Umbria’s Pasquarelle: Singing in the Epiphany
January can be icy cold in Umbria but a month of warmth, too: the warmth of the locals celebrating January... View article
You’ll want to tour all the Umbrian hilltown gems while you’re here, meeting “the locals” in the towns as you immerse yourself in the history and art. But if you really wish to “take Umbria” home with you, a contact with the rural people seems a must. For me, they are one of Italy’s national treasures. So head to the countryside while here.
My husband Pino and I moved to a ruined farmhouse in the Assisi countryside years ago – and we set out to work the land. I owe it to our rural friends to set down their stories – after all, they taught us not just about the ways of the land but about life. Peppa, Marino and Chiarina, Gentile and Peppe, Alessandro, Mandina: each has enriched our life on the land.
In a way, our farm friends come with me to the U.S. each year: Umbrian rural cuisine recipes highlight our U.S. cooking gatherings. Short stories about them start off the events.
And I’ll keep setting down the Umbria rural life stories, my way to say “mille grazie”:
January can be icy cold in Umbria but a month of warmth, too: the warmth of the locals celebrating January... View article
Why not give gold as a gift this year? “Liquid gold”: Extra-virgin olive oil of Umbria, “Italy’s green heart.” Our... View article
Quiz for the day: what is a “trunk-shaker with a reversed umbrella interceptor”? Here it is: It’s the mechanized tool... View article
When we first harvested olives here in the Umbrian countryside in an icy December, 1976, the picking was all done... View article
For my October 31st ZOOM talk (my twelfth!), olives and olive oil in Italy’s art, history, cuisine, medicine, folklore –... View article
Who knows when I’ll again be able to share the wonders of Italy as a guide? Due to travel restrictions,... View article
In past years in May, I’d be walking the labyrinthine Assisi medieval backstreets nearly daily, taking in the floral splendor... View article
All over Italy on April 25th, flags wave from balconies and windows as Italy celebrates la Festa della Liberazione –... View article
There’s a wise old assisano adage, “quando Subasio mette il cappello, porta l’ombrello” (“when Subasio wears a hat, take your... View article
Italians are cooking more than ever these days: after well over a month into lockdown, cooking and sharing the goodness... View article
Agenzia Viaggi Stoppini in Assisi handles all technical support for my guided visits (bus transportation, organization of meals, etc)