Ciao tutti,
I hope you’ve had a good week and your dreams of Italy are alive and well. I have so much to tell you about after our week away in Umbria and am feeling very uplifted, rested, and invigorated. We ventured off to Umbria for a little break and an opportunity to do some more research for the Untold Italy tours later this year. Have you been before? It is a tranquil, mystical region that feels a little like Tuscany but perhaps more wild, and certainly less busy. I highly recommend a trip - just make sure you have a car if you’d like to tour around at your leisure.
With my mind full of Umbrian beauty this week, I also wanted to remind you that there are still places available for our November 2022 tour this year. Alternatively, why not join us there in June 2023 if you’d like a little more sunshine on your trip.
I’m now back in Turin and running my virtual live tours on Instagram again this week. Join me on Tuesday in a real ‘off-the-beaten-track’ region - scroll down for more details.
A week in Umbria
I’ve got lots to say about beautiful Umbria, and will write some more extensive posts on the region soon. For now, I thought I would share with you some highlights from our 5-night trip.
Sunset in Trevi where the whole town is lit up in a rose-hued golden glow
Delicious rustic lunch in Bevagna eating side-by-side the locals with a basket of freshly foraged asparagus to mark the start of Spring (it’s all about foraging in this region)
Spritz at Bar Bonci, Spello overlooking a beautiful view and cuddling some friendly cats
Eating tender lamb cutlets cooked directly over an open air fire in Trevi at Ristorante Taverna del Sette
A private guided tour in Assisi that was meant to go for 2.5 hours but went for 3.5! Seriously, I wish I had a tour guide with me everywhere I went, they are so knowledgeable and always excellent storytellers
Discovering 14th-century palazzi in Trevi
The sheer volume and beauty of the olive groves that dot the horizon
Talking to an artisan ceramic maker and watching him create a water jug in Deruta
Eating a ‘crunchy’ fried egg topped with freshly shaved black truffle at a gorgeous restaurant in the countryside
Taking a bite into a tasty porchetta panino in Perugia at Antica Salumeria Granieri Amato
Tasting award-winning olive oils in Trevi at local olive oil mill, Frantoio Guadenzi (seriously, I have an even greater appreciation for artisan EVOO after this!)
Meeting a cloistered nun through the grates of a church in Montefalco and hearing a little about her story (she joined at 15 years old and turns 90 this year!)
The pink sunset at the top of Mount Subasio
Untold Italy Umbria Trips
If you’d like to tour Italy with a small group of like-minded travellers, then why not join us on our Untold Italy adventures this year or next? We’re heading to Umbria this November 2022 (the perfect time to taste new olive oil, sip on bold Sagrantino wine, and dive into a bowl of wild boar pasta), and June 2023 (if you’re looking for sunshine and want to experience an out of this world local festival).
After taste-tasting the restaurants, olive oil mills, and wineries we have booked for the Untold Italy tours this week, I’m even more excited to welcome you to the region. It will be the most incredible trip and I can’t wait to see your faces when you watch the sunset over Trevi, sip a glass of organic Sagrantino, taste fresh truffles, and marvel at the fact that there are so few tourists compared to other regions!
I recently sat down with Katy from Untold Italy to talk a little more in-depth about the itinerary for these tours. Take a watch of the below video if you’re interested in learning more.
Instagram Live Virtual Tours
Ashley Bartner in Urbania, Marche
Tuesday, 29 March at 10am CET
Join us this Tuesday for a live virtual tour in Le Marche. Ashley is an American expat who runs an agriturismo and cooking school @latavolamarche with her husband Jason. Have you been to Marche before? It's high on my list of places to explore and I can't wait to learn more about it with the lovely Ashley. Be sure to let us know if you have any questions before we go live and I hope to see you on Tuesday!
That’s it for this week! I can’t wait to tell you more about the hilltop towns I visited in Umbria, the foraged greens & delicious game meat, the slightly spicy olive oil that transports you to the middle of the olive groves no matter where you are in the world, the glorious light, the fresh air tinged with the scent of woodfire, fresh black truffles, friendly locals, ceramic heaven, and so much more.
x Liv