June 16, 2013 - Grand Manan, NB

Today's post is from home....Grand Manan Island, NB.  A group of friends took a 2.5 mile hike along a rough trail at the northern end of the island from near Swallowtail Lighthouse along the cliffs to the Hole in the Wall and Whale Cove Beach.  We started out in the fog, but soon the skies cleared and it became a beautiful, sunny, warm day.  The bugs weren't bad, and the pace was perfect for me....most all of us are beyond 60, and so it was not a race.  The hike took us about 3.5 hours, including a stop for a picnic lunch at the Hole in the Wall, a natural formation between Fish Head and Whale Cove.  We are so lucky to live in this beautiful part of the world!

Bob giving advice to some of our hikers

   

The Hole in the Wall

My sister and I near the Hole in the Wall

Swallowtail in the fog

                                                                    View from the trail

Cortona again....and farewell to Italy

We returned to Cortona to celebrate B's birthday at Trattoria Taccone, and to do some quick shopping.  Saw Frances Mayes' home from her book Under the Tuscan Sun and visited La Celle, a monastery where St. Francis spent some time.  Then it was off to Florence and our hotel where we spent our last night in Italy.  We hated to leave, after another wonderful tour with Linda of LetsGoItaly.  Thanks for everything.....except the weather!  It was great to see Gianni, Marisa, Noemi, Francesco, and all our other friends from our trip in 2010.....and the Donini wine (Umbertide) was better than ever!

Trattoria Tacone kitchen

Face on Cortona building

  La Celle Monastery

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Perugia today - a great city with Etruscan and Roman roots. There are arches everywhere. And it was SUNNY! We wandered, had a delicious pizza/lasagna lunch, and then walked to the studio of Marta Brozzetti, an excellent weaver whose studio is in a 12th century church just outside the city walls.

The little white car is an electric vehicle used by postmen to deliver mail around the city. John and Bryant walked along near the Etruscan arch. The last photo was taken in Marta's studio, showing three of her wooden shuttles on a piece of reproduction weaving.

Tomorrow we head out to Florence via Cortona, and to Portland on Thursday.

Monday, May 27

Today we took a water taxi to Isola Maggiore, an island in Lago Trasimeno. Once on the island we visited the lace museum and the captain's house, which had an incredible wood carving of Christ, which Bryant and I remembered from three years ago. Then it was on to Porto, where we had an organic, nearly vegetarian lunch at a small B and B run by our host's cousin twice removed who is a chef. Needless to say, it was delicious and very different from what we've been served before on this tour. He also raises saffron, and some women from a nearby town displayed several items dyed with saffron. Much of our lunch was flavoured or decorated with saffron. You can see a sample of a viscose scarf below.

The arched piazza is in the hill town of Panicale, where two of our group visited another lace museum and we all visited a church. At the end of the day we stopped at a local winery and Bryant was serenaded by a Portuguese woman who works there in honour of his birthday. As you can see, he was pleased!

Sunday May 26

Today we took the morning for a rest and visited Cortona for the afternoon. Had a great pizza there, and did some shopping. Had a lovely dinner in Montone, where we ate at Erba Luna, a classy restaurant located inside the city walls of Montone. We ate some of the best beef of the trip.

May 25 continued

After lunch we headed to Spoleto to see the costume museum, which it turned out was closed due to an electrical problem. So it was off to the Rocca and the Duomo......and then the rain began in earnest. Linda brought the van up to the main piazza to meet us (Bless her!) and we set off for home in the midst of a ......snowstorm! Honest, it was snowing as we started back to Umbertide and a warm supper at "home."

Sat. May 25, Spoleta etc.

This morning we set off for south Umbria. Our first stop was Sant'Antonolia di Narco and the Hemp Museum. This little town is east of Spoleto through a 4 km. tunnel. A woman has purchased and restored some buildings and raised considerable funding to establish a hemp museum. We toured the museum, then had a lovely lunch in an abbey nearby. If there are any quilters following this blog, you can see below a quilted hanging I found in the museum.

May 24, 2013

Hello all,
Difficult to get connected last night, and we were so full from our delicious truffle dinner that my post had to wait until this morning. It is pouring rain yet again - the worst May weather in many many years in Umbria. It is cool, too, which may be enough of an incentive to buy one of Gianni's beautiful alpaca sweaters that he sells in his shop here at Maridiana. We understand that New Brunswick is getting deluged with rain as well.....our sympathies!


Yesterday we visited a local honey/wax producer at his apiary and workshop, and a glass artist who demonstrated how she makes beads. She kindly provided a snack for us. Before heading to Citta di Castello to see the hand-weaving museum Tela Umbra, we stopped at a 12th century church to wander around amongst the stones and arches within.

The day ended with a tour of the laboratory and small museum at Tartufi Biancini, the area's leading truffle producer. Mrs. Biancini conducts cooking classes and produces gourmet dinners for guest featuring truffles, of course. At the risk of inciting jealousy, here's the menu:

-Bread squares with assorted spreads, Pro Secco (a light champagne)

-Truffle flan on a bed of baby arugula, local white wine

-Homemade ravioli with truffle mashed potato stuffing, grated parmesan, cheese sauce

-Rolled chicken breast stuffed with truffle spread, green salad with honeyed vinegar

-Almond biscotti for dipping in local Vin Santo

And so our tour is at the half-way mark.......5 more days in beautiful Umbria.

More photos May 23

Lantern in Anghiari piazza

Stairway, Anghiari

Gianni taking serious stepps after learning that Adele is in love with Francesco

Ravigni's arbor

Adele and her second love, Francesco's father

Thurs. May 23

Ravigni's Oil Mill shop

Soap castle at Ravigni's

The tour group and Francesco's father with arm around Leenda.

Ravigni pets

Ravigni courtyard

Another wonderful day! We visited Anghiari and the Busatti linen mill where they weave housewares (tablecloths, towels, etc.) then on to Ravigni's Olive Oil Mill for tasting and lunch. Francesco, who operates the mill for his family, won the heart of Adele, while his mother won John's heart. The house was exquisite and we lightened our wallets in the shop. We had lunch in their dining room, while another group - a choir - was at another table, and serenaded us with some of their music which they will be performing tonight in a local church.


We went on to San Sepulchro to visit a Piero della Francesco museum, and enjoy some gelato or espresso. Home to nibble and enjoy some wine from Donini's winery where we tasted wine Tuesday night.

Wednesday May 22, 2013

Today four of us, plus Linda, our fearless leader and driver, headed out to Civita di Bagnoregio near Orvieto. Our other two tour members stayed at Maridiana to do a natural dyes workshop.
The sun came out on cue as we drove up to Civita, and stayed out until we were just finishing our lunch there at a wonderful restaurant called Alma Civita. We had a light lunch including a soup made with borage which tasted much like asparagus. This little town, located across a walking bridge on a tuva rock hill, was every bit as beautiful as it was when we visited it last year.

Then it was a quick stop in Todi, another hill town, where there was a light shower, but not enough to dampen our appetite for coffee or gelato. Dinner was at a local restaurant where we had the most delicious pasta - little purses filled with cheese and pears, in a white walnut sauce, followed by a mixed grill of lamb, pork, and sausage, vegetables, and fries. Dessert was out of the question, but the doggie bag contents will do us just fine for tomorrow night's dinner at Maridiana.