On Tuesday the temperatures soared so we did ....... nothing. A day to laze around on the terrace, read, contemplate the view, wonder what to have for dinner and if it was too early to open the wine.
To repent for our slothful ways we set off, remember we're half way up an enormous hillside, on mountain bikes. Going downhill was slightly scary, no brakes. Going uphill was slightly difficult, no gears. Still, the pedals turned the wheels and we made a good distance taking in a route around little villages, vineyards, market garden-type places and corn fields. The sun was still warm, the light on the houses mellow and our bums hurt like hell!
Roberto (phwoar) arrived at 8.30 pm to bring us a massive jam tart, this serving dish is the size of two dinner plates, which his mama had made for us this afternoon! Remember Roberto is about 45 years old!! These Italian boys love their mamas and their mamas love their boys!
Wednesday dawned bright and beautiful again, we took a tour of some of the gorgeous villages and towns in the valley. We began by going up to the top of the hill to the small, but perfectly formed, village of Bettona then meandered down to the mediaeval village of Spello. It's all tiny streets, pink stone and pot plants and so, so pretty. We passed by a small Tourist Information centre so stuck our heads round the door. The girl inside said, 'You like to explore Spello? Very simple, one street, go left then right.' Don't think she was too enamoured with her lot!
Unfortunately as we were returning to the car big black clouds appeared, then the heavens opened. Never mind we were on our way to Spoleto, a stylish, but very quiet town. (I think it was half-day closing on Wednesday!)
The streets led upwards, don't they always, in ever increasing gradients until I was walking on my toes. Our first bit of Italian pizza for lunch, oh bliss, just no-where else in the world serves pizza like this - thin base, fresh tomato sauce, herbs and mozzarella, melts in your mouth. The rain hadn't reached Spoleto so we walked up and down, in and out, window shopping and dreaming of a little place in the Umbrian sun!
Eventually we found a bar/cafe with wi-fi and spent a pleasant hour catching up on e-mails, news from home, football results, posting the last blog and searching for accommodation for the coming weekend.
Oh the vagaries of Italian plumbing! There are two hot taps in the apartment and a shower. You must remember that nothing is instant, this is Italy after all, and turn the bathroom tap on before you visit the toilet. When you need to wash your hands the water may, and I mean may, be hot. Same with the shower, turn it on, forget about it for 10 minutes, then return and act pleasantly surprised if it warms your body, then scream as it goes scalding hot! As for the kitchen tap ...... it would be quicker to wait for Leeds to get promoted! Speaking of which, whilst we were in Monaco Jim thought he'd pay a visit to Ken Bates and offer him a bit of advice re his favourite football club, turns out Ken wasn't at home - he was in Leeds dishing out ultimatums to the boy from Sheffield. Typical!
We went to Gubbio on Thursday, 'the most thoroughly mediaeval of the Umbrian towns' courtesy of The Rough Guide to Italy circa 2003 (must have been the first year we visited Italy then.) It's absolutely picture-perfect, rose-pink houses and orange tiled roofs with the Apennines behind. We wandered through the narrow streets, dodging cars squeezing through impossibly tiny spaces and even driving down steps! We took the funicular up to the Basilica from Porta Romana, you step onto these wire cages then dangle precariously over the crags and woods below you as you slowly and jerkily make your way to the top.
Bit unnerving but I loved it, and the views of the town from the top were pretty spectacular. In the basilica are three massive wooden pillars (cera) which are carried up the steep winding road to the basilica in an annual race which has apparently been going on for 900 years. The rules are so convoluted, but apparently the same team has to win every year!!! What's the point then? It obviously includes lots of alcohol and when the ceras are raised vertical at the end of the race and the crowd roar their approval - well thats got nothing to do with religion, more like.... well, you make up your own minds.
As we were leaving Gubbio we got caught on the edge of a thunderstorm which looked pretty amazing, albeit it was over the Bettona hills. When we got back we were faced with sodden towels, put out to dry on the terrace in the sun that morning, but there was a gorgeous rainbow over the valley as some recompense.
Friday was our last day in Umbria and we were slightly panicked as we had no where to stay in Amalfi. We sent off loads of enquiries but, unusually, had no returns. Anyway Friday morning saw us sitting in the Ipermarket in Collestrada, the only place which has wi-fi for miles around. Finally, realising the website we have been using for owner apartment lets wasn't working we booked an hotel. Business accomplished we headed for two hillside villages just to have a meander and the obligatory shot of coffee. For your information they are called Trevi, where we picnicked,
and Montefalco where we spent a pleasant half an hour in a bar with two Italian women who didn't have a word of English, matched our lack of Italian perfectly! Still we managed to communicate somehow!
Roberto came round for a chat tonight about our travels, he and his wife are planning to go to Australia, when the youngest of his four children, aged from 6 to 17, grows up a bit!!!
We bought a 5 litre can of extra virgin olive oil made from his own olive trees. We were having a moan about the roads in Umbria, even the surface of motorways and dual carriageways is as rough as a farm track at home. Roberto explained there is no money for road repairs. He loves having people from England, Germany, Denmark, etc to stay, but dislikes having Italians. 'They've got no money to spend,' he said. In his opinion he thinks Britain were very sensible not to join the Euro. Fascinating to hear others' opinions.
Sadly, we say goodbye and head towards Amalfi.
- Posted using BlogPress from Annie & Jim's I-pad
Location:La Macina di Bettona, Umbria, Italy
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