Bella Italia 205

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Day One



So far so good. Smooth flight to Rome. I was able to nap on the plane and on the drive to our first stop, Castiglione del Largo. This small, quaint, quiet, off the beaten track town is located on the shore of lake Tresimeno, the largest lake in Central Italy.

The day was perfect for touring, partly cloudy and about 55 degrees. We strolled the main street of town past specialty shops, one featuring beans, another pasta, a third cheese. All offered wine for sale. Pat and I were both hungry and while looking for a restaurant that offered outdoor seating in the sun we were overheard by a young Brit who recommended a bar up the street. Sure enough there was seating to the rear on a terrace that overlooked the lake. We were neither the first nor the last of our group to discover this place.

We each ordered a glass of Orvieto and an assortment of meats and cheeses to share. When they brought the plate I thought it was a double order but it wasn't. Pat and I did it proud. There was salami and mortadella, thinly sliced ham and sausage, parmigiana and provolone, tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers, mushrooms, and baby onions, bread spread with black truffles and another type of spread and another large piece of bread. Way too much food but there was little left when we were done.

We arrived at out hotel in Perugia at the conclusion of a week long chocolate festival. The street to our hotel was closed and we were directed to another entrance that involved elevators. Anyone who has traveled in Europe knows that the lifts are small so it took a while for all of us to get to the lobby and pick up our keys.

Our room is on the first floor with a street view. It is large by European standards and clean, the bathroom is small but sufficient and best of all the window opens. I love fresh air at night.

Neither of us were hungry and after a nap we headed to the bar. Dinner consisted of peanuts, potato chips and wine and G&T. We headed to bed about nine and had a lovely night waking at six.

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