It had been forecast we’d get some more snow last night so I took a peek at 5:30am. It was Magic! Piazza Mattioti was snow covered with nary a footprint or tire track. I took advantage of the once in … maybe a lifetime…chance to get a picture. Here it is!
And Via Grilli, our small street was the prettiest I’ve ever seen it!
Well, tomorrow is the day. I go into the hospital at noon. I have no idea what I will be doing all afternoon since the preliminary tests are finished. I guess I’ll find out.
During the last two weeks since my pre-operative tests I’ve talked to a lot of people who have told me their experiences which all differ from one another.
In an effort to get some correct information on what to expect we visited Dotoressa Mommi, our primary care doctor. She told me the length of the hospital stay depended on how I was doing. She did tell me a little about the PT process. We have to wait until I return home then we can set something up. I’ll get instructions from the hospital for Mommi to help move forward for us. It is possible to have home visits for a while. But emphasis is that I get out of the house ASAP. The stairs are a problem. I guess we will just have to trust the system.
Going to an Italian Hospital is NOT anything like going to an American hospital. All the information I’ve gleaned so far says I will be in a ward. There are no curtains or privacy. The nurses do not provide much assistance for things like a drink of water, or help going to the bathroom. It is expected that a friend or relative will stay with you. Another difference here is that the hospital provides nothing for your stay. No water or toilet paper, you even have to bring your own cutlery, plate, cup and glass! Here is my suitcase in packing process.
And, for a bit of good news, they finally removed all the scaffolding from the Comune building across from us. It is quite striking with its bright yellow paint and white trim, new copper gutters and downspouts and earthquake stabilization. The interior is gutted so I have no idea when that part will be even started. Maybe it will wait until the new government in town comes in. So now, I can again see the piazza. Here’s the building from our window.
I have been a very bad blogger! A quick catchup!
Way back in November we were invited to another Thanksgiving extravaganza hosted by our good friends Susan and Gary at Calagrana. Ely outdid herself preparing a 15 kilo turkey, or about 35 lbs. Twas excellent.
We all brought side dishes and got totally stuffed. There were 14 of us.
We have a new American in town named Jennifer. She is here without a car which is challenging given our lack of convenient public transport. We decided to a girls day out with three of us taking a bus to Città di Castello. It was quite quick and comfortable and we learned something useful. We also visited an art museum while there and had lunch.
This is a winged pupi.
One of the towers in Città di Castello.
But there is good news about the train that used to connect Perugia, Umbertide, Città di Castello and Sansepolcro. This train stopped running about two years ago because of track issues and lack of funding to fix them. A bus nominally is filling in. Well, UmbriaMobilità has gone belly up and the rail system was taken over by TrenItalia. This is good news. And sure enough crews are hard at work pulling up the old tracks, grading beds, laying new track and the concrete ties. Right now they are going north from Umbertide. In the past Umbertide was on a main line from Perugia to Arezzo. And now it looks as though we will be again!
Locomotive with flatcars full of new ties. Photo courtesy of Tom Gilmore.
Still working on our Permessi. Lots of new monkey wrenches in the works this year.
Last weekend I also made a US style turkey dinner with all the trimmings for our friend Vera and her family. The little girls were agog at an entire turkey cooked and on the table. This is not done in Italia. Turkey parts, yes, but entire birds, no. And this morning Luther took the carcass outside to the feral cats in the woods behind us and we watched from our apartment as the feast ensued.
More big news came out over the weekend. There seems to have been a coup and the entire town council resigned and the mayor quit. So we are leaderless until the spring when special elections will take place. Unfortunately we have heard this will impact public works projects and we are crossing our fingers they will finish the outside work on the Comune. The men are still working so that’s a good sign.
Umbertide has its share of people who have physical and mental disabilities. They are accepted as part of our town life and people watch out for them. One that we see often stops by the bakery every morning and they give him a roll. He happily munches on it as he walks back to the Piazza or Bar Mary. This morning Luther was returning from his jog and this fellow flagged him down as someone he recognized and reached in his pocket and pulled out a watch. Luther thought he was going to try to sell it to him but he motioned that he only wanted Luther to put it on his wrist for him. Luther came back and told me about it and said it just a funny thing that happens in small towns. He said, “no one ever asked me to put his watch on for him before”.
Batch of chocolate chip cookies as a gift for Irene at Bar Mary and Angelo at the Alementari. Two sweet people who work hard for a living and would do anything to help a person.
And finally, our Christmas cakes, or Panettone. We always disliked them in the US but these are worlds apart! Trust me. Buon Natale a tutti!
November has arrived with it’s many yellow hues. I do miss the brilliant oranges and reds of the maple trees on the east coast of the US. But I can still admire the colors here as well. Buon Autunno a tutti!
Strolling along the Tiber.
From our big picture window.
I love this one with the soft mountains in the distance.
Sunday was the last day for the Montefalco Wine Harvest festival. It’s a four day event to celebrate the harvest of the famed Sagrantino grapes among others. We had made reservations for lunch in L’Alchemista for lunch and invited new friends to join us. The weather was perfect. Very fall-like, a bit cool at lunch as we were seated next to a downward tiny street up which a strong, cool breeze was blowing. 
Lunch at L’Alchemista was good, as always. They were packed so service was a bit slow. As we sat there crowds started gathering in the piazza and announcements were made from an upper balcony on the Comune building. And a group of costumed women sang folk songs. There was to be a parade of floats pulled by tractors. I love stuff like this. No pretensions.
Down the main street we found the building where they were holding the wine tastings. This was our main reason for going. You pay 10 Euro per person and you get a glass and a little bag to wear around your neck to hold it. Then you can do unlimited tastings. There were a LOT of tables with a LOT of wine. One of our friends concentrated on the Sagrantino while I tried the Montefalco Rosso as well as the Sagrantino and a white made from Grechetto, Vigonier, and Chardonnay. All were very good. The Sagrantini were very dry to the point you felt all your saliva disappear.
Once we’d gotten our fill we headed back up the hill to the piazza where the parade was in full swing. They drive the tractors up another street into the piazza and park them around the edges. The floats, of course are wine oriented and lots of fun to see. Here are some pictures.
I love how this guy had put a yoke and harness on the front of his tractor, like it’s a horse…I guess it is, more or less.
And these folks are sitting on the float “a tavola” enjoying wine and a repast! 
Loved this giatantic wine bottle on one float.
It was one of the best Sagre I’ve ever been too. I’d go back!
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Storms over Umbertide
A couple of pictures of the major storms we woke up to on Saturday morning. The storms here generally come from the west. Our view is West/Northwest. These storms relentlessly moved from left to right and ever so slowly got closer and closer. Finally they got here but we were spared the brunt of the rain. Later in the day I noticed the Tiber river was swollen with rainwater and brown with mud. All came from up-stream where these massive storms must have dumped copious water!
Pigeons fighting the winds.
It is September 2nd. What a long HOT summer we have endured. Yesterday we had our first rain since April – over 100 days with nary a drop! It is so dry. Many trees are already dropping their leaves. The Umbrian grape harvest is predicted to be down 40%. But they do say the vintage will be epic quality. When I got up this morning I heard the sound of gunfire from all around. Then I realized the beginning of the hunting season starts in September. Signs of autumn. It is clear and cool today after our storms.
Thursday marked the begining of our annual Otto Cento festival. It will be our fourth. They moved it up into late August this year. Until now it has been on the third weekend in September. We went out last night for dinner with friends. During the festa all the regular restaurants change over to set menus. Last night we had four courses, water, vino and coffee for 25 Euro a head. There are also around 15 or 20 pop-up restaurants along with numerous stands selling specialty things and drinks. The stilt walkers were back. So ethereal and graceful. There was a puppet show for the kids going on.
After dinner we walked around the town and looked at all the action. There were millions of people out and about. Umbertide has seen a decline in summer activities this year so I think everyone was ready for the party now. Here are some pictures of the festival scenes.
One of the pop up venues. Notice the costumed folks over on the right. There were lots of people in costume this year.
The Rocca – our fortress.
One of the busy street scenes.
Moon over la Rocca. A beautiful evening for the celebration.
As we headed back home we decided to pay a call on our Briganti. They are the bad-boys always up to no good but really the most fun place. Here is a group of the Briganti musicians.
He is my favorite Brigand. He has a great smile.
And of course, the bad boys and girls must have the brothel with the Ladies of the Night.
I will check back on the Briganti during the night Saturday when they take over the town. It is all part of the reenactment of the events in the late 1800s forming the Italian country. Usually the Briganti do something naughty to shock everyone. You can look back at past September posts to see previous years. Hopefully, I can get pictures on Sunday morning of the mayhem wreaked on Saturday night and early Sunday before the authorities remove it.
We stopped by to see my friend Angelo who owns the Alimentari downstairs from us. He was is a great mood. He had transformed his shop for the festival.
And, of course, we paid a brief visit to Bar Mary to find Mary manning the bar. They also serve snacks during the festival.
A final observation. I have NEVER met an Italian who did not love to have his or her picture taken. They are cute.
We have a new Bistro in town. It is a pop-up called Zibu 2.0 Bistro.
There is a restaurant called Zibu 2.0 down the hill from us. They decided to try this pop up idea. The main restaurant has a beautiful space with vaulted stone ceilings. We have found the food spotty but continue to try it every so often. Then they had a wonderful little idea. Open an outdoor cafe with a limited menu in a pretty piazza. It is next to the town Opera House and Theater and La Rocca, our fortress. 
It is a bit slap-dash in it’s furniture…mostly recycled things and mis-matched chairs. It also has sofas and places to sit and have a drink. Rather like an informal lounge.
We have gone a number of times. Once for a light dinner and the rest of the time for lunch. It is only a few steps from our door. The menu on the chalk board changes daily. 
and they have a standing menu as well. 
A few carefully chosen wines and beer on tap complete the menu. We do really enjoy it so I thought I’d give it some ink.
Today, Sunday, is a gorgous day. So clear with sunny skies and puffy clouds and a perfect temperature…a respite from the heat. We had a plate of fried squash blossoms which we shared.
Then Luther had pulled pork. A surprise! 
And I had something called Suppli cacio e pepe. It was risotto with lots of Parmaghiano, shaped into cylinders and then they were breaded and fried. I decided to be adventurous an try it. It was GOOD!
Hot, hot weather now. Big heat wave covering most of Europe. Here in Italy this front is called Guida, or Judas for obvious reasons. It blows across the Mediterranean from the Sahara and is HOT.
So, hoping to beat the heat, today I descended the stairs to visit the weekly market aiming for cool things, like salads. The wonderful tomatoes are in now and we are loving them. I aimed to buy some and some mozzarella and burrata. There is a man with a small truck who is here every week with the best. It’s sent up from Paestum (mozarella) and the Burrata comes from Puglia. When the burrata is sliced open, a spurt of thickened cream flows out. The cheese has a rich, buttery flavor and retains its fresh milkiness. It is best when eaten within 24 hours and is considered past its prime after 48 hours. I you’ve not had it, it is a literally a bag tied up and inside are the creamy leavings from Mozzarella making. It is a useful way of using up the ritagli (“scraps” or “rags”) of mozzarella. But it is oh so much better than that!
Behold, burrata fresh from Puglia!
Sliced open to reveal the creamy inside.
Trying to divide it is difficult. I wanted some for lunch and the rest for dinner. Bag on the right is saved for later.
My lunch. Beautiful pomodori con basilico e Burrata.
Brochure from the producer of the Moazarella.
Picture of the lady without which we’d never be able to enjoy this pleasure.
And it’s summertime in Umbertide. The outdoor cinema is open on Piazza San Francesco. It has seats outside with beer and wine sold and on Thursday they screen original language films.
My little lemon tree had 12 lemons on it! I am amazed at the output of these little trees. They flower and fruit all year. Already we have many new flowers and baby lemons. So I harvested ten of the pretty lemons and decided to make preserved lemons with them. Then I can make some Moroccan food this fall. They have to sit for at least three months.
Bellissimo view with our new Tende di Sole open.
Table set for dinner all’aperto. Nice. Did you know Al Fresco doesn’t mean eating outside in Italian? It means spending time in jail!
We have had visitors for in the past few weeks and I’ve documented some of our adventures in pictures below.
Our first visitors were new friends. They own a place down in the south of Italy in a small town called Pisticci. They came to Umbertide for a few nights staying in a nearby B&B. We had fun showing them around. Our first lunch at Erba Luna in Montone. We went to Erbe Luna to escape a gaggle of loud Americans. But damned if they didn’t end up with us anyway. Can’t win. But they gave us our most memorable moment when one of them asked if a dish came with a side of spaghetti…must have been Italian Americans…maybe from New Jersey (no offense New Jerseyans). Reminded us of the movie, Big Night.
Ravioli with tartuffi, truffles…
Pretty stairs down from the walls above to the outside dining terrace.
View from Montone toward the Apennines.
Sunday was a beautiful day to go to Calagrana for Pranzo. Asparagus, poached egg showered with truffles.
Too pretty to eat Scampi with grilled polenta.
Such perfect weather. Such a perfect view!
We went to a couple of wineries for tastings and then to Montefalco to our favorite L’Alchemista. The Giro d’Italia was passing through town that day and they were all decorated in pink flags, bikes, and paraphernalia.
Ravioli and favas. Spring is the time for fresh favas.
We had a great time getting to know our new friends and plan to see them again soon.
The next weekend Luther and I decided to go to the Cantine Aperte, or open cellars. Many participating wineries. We chose one in Orvieto. It was a beautiful day but all the places we went to were very crowded.
Our picnic. It was a pretty day.
Our next guests were very old friends…well not physically old! We’ve known each other since we all lived and worked in Germany 25 years ago.
We visited Montone for lunch and our great Wednesday market. The next day we went to Assisi. Our final day we visited Tabarinni, one of the best wineries in Umbria, lunched in Montefalco and went ceramic shopping in Deruta. Then, on the way to Rome we stopped in Orvieto mainly to see the magnificent Duomo. We had a light lunch of assorted bruschette and meat and cheese plates.
Lunch in Assisi. Another beautiful day.
The grilled octopus appetizer was amazing.
As were the pastas.
We enjoyed our time with our last guests. Talking of old times, eating, drinking and catching up.