An entry in the TFS Travel Journal.
(Further reflections on Norcia: the feeling we’ll long remember is that of how empty the town was in the mid-afternoon, and how festive and busy it became as the evening approached. What an incredible sense of community as seemingly everyone was chatting or shopping, with shop owners out in front of their stores talking, then accompanying people inside. Probably most smaller cities here are the same, but this was in such a picturesque location that it was all the more memorable)
Nice breakfast in the garden, though not enough of yesterday’s fruit was ripe yet; the prickly-pear fruit has been quite good, though. Set off for Todi, Italy and today’s market. Another beautiful ochre-stone town, medium size, set atop a high hill, with sweeping views and streets of steep inclines and declines. We walked in search of the elusive market, finally concluding that we had been misinformed and went to lunch instead. Dined at Ristorante Umbria on their terrace with a wonderful panoramic view of the Umbrian valley. Had veal carpaccio w/tartufo and grilled vegetables to start; tagliatelle pomodoro and polenta w/funghi and tartufo as primo; grilled trout w/salsa verde (delicious) and grilled chicken as secondi; a local sangiovese which was ok; and a dolce misto which was great.
We then walked around, up and down the city, taking in the antique shops and the spectacular views that would suddenly appear at the end of the alleyways between the stone buildings. We drove back to Aquasparta to check it out and see their big grocery stores. The town was nothing special, but Milton did do one of his favorite vacation activities — got a great shave from a barber. (at $3 + tip, it was better than Morocco and definitely better than the $20+ we got nailed for in London!) The supermarkets were, of course, small, but we were able to round out our shopping needs. Then back home for a beautiful sunset, and a quiet evening of reading before going over to email and visit with the wacky, but charming characters serving as our host and hostess.
Tonight, believe it or not many of you, Milton will be giving computer lessons.