Valnerina, Umbria

---

Geo: 42.8874, 13.0147

We set off on Wednesday shortly after 8am from Montecatini Alto taking the nerve wracking series of hairpin bends down to Terme where the streets were busy with tour buses leaving the hotels for the popular Tuscan city destinations. After a couple of wrong turns we eventually made it to the A11 motorway junction taking us round Florence then due south on the A1 which eventually ends up in Rome.

We had travelled some of this route last year - passing Lake Trasimeno and Perugia - when we stayed at Assisi, and the imposing Basillica set into the hillside was clearly visible from the motorway. Just before reaching Spoleto, we left the dual carriageway where we feared a navigation error (dreadful lack of signage) but with satnav assistance we came across the sign for Norcia/Cascia that we had been looking for and were soon entering the Forca do Cerro road tunnel. Some five minutes and two and a half miles later we emerged the other end where the landscape was totally different - the Valnerina which is a steep sided valley covered in lush green vegetation and a sharp contrast to the lands we had left at the other end.

We followed this road on the valley floor with the River Nera beside us for several miles until we reached the turn for Preci. By this time, we had picked up signage for Il Collaccio, our campsite destination, negotiating steep inclines and sharp bends. The final approach from the hamlet of Castelvecchio was so narrow I was hanging out of the window to check that the caravan would clear raised kerbs and low eaves. So it was some relief when we checked in at Reception (no wimpish extended lunch breaks here - they are open to receive clients between 9am and 9pm) to hear that there is a one-way system through the grounds so we can exit lower down the hillside.

Armed with a map marked with available pitches we set off to make our choice and opted for one on a terrace with stunning views across to Preci and duly pitched sideways on with the awning (just about) open on all sides looking out across the valley. Above us, via a couple of flights of steps, are the communal areas such as pool, bar, restaurant, shop, which also serve clients staying in the chalets, ready-erected tents and hotel. They have clearly spent a great deal of time and money investing in this former farm to create a site of this 4-star standard.

The car never moved on Thursday as I caught up on laundry and tidying up, but David did venture out for an hour on his bike but encountered some tough climbs.

This location had not occurred to us for this trip until our Dutch neighbour at St. Clair, Rien, mentioned the Piano Grande in the Mount Sibillini National Park which is noted for its display of colourful Spring flowers. So that's where we visited today (Friday).

From nearby Visso we started the steady climb up into the Park via Castelangelo and Gualdo until at the Piano Perduto we could see Castelluccio ahead. This small village atop the hill is Italy's highest inhabited settlement (just 150 residents) and from where you have breathtaking view over the Piano Grande where when the snow melts from the surrounding mountains, the landscape erupts into a succession of flowering swathes. Sadly for us the seasons are behind by a few weeks so there was just the faintest hint of things to come with patches of yellow, though when out if the car you can see lots of various wild flowers but not in profusion. Later on the landscape will be tinged with red, gold, violet and blue - I should love to see the poppies in full bloom.

We lingered at Castelluccio for an hour or so, wandering around the streets, up and down, clicking away as view after view appeared in the gaps between the houses, then stopped off at an Osteria for cappuccino and a pastry. Back down in the main square there are numerous shops aimed at tourists selling local delicacies, where we bought some delicious local mature pecorino cheese, though the area's main claim to gastronomic fame is its lentils which grow down on the plain.

Our route then took us down on to the plain which, as well as being cultivated, is a grazing area for sheep, horses and cattle, and recreational activities such as hiking, horse riding and hang gliding. We made several stops along the plain and the road up the other side to take photographs of the stunning landscape from different angles.

It was then on to Norcia - Italy's cured meat capital, its shops brim with pork and wild boar products such as prosciutto, salami and sausages. The beasts like nothing better than acorns and snuffle around the surrounding oak woods, which are also the source of the elusive black truffle unearthed by dogs.

The town has been affected by earthquakes over the years (the last major rumble in 1979) so the buildings are relatively low rise and scars of rebuilding to repair the damage can be seen. At the centre of the main square, Piazza San Benedetto, is a statue of Norcia's famous son, St. Benedict with the nearby Basillica bearing his name where he is supposed to have been born. A monastic order founded in his name still exist in the town where one of their activities is brewing, but the shop where you can purchase some was closed for lunch so no shandy for me this evening!

Never mind, we shall instead have a pleasant glass of wine with our chicken and roast vegetable pasta as we gaze out over Preci. When the sun has gone down and night falls, we can watch the fireflies. Magic!

---