aug, 5th - village life....

"Even in Italy, where regions rich with artistic inheritance are the rule and not the exception, Umbria remains outstanding.....

In addition to its natural beauty, art, history and wine, Umbria offers its share of traditional festivals, whose colorful celebrations so enliven Italy."

Fodor's Modern Guides. Italy 1957.

day 174:

[T3London - Things To Do in London will return next Thurs]

this week we're in Italy...

we've been coming back to the same small village in Umbria for 8 years now, so we know the area fairly well (although shamefully, my Italian has still not progressed beyond the odd-word-lots-of-hand-signals stage) so....instead of a T3London post, i'm focusing on our favourite things in Umbria...

il nostro preferito cose (our favourite things)

Alfresco dining at La Grazie - Via Apparita, 79  06057 - Monte castello di vibio - doglio  (Perugia) Tel.:0758796041, 

Horse riding with my brother-in-law across Umbrian terrain.

The views and endless dinners at Titignano - Titignano -  Orvieto (TR) Tel. +39.0763.308.000

Pizza in Todi, sitting at a long table in the alley or in the garden with a gorgeous view. Cavour Pizzeria 21/23 c Cavour 

Rum & Perra (rum & pear) shots in the bar downstairs and stumbling back up the hill to bed. 

(only open in Summer and pre-Limi)

Picnics on my sister’s farm, feasting on her wood-fire chicken.

Tavola Vino from the petrol pump wine shop - Cantina Sociale Colli Perugini - 1 Zona Industriale Cerro 075 8749 523 

Our favourite places being captured in oil by artist, Lucy Macgillis. 

Racing (well it's all relative) up the hill in my sister's fiat cinquecento's restored with retro seat covers by the wonderful Otello Moriconi

The molino del Azienda Agricola San Romualdo olive mill run by Emanuele Scapicchi. 

Watching all our hard word being turned into golden oil.

Linen from Montefalco or Anghiari

Delicious lunch feasts on the terrace at home

Panacotta di brusco in Grutti at La Noce

Pistacchio gelati in Orvieto

Finding sagra's (food festivals) in small villages across the region. Particularly the Nutella Festa in Collepepe in July. 

Goat's cheese in ash from Fattoria Ma'Falda.

Cooking in heavy copper pots from Montepulciano

Bespoke woodwork by Luigi Bonini and his family's company