Tonight, on my way back from my doctor appointment. It was about five-ish PM. We are nearing the solstice so our days are short. It was dusk. The sky turquoise. Is this not beautiful?
This next photo is going to be one of my all time favorites. You know why? Because of the Ape parked in the foreground. It is pronounced Ahh-pay. It is one of the ubiquitous Italian three wheel workhorse trucks seen everywhere here. Somehow it makes the composition just right. To me this photo is perfect.
Today was our usual Saturday market. It poured rain all night. And continued throughout the day. Here is a picture of the Tiber which is muddy and full.
We went out because we needed a few things. It wasn’t cold at all. Just wet. We visited the Carrefour grocery a few steps from the Centro. We picked up some things we needed. I always laugh at the baby food when I notice. I bet you can’t get Coniglio, which is rabbit — baby food!
After the grocery we got some vegetables from the vendors in the pizza. Then I paid a visit to Books for Dogs to make a donation and also visited Laura at her ceramics shop, CeramicArte. You may remember her from posts last year. She is very skilled and will make things to order for you, personalizing them. I wanted to ask about buying a new Deruta ceramic table for our new house. We sold the round table we had made for our terrace with this apartment. The new place has a larger space with room for a bigger table so I thought it would be nice to get one that seats six. I got quotes from her and will drive to Deruta, probably next year, to the factory where she said there were lots of tables all ready to buy.
As always she has lots of great gift items in her shop. Here are just a few.
These are by another artist Carol Brannigan. A very different style, but very nice.
I love the snowman, which is a bell. She had several similar ones hanging on the mantelpiece. If you’re in Umbertide, stop by her shop.
We are told a frigid air mass will be hitting Italy starting tomorrow. Time to batten down the hatches! Buona domenica!
A very pretty, tall and stately tree. We walked through the little Christmas fair for the kids and also small booths selling things. The first picture is where Babbo Natale awaits visits from the children. He is inside La Rocca, our fortress.
Today we had a pizza lunch at Calagrana. Albi had fired up the wood oven. Delicious.
It was all delicious. The day was mild and I didn’t have to wear a coat. Our friends Jane and Christie are just here until next Tuesday. They return to the US and their adventures there until next spring when they will return and move into our apartment. Big adventures to come for us all.
Even though today is one, vile, day we decided we couldn’t put off our commissioni another day. I fear the Umbrian winter has set in well and good. Rain, gray, dark and cold for the foreseeable future. It is not like people picture Italy, all sun and aperitivo on the piazza. The weather will remain like this for the next two – three months. We stay mostly inside with the stufa. It is quite cosy.
Today we had a number of things we wanted to get done. It started with the Saturday market. We bought what we needed there and walked to the photo store to get a photo of Luther for his passport renewal. ☑️ Then we walked back to the Carrefour to get a couple things. ☑️ Next up, the bakery to order our Christmas panettone. Last year we missed out because we were too late. This year it seems we were too early! But we got on the list for when they start making the cakes on December 15 ☑️
Then we walked to the car and drove to the big wine basement nearby. It is quite the place. Lots of great wine and all kinds of other booze. But, they also have seasonal things and they sell custom baskets full of good things to eat. Take a look at some snaps I took.
I think my favorite thing about many (most) Italian stores and hospitals and even gas stations is they have pictures of Mary or Jesus, or a crucifix or even more! In this shop, just above the cash register they have an array of religious photos. Mary, Jesus, Pope Francis…
We bought our wine and I decided to buy a panettone to share with friends since we couldn’t yet get one from the forno. ☑️
Next we headed to the Poste to see if we could pay a bill for a friend. It was jammed with people lining the sidewalk. First part of the month is a busy time there for pensioners getting their checks and all sorts of other business. The Poste is not just the Post Office but it is a full service bank and where you pay your bills. Anyway, we decided to try again next week. No check. 😞 Next ATM and last to the pellet store for more pellets. ☑️
Then for the hard part for Luther…the toting the purchases up 53 steps. Our neighbor said he couldn’t help carry the pellets because he has hurt his back. But he did help with one box. When we move the elevator will be our favorite thing!
I hope your weather is better than ours!
They kept us waiting this year. But today was the day the town Christmas tree arrived! My last tree while living in Centro so I savored the experience. I got a much appreciated phone call from Paul who could see the tree from his apartment as it was maneuvered into the Piazza. They don’t truss trees here so they are very bushy. They needed a crew and cherry picker to keep the street lights from being sheared off the buildings. As a friend said this morning, The Italian ability to get things through tight spaces should be the envy of the world. And I have to agree. I had to wait…and so did everyone else…anticipation!
Previous post with all trees from 2014 to 2020. For 2021 see last December.
Finally the tree is in the piazza. It looks to be a beauty!
The tree hung in mid air for a while.
Then they settled it into position.
I shot two videos of the maneuvering.
The tree will be lit on Thursday December 8, L’Immacolata, a National holiday. I will post pictures.
What a day. It has turned sharply colder. Today was the day we celebrated with our buyers, Christie and Jane, and our former realtor Jim and his wife Jill. Jim was our original realtor in 2014. He knows the system and we just give him power of attorney and he handles the rest. So easy. We all went to Calagrana. The day was incredible the sky brilliant blue and the slanting autumnal sun made everything starkly clear.
There was a new addition to the Calagrana family. Here is Tallula. She is 50 years old and is entirely original. She has only 60,000 kilometers on the clock. An original Fiat Centocinque.
Here is the group with Ely in the foreground.
It was a lovely afternoon. Lively conversation and great food. When we got back to Umbertide, the Castagne man had his fire going and the chestnuts were a-roasting. I love this! Every autumn this man and his family come and roast their chestnuts just next to the Piazza. This farmer is one of my favorites and comes to both of our weekly markets. He has the best tomatoes of anyone…but now is not tomato season…it is castagne season!!
So good. Sweet. I ate well today…Ho mangiato bene oggi! And it was lovely to spend our day with friends.
Today, Saturday, was a bit gray, dreary and chilly. I went out to the market to do some shopping where I bought quite a lot of stuff for soups and salads. I noted we have a new bread kiosk which I must try. But today I visited our local forno for bread.
Our friends from Spello, who moved here in July, were coming up for lunch at C’era una Volta, a restaurant near our new apartment. The name means Once Upon a Time. But first an aperitivo in the Piazza was in order. We sat at a table and Jane happened by so we invited her to join us. Then Jim (our realtor) and four other Brits sat at the table next to us. Bar Mary is always the place to meet and greet.
We headed down to the restaurant. We pointed out our new apartment on the way. I actually love C’era una Volta. It is only one block from our new apartment so I anticipate it will become our go-to place. The people are so friendly. I think they are Sardinian. Mom, dad, and daughter. We got the names of Mom, Laura, and Dad, Giuseppe. Next time, daughter. The food is quite good. They have a menu but the specials are recited. It is a real language and memory test! Here are pictures of our food.
We had such a nice time catching up with Roselyne and Steve. They are renovating their apartment right in the historic center of Spello. Excellent location with three terraces, one of which is right over the main drag up the hill so they can see what is happening all the time. Much like our view of our Piazza. It is ALL good! We will see them again soon!
When I got home I snapped yet another photo from our terrace…our last Autumn here. I want to always remember this view.
A little later I looked up and was greeted with an amazing sunset! It doesn’t get any better!
Buona domenica a tutti! 🌈
It was socked in with fog this morning, as is usual for this time of year. It was also the coldest it has been, 4C or 39F.
We tried to buy pellets for the stufa last week where we usually buy and they had none, and no idea when, or if, they would get any 🫤. So we bought two small bags at the grocery store when shopping. Those went into the hopper on the stove and I lit it up this morning. Nice and cozy. We need to do a recon to see if we can find any pellets anywhere. They seem to be a casualty of the Ukrainian war.
I busied myself making soup this morning for my lunches this week. Then I decided to go for a walk. It had warmed up and was sunny by 11:30. Beautiful day. Brilliant blue skies will get up into the 60s today. I had wanted to combine errands with my walk but forgot to bring my purse into which I had put everything I needed to get them done! Oh well, I made the most of the day and took a few photos. I will do captions.
Tomorrow we, and the buyers of our Casa in Centro will go to the Notaio to sign Powers of Attorney for the sale. It is a notable, if bittersweet for us, occasion.
Sadly I had no candy. I have never had a trick or treater here. In past years the kids dressed up and went to the nearby stores to get treats. I watch them in the Piazza. Over our eight years here it is noticeable that there are many more kids participating now. When my doorbell buzzed tonight and I went and asked who it was, I heard a little voice say “dolcetto o scherzetto”. So sorry I had no candy. Next year I will buy some. Also our new neighborhood probably will have more kids so I will prepare! I have always loved Halloween.
Today is All Saints Day or Giorno di Tutti Santi and it’s a holiday. Everyone attends mass for the dead. Then they visit the cemetery and their lost loved ones. We had our Italian lessons today via Skype as usual.
Yesterday I saw someone advertising a dutch oven and smaller cast iron pot. I told them I wanted them. So, after my lesson I went up to their home in the hills above Umbertide. They are Americans who used to live here full time and now live here half the year. I only wish I had taken a picture from their house. What a view! The entire city of Umbertide was there below, and above it, and across the valley was Monte Acuto, our big mountain near here. And they are only around 5-10 minutes from Umbertide but are up in the hills with a property from which they were harvesting the olives today. Here is what I bought. I will save the pots for our new house and the fireplaces.
Someday, after we move, I am sure I will post when I use them!
Short post – not much going on in Umbertide. One of the bars out in the piazza was closed this past week so it was quiet. The weather has been spectacular. One of the best Octobers I have seen here. The light has gotten that beautiful slant which makes the autumn so beautiful.
We went out to the market today. There were fresh porcini mushrooms so I had them for my lunch. Scrambled eggs with sautéed mushrooms.
We have finished a number of the chores on our ”to do” list. We still have a number of things to get done. We had our caldaia (heating system) inspected, mandated by law yearly. We still wait for the stufa (pellet stove) cleaner. We got our booster vaccines this week. We did some financial stuff. We need to buy a new light for our bathroom. And we need to see if we can get two screens replaced. This week we expect the gutter cleaners back to finish the job. I think they will build a scaffolding in the street to get to the top of the house. I assume they will need police permissions to block the street. I will report on the work as it continues.