As we entered a favorite eating spot in Lubriano, the sign at the entrance already enticed: fresh porcini mushrooms on the menu that day at Il Vecchio Mulino (“The Old Mill”). I knew Pino would…
In early August in Bolsena, Pino and I (fortunately) ran into Stefano and Fabio, two protagonists of the Misteri di Santa Cristina festival a couple weeks prior. Both thanked me warmly for having included…
As we arrived in Bolsena on July 24th, the locals were gathering together in front of the 14th-century castle across the road from the San Salvatore church. At the conclusion of the Mass…
Of course you need days to uncover all the wonders of medieval Assisi. But if you’re there in the summertime, do take an afternoon or evening pause to head to the tiny…
Memorable adventures can even start with just an espresso in a small-town bar. Pino and I had stopped at the only cafe in Rioveggio, a wink of a town in the Bolognesi…
Heading to L’Aquila is always a ride of stunning splendor as we head through the mountains in southeastern Umbria into the region of Abruzzo. And on a recent trip, splendor awaited us…
I’d just intended to buy a thyme plant at Spello’s early April mostra-mercato (literally, “show/display market” or let’s just call it a “show-and-sell”). But there were other enticements, too, at this three-day market…
Heavily damaged in the October 2016 earthquake, Norcia’s “resurrection” just might have started: the early March street fair, Nero Norcia (“Black Norcia”), starring black truffles – and not only! – animated the…
I think Pino and I are due for a return to Piacenza (in Emilia Romagna). We have such good memories of our first visit there – when I wrote a note on…
I’d read an article recently about ten “must-see” small-town stops between Umbria and Florence. The author had clearly never been to Certaldo. On an early February trip to Pisa, Pino and I…