the late Pope took his name for his own!) (Even hard core Protestants admire Francis) because he was the most radical Christian since Jesus himself.

My first target was the grand basilica dedicated to him and where he is buried. The place is magnificent, but I couldn't help thinking it would give Francis fits if he knew. Why wasn't those resources given to the poor? he'd ask.

I'm glad I got there early. It was already crowded and services were being held, but the place was navigable. I paid my respects at Francis's tomb and sought the way to the upper basilica as the place has two stories. I can't remember how long ago it was, but Assisi suffered a catastrophic earthquake, which damaged the cathedral and crumbled the priceless frescos by Giotto and other distinguished artists depicting scenes from Francis's life.  The works have been carefully and effectively restored.

Giotto is one of my favorites. He revolutionized narrative painting with the use of accurate depictions of three dimensional space and placing figures in it and in relation to each other in a more natural, yet dramatic way.

When I walked by on my way back there was a giagantic line to get into the church. Come early, Amici.

Then I strolled through the town--uphill. Now Assisi is Very Touristy, but I also saw many signs of genuine piety and devotion.  If you want religious tat, you can find it. There are also high end religious and secular items on offer and also a lot of food. You will have no chance to starve.  And the thing about walking up hill is that when it comes time to leave one can go downhill. There are also public toilets scattered about. I used one for .50 Euro, and it was clean and well maintained. It just irritates me when I have to pay to pee.

It's a very pretty town and quite well preserved, and I think it would be fun to stay there except I prefer Perugia. I did (I hope) build up some good traveller karma by helping two women find the bus stop for the airport.

Bus after bus came. "Stazione?" "Non" The woman who was waiting at the stop with me and I sort of bonded, and I could understand her Italian. But obviously we all got home just fine.

Ciao for now

A Certain Amount of Frustration

 

Buon giorno,

This morning I found that the hot water was off again. Sigh. Now I did not have any big plans for today apart from shopping, but as much as I enjoy just Being in Italy it's kind of a waste just sitting around my apartment waiting for things to be fixed. My gracious hosts are upset on my behalf and embarrassed. I don't want to be cranky to such lovely people, but to be frank this has not been fun.

The photo is of an intriguing looking passage. When I first arrived my cab driver sent me up there, but I soon became skeptical, and a young Perugian woman who spoke excellent Englsih noticed my bewilderment and offered help.  I got my grocery shopping done. For one thing, I'd miscalculated and ran out of tea bags. Now I can still have morning tea.

Perhaps you noticed a glaring omission in the Italian food I have been eagerly devouring.

Yeah, Pil, what about formaggio, huh? It's rude to come to Italy and not eat their cheese.

You have that right, and I am remedying that issue with today's apero. I actually don't know what kind of cheese it is. It's semi soft, no rind, but it tastes a lot like taleggio. It's not sharp at all, but it has a distinct and very pleasant taste that goes well with my red wine from Assisi.  This is delightful!

Let's fast forward to dinner. It's a chilly afternoon so a hot meal will be welcome. At the grocery I found some DOP pesto Genovese. It's not even close to being Umbrian, but I really enjoyed it when I was in Genoa, so I mixed it with tuna and had it with linguine.  Here we go.

I knew when I wrestled the container open, that we had found the real deal from the sharp smell of basil. A lot of people have had pesto, and it's been very tasty, but the real thing made with Ligurian basil and olive oil is a revelation.  With tuna and pasta--in this case linguine--it's superb. But let's have a sip of some vin bianco from Orvieto. Mmm. I'm not sure Italians would approve of such cross regional contamination, but it sure does work for me.

Ciao for now

A Day Out in Spello

 

Buon giorno,

With the hot water situation sorted, I am free to take day trips. I wanted to start smallish because the other destinations I have in mind are Projects. Spello is close and compact. Sounded good.

I had a pleasant time and returned home via the porchetta stand. It was crowded, but the meat guy is efficient. Plenty of locals frequent the place. In fact one woman was urging a young American man and me to "try the vegetarian option." LOL no. I'm here for the meats. The young man got a panini that sounded really tasty to me, so maybe I'll have that next time.  This time I knew to ask for un canario, which is what I had last time and what I'm tucking into right now. Sooooo Goooood!!!!

One reason I needed to start small is that I had to figure out the public transportation. There are busses, but the best way to get to the train station is the minimetro, which are small, driverless, cars that run on rails. I bought a ten ride ticket from the machine,  One puts the ticket in a slot so the gate will open, and then one waits for the next container. It's fun to ride.

At the proper stop, it's short walk to the station. I have to say I'm glad I did not try this when I arrived, the cars are very cool, but there are stairs involved.

I got my day return ticket from the machine, carefully validated it, and just missed the train, but another one came along, and I was launched. Parts of the journey were very scenic. For example there were a lot of olives groves recognizable by the silvery leaves on well pruned trees.

I'd never heard of Spello before, but from what the internet told me it was a good destination--and so it proved.  The historic center,  or storico centrale as we Italians say, is a fair step from the station and up hill. I would not visit in wet weather. the streets are very narrow and have rough and slippery-looking footing.

It's a very pretty, neat looking town and was largely empty of tourists. I had a nice time strolling around.

I made my way back to the station and caught the next train home, but I was naughty and forgot to validate my ticket. Uh oh. But I got away with it because no one checked. I just need not to do that again. I gained confidence for the next bigger day trips, but it won't be tomorrow because I have some things to do in town.

Ciao for now

The Saga of the Hot Water Boiler

 

Buon giorno,

I did get out in the afternoon--witness the shot I took of the famous Arco Etrusco, but I woke up to cold water again. I let my hosts know. They had a technician on call, so I had to wait around for him and Francesco to come. In the meantime I amused myself with my lap top

Of course, I have no idea what was wrong with the thing, but the technician worked on it with much banging and going up and down a ladder for at least forty-five minutes with Francesco asking questions and taking photos the whole time.

It was cool and very windy when I went out. My first stop was a bankomat to replenish my cash although Northern and Central Italy are card friendly.

Then I went in search of the Arco Etrusco. Predictably I got turned around, but what's the point of coming to Europe if one isn't going to walk and walk. I did pass this fun item on a wall.

Eventually I got on track and followed the sign posts--down a steep hill thinking all the while about how I was going to have to climb up again. The way was long, and I was thinking of giving up when I came upon the arch. It's an Etruscan arch, but the Romans invented the arch, and Augustus Caesar made sure there was an inscription honoring him on the entablature. There's a street that runs through it, so I decided to take that. It was steep, but also a bit of a short cut.

There's a window in the transverse arch across the street. Does someone live there? Wouldn't it be fun to stay in such a place?

The street dumped me out near the Etruscan Well so I knew where I was. I easily found the grocery store and picked up some tasty items, plus a couple of souvenirs. Italy has teeny tiny pastas for soup that I have never seen in the United States. Is it wrong to say the pasta shapes are adorable? Anyway I'm bringing some home for me and any friend who cares to have a packet

Dinner is linguine with tuna and pesto calabrese--not very Umbrian, but pretty tasty. Anything can be a pesto as long as it's pounded. Calabrese features red bell pepper, tomatoes, and some Calabrian hot peppers. It's delightful with pasta. I got some rose from Umbria to go with it.

Ciao for now

Perugia Sotteranea or Perugia Underground

 

Buon giorno,

We are not having our usual apero today because it is October 14, a day I celebrate the Norman Conquest of England, which I imagine is a fairly unpopular thing to do among those who actually think about the matter.

After my underground tour I repaired to the fancy pastry shop to employ my gift voucher. I came away with a piece of chocolate naughtiness called a Sobbriona. The green tea in my cup will counteract the sugar and fat, I'm sure. Let's have a bite.  There's a chocolate cookie affair as the base and then two layers of chocolate goo. It's very rich. If you were here . . . well, I still wouldn't share.

The hot water was out again this morning, but my host came and fixed it, and my hostess is looking for a technician to really fix it.

I booked a spot in the English tour for Perugia Sotteranea. Now I happen to have a taste for archeology, and I've done city foundation tours underground in Naples and Lisbon, and they have been fun and informative. Our tour in Perugia takes place right under the Cathedral because that was close to the site of the Etruscan Acropolis. You can see the Cathedral in the photo above. The entrance to the underground tour is just beyond it.

This is the cortile behind the Cathedral where we gathered and began to follow our Guide.

We had to go down many flights of stairs. Now stairs are not my friends, but I wasn't the only elderly person on the tour, and there were handrails, so I was fine albeit a little slow.  Most of the tour featured the Etruscans, which is what I was there for, but we also saw a few Roman fragments.  On one part of the tour we walked on the stones of a Roman road. The Guide was obviously proud of his city and heritage, and we really needed his commentary to make sense of the stone blocks and vaults we viewed. He also had a tablet from which he could show us some historic recreations of the sites.

Here are a couple of shots where the light was sufficient for me to take a picture.

I learned that in Etruscan Perusia the chief deity was the Goddess Uni whose temple sat at the highest point of the acropolis. Unfortunately the temple and city were burned because Augustus Caesar was offended their support of Marc Antony. Uni is the Etruscan version of Juno or (if you are Greek) Hera.

The tour finished off with us sitting on stools putting virtual reality headsets on. Then we were taken on a  fascinating virtual tour of the sites we'd visited including the house of an Etruscan noble, the marketplace, and a. trip up to the Acropolis to see the Temple of Uni.

Once above ground I went to get my pastry. The shop is small but fancy, and the service is not exactly efficient, but I got what I wanted, and boy oh boy was it good!  I had to chuckle inwardly because the guy who waited on my did my takeaway order in a an elaborate package including a plastic tray, a wrapping tried with ribbon and a bag. I was all like, Dude the second I get home, I'm going to rip all your hard work apart.

Ciao for now