67. Back Roads of Italy - Umbria to Tuscany

I have a little book called 'Back Roads of Italy' and an even better one called 'Back Roads of France', so when we are tired of the cities and even the big towns, I drag out my little book and my trusty map, and we head off on a drive.

Back Roads of France  

                 

Back Roads of Italy

Guided by our little book, we left Spoleto in Umbria, and headed, in a very round about fashion and over two days, towards Montalcino in Tuscany, the home of Brunello.

I never tire of medieval hill villages and their quaint streets and paths, walls and doors, doorsteps and pot plants.  This was Trevi.

Yet another cute piazza on a vicious slope.  This one was called Piazza Della Rocca - named for Daniella and Margaret.  If it had been called Piazza Di Il Rocca, it would have been named for Frank, Giacomo and Enrico.  (Family joke there!)

We stopped on a hilltop in Bettona to admire the view and found ourselves at a table with a top made of one large piece of Tuscan Majolica ceramic.  Driving on a bit further we we came to Deruta, the home of Majolica and Vietri ceramics.  Have a look here - 

Majolica Ceramics - Deruta, Italy

Our overnight stop was at Castello del Lago, the main town on Lago Trasemino, on the last Sunday of the European summer.  

This is a large, shallow inland lake in Umbria, near Perugia.  It is north of the Tiber river and south of the Po, but no river actually feeds it.  The lake level fluctuates according to rainfall and the seasonal demands of towns, villages and farms in the surrounding areas.  The lake covers 128 square km, so it can be seen from a long way. 

We visited previously in early June 2000 and we were the only people for miles around.  I sat in the sun and read a book and the waitress in the cafe walked my coffee out to me - just for something to do.  Meanwhile Paul lost his thong in the mud and weed on the bottom of the lake and amused himself for hours with a snorkel and goggles, trying to find it.

Dusk at 8.30pm over Lago Trasemino.

Another family institution ... Adam and Dani's original (and still sometimes active) band was called the Mongolian Fishmongers - Long time, No sea.

And this was their logo.

My new best friend!  

I've been concocting pirate stories for Jack and Henry (alias Jacques et Henri or Giacomo e Enrico, depending on where we are) and sending them via a great Australia Post app called 'Postcards'.  

For $1.99 AUS I can send a real post card, printed in Australia using one of my own photos, with my own message - sent to anywhere in the world from anywhere in the world.  The app is great and its free.  Get it from the iTunes Store for your mobile device, but make sure you select the red one from Australia Post - there are others not nearly as good..

Get iTunes app for Australia Post 'Postcards'

One of the hill towns in Umbria that we happened into, specialised in small goods.  

Paul was in his element - all sorts of salamis in the shape of animals or animal's testicles.  I'll bet you girls didn't know that this vital part of a mule, donkey, goat, sheep, pig or bullock anatomy was quite a distinct shape.  That's the mule's balls hanging in bunches on the right with the goat's more delicate pieces displayed singly on the left.  At least the pigs got to have a bit of class - that's the whole pig shape strung up at the top.

I know it looks a bit like a rat or even a filigree Siberian hamster, but it is, in fact a pig!