After getting to Rome we got our rental car and made our way north to Umbria, with a local in the back.

Riccardo taught us the Italian way of driving pretty quickly, aka do not blink and find a space to put your car in.

After having had a beautiful lunch with Riccardo and his mum at a seafood restaurant, we made our way up the hill to the old town of Assisi

We cannot get enough of the pink limestone houses and streets, stairs and tunnels that connect levels and they all look so well kept!

Roman temple in Assisi

The first Aperol is a fact!

Sunset with a view over the valley

After the massive late lunch, we felt like a lighter lunch. We got to the local supermarket got us some fresh produce and made ourselves a Caprese salad (tomato and basil) \240with Mozzarella di Buffala.

Even though the coffee at home was good, the «café doppio» at the local bar was a must! Caffeine levels were spiking before heading out into the Umbrian countryside for a 2-hour-search for truffles.

After a successful hunt with the dogs Leah and Lordy and our guides we chilled a bit at their place.

We got to learn a lot about the area and the traditions. Got to taste some wild asparagus and fennel that grow in the bushes and came home with a good amount of truffle and fresh eggs from their chickens.

Glutenfree and milk free gelato. Pistachio and hazulnut. This was not the last one, but it was the first!

The truffle trophy.

After our ice cream lunch, we headed toward the Basilica of Francesco of Assisi.

The monestary

Rocco Maggiore

After the basilica we went home for some antipasti and we went on an late afternoon walk to Rocca Maggiore.

Chalk drawing at the piazza in front of Roman temple

Evening walk back to the appartment

We finished the day with our first truffle pasta. It was good. But we will make a better one at home!

After the first walk of the day we stocked up on some more antipasti and had a lunch at home. Douwe had ants in his pants and wanted to do another walk. This time to «Eremo delle Carceri», a steep climb from the city and a place where San Francesco used to come for prayer and meditation.

The Hermitage

We got up, but now all the way down! Ice cream was waiting for us.

After a full day of hiking we found this amazing trattoria just of the main piazza “La Fortezza”. We got a great goose gnocchi and they catered all gluten-free.

After dinner we listened to some street artist with a coffee and a drink in the main square. Even got a guest performance of three of the many nuns that walk around.

The hostess said she will make us breakfast every morning and we got a basket with supplies she thought we could eat. After a nice lunch outside we sat down to draw and read \240(aka nap) a bit and then we decided to walk to the city center of Solfagnano, through the olive trees, grape vines and wheat fields.

Turns out there is not much of a city center. Seems like we make it a holiday tradition of walking on roads that should never see a pedestrian on them though, so we were pretty chuffed with ourselves that we made it back alive.

No city center, but at least a café where Douwe got to try his first barley coffee.

Five crowns holiday score: Grete 2 - Douwe 0

Finally we got to use our truffles we found on Tuesday for dinner!

After a lovely breakfast we did some yoga and got our books out in the garden before heading to Spoleto where there is a famous art festival happening. Tonight will be the opening concert, music by Janáček.

The concert venue

Spoleto

After strolling the town for a couple of hours we figured we had seen enough, so we went terrace hopping, ice cream, espressos and «sorbetto limone con vodka»

Clearly a hit!

After our last pitstop we sat down for dinner and made our way to the piazza for the concert. Rain was predicted, but it seems to be okay. We found the Roman theater that was also made into a stage for the festival. Entering the concert area we realized we definitely underdressed in our white sneakers, whereas everyone else was in gala attire.

As soon as the concert was about to start and they announced \240«please turn off your phones», a massive thundercloud came over and the thunder and lightning started, as well as the rain.

After an hour of postponing it didn’t look very promising and they had to cancel the concert. Instead of live, we got a Spotify concert on the way back home in the car.

We spent the afternoon chilling in the garden, playing games, reading, drawing, doing some \240yoga and late afternoon decided to make a walk along the Tiber river.

Meet our guard sausage dog! We named it ’Nduja..

First time we ever manage to get the 36!

She had to put it back the next turn…. Regenwormen score: Grete 1- Douwe 1

Seems like good food is half of this holiday, we made some great gnocchi with the stuff we found on the market.

There is a festival in town, right now we are sitting in the garden listening to the music coming from downstairs (and being eaten by mosquitos) . Tomorrow we have a walk and a wine tasting scheduled which we are excited about!

We got to taste 6 different wines together with the food that was all locally produced. Can’t say I tasted the tones of marzipan, citrus and spice, but it was really nice how they paired it with the dishes.

Grete’s wine tasting face… she even drank red!

But did she enjoy the truffle salt the most….?

Yes she did. Or maybe the truffle honey….

After lunch we walked a route along the valley. Which was a good thing before jumping back in the car!

The winery

Juniper berries everywhere

Something old and nice

Something white and skinny

Beginning of the trail to the left

She hates getting wet feet…..

She embraced the wet feet…

The birthday suit

Our beloved Fiat Panda, seems the most popular car here in Italy!

ICE CREAM!!! IN A COOKIE!!! \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240GF AND VEGAN

And more dinner pictures …. .

The usual summer sun outfit.

Once we got home we tasted some of the wine we bought from the wine tasting and played some games before making dinner.

Regenwormen score: \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 Grete 4- Douwe 2

Five Crowns score: \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240Grete 3 - Douwe 0

Meet Pecorino!

She knows where to find the cat lady!

Inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race and driven by the wine on an empty stomach, Grete decided to go for a twerk to the peanut butter song. No comment…. \240

We got a bike trip recommended by Claudia through the countryside, via Umbertide, to the border of Tuscany. Towards the end there were two restaurants she recommended for lunch and we decided to pack our bags and to set out to explore. A trip of 64 kilometers, varying up and down, it was a super comfortable ride on the bikes we got the borrow here at the B&B.

Midway coffee break at Umbertide with fresh apricots from the market that we bumped into.

Turned out the restaurant at the end was closed, which we somewhat suspected, but Douwe with his wishful thinking thought they would surely be open on a Wednesday. Luckily it wasn’t far back until we were back at the other recommendation.

Lunch in the garden of Nonna Gelsa

Montecorona Abbey

Even though the road was comfortably up and down, the last hill back to the podere was a killer!

Thankfully, Douwe has seen his dad put a bike chain on several times, because during this trip that was necessary twice. Six hours later we are back “home” and now it’s time for a shower and the legs UP.

Claudia and her puppy, which we named Crostini

Once home we had a rest, before driving to Gubbio. We met Riccardo and his South African friends in town and he showed us around before taking the funicular up the mountain for a beautiful view and a visit to the Basilica of Sant’Ubaldo, patron of the city of Gubbio. His body is mummified and lying there on show for the public, which was surprisingly less morbid than expected.

On the way to Gubbio we got stopped by the Carabinieri. Once they realized we were foreign, the one wanted to let us go, but the other was very insistent in making a point of checking all the personal and car documents very thoroughly. Whereas the cars behind us were stopped and let go within a few minutes. After 10 minutes or so we were back on the way to meet Ricci.

The body of Saint Ubaldo

The basilica

View of Gubbio

Riccardo and his mum

Salsicce

After a super nice evening with Riccardo’s friends and family, we drove home and got to bed. Douwe heard something scatter behind the curtain and paranoid as he gets when slightly sleepy, he turned the light on and checked, but there was nothing to see. Then again a lot of scattering and a huge mouse managed to get in through the wiring and mosquito netting into the bedroom. 2am and we were up running around the room with buckets and containers to get the little fellah. He (we named him Gus) showed himself a proficient athletes and even we had some nearly successful attempts to get him caught in the bucket, Gus was always too quick and got away. After half an hour or so (by then we had already seen that mice are pretty agile climbers) he managed to climb up the window sill and then up the wall, to be only a jump away from the window sill. Douwe held the broom out to make a little bridge to the window, and with a peep that we interpret as a ‘thank you’, Gus walked the bridge and climbed out into the fresh Umbrian night. We closed the window.

2.30 am… Good night!

The battlefield.

View from Perugia over the valley

Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Lorenzo

Rocca Paolini, an old fortress, with an entire network underground

After having seen many beautiful old buildings and streets we bumped into this little stall that specializes in Porchetta (a whole roasted pig)

Best sandwich ever!

.

And Grete found a savory GF crêpe

Old Roman aquaduct now made into a walking path

Once we came home we realized how hard it had rained. An entire branch of our fig tree had broken off and at the moment rain is coming down in buckets and there is a lot of thunder and lightning. Good to be inside!

Claudia brought us some fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden.

Dinner at Borgomela

Since the weather is going to be bad tomorrow also, we decided to get in a train to Firenze tomorrow. The alarm is set on 5.30 am so time to get to bed!

Clearly it was early!

Santa Maria del Fiore, with Brunelleschi’s famous «duomo» in the back

Lorenzo Ghiberti’s «Gates of Paradise» in bronze; telling scenes from the Old Testament

Ponte Vecchio

After the tour Grete found a restaurant that was totally gluten-free, we had a great lunch here (and later came back to get a huge sandwich for on the train)

We decided to walk around the city seeing as there is so much to see for free, before grabbing a sandwich and finding back the train station.

Coffee and a serious face!

View from Piazzale Michelangelo

Olives are starting to grow

One of the best gelaterias in Firenze

It was GOOOOD!

Palazzo Vecchio at the Piazza della Signoria

The extensive collection of art on this square is like a museum on own. Michelangelo, Cellini and Donatello are shows here (3 of them copies of the originals), and the entire city shows the power of the, at that point, richest family in the world, de Medici.

David by Michelangelo

(replica; the real one is in a museum not far from the square)

The monster sandwich!

Think it was good…..

25000 steps further and we are back in the train!

Breakfast served every day

We are gonna miss this place

Ristoro in Campagna

We got visitors at our table!

We tried to say no to wine, but the waiter pushed a 1/4 liter on us anyways.

Solfagnano

We are gonna miss this garden!

Once we got to the airport, we got to know our flight was an hour delayed. Luckily it’s a beautiful airport and we have some good books. Douwe wanted to get an espresso cup as a souvenir, and Grete came with the genious idea to nick one from a café. Once the gameplan was made, G got cold feet, not wanting another interaction with the carabinieri. There were NONE to be found for sale!

His and hers.