Saturday was a beautiful day. 4 October with blue skies and bright, warm sunshine but cool brisk temperatures. I had a shift at Books for Dogs as a volunteer. It was actually a lovely morning with nice folks and I worked with Fiona who is a dear. It is a very social thing this volunteer work. I really enjoy it.
My friend Jane, just returned from the U.S. for a six week visit came into the shop with two friends. They found some bargains as always at Books for Dogs where you’ll always find something you love. There was an interesting conversation about eating out and how we prefer lunch as it doesn’t mean we have to drive in the dark. And the possibility at night is much greater to have a close encounter between auto and cinghiale (wild boar). Fiona piped up that her auto insurance has an extra clause that covers her for cinghiale collisions. Only in Umbria, I said.
We all met up at Bar Mary for drinks after my shift. They are fun group. It was Jane and her wife Christie and Shirl and her wife Dot.
For lunch I made probably the last tomato sandwich of 2025. Sad day. But the two plants produced a LOT of tomatoes so I can’t complain.
Now we are off on a road trip to Puglia. Specifically, Lecce. We stopped near a seaside town named Vasto. Our hotel is nice, but we are having gale force winds here. It is like a howling banshee. The restaurant is closed. We decided to get a bottle of wine from the bar. At least that IS open. And they brought snacks with the bottle. We decided to just eat the snacks and get a big breakfast tomorrow before we leave.
Hi Shirl! I loved our little get together on the piazza! Such a dynamic group! That hat is YOU. I hope to see you again soon. Hi to Dot from me. Stay tuned for my full trip report on our trip to the Mezzogiorno.
Thanks Tony, we had a lovely time. Your are right. The place is packed in the daytime with almost all Americans. I’m afraid it might be another Florence in a few years. Sad to say. But at night it is pretty and quiet. I’m going to do a full trip report with a lot of night pictures soon.
Nancy!!!! It was so great to see you again after a couple of years. You are always such a delight to spend time with. Dot and I enjoyed our stay here in Umbertide very much!!! We’ll be back!! I love my new hat I purchased at the shop! SAFE TRAVELS!! Enjoy your getaway!!!
We spent a week in Lecce and really enjoyed it. During the day the place is crowded with day tours but the evenings are fantastic as it’s just the locals and a few visitors staying behind. The food scene is wonderful, lots of options. Of course, Gelato! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.