Elsa Bruno, a Via Umbria employee, recently spent two weeks in Umbria at La Fattoria del Gelso. Here are some of her thoughts from the time spent in Italy.
____
Meals in Umbria were always a treat. As anyone who has visited Italy can tell you, eating is a central activity. But some of the most memorable meals were not made in a restaurant, but prepared from the Farmhouse’s very backyard.
Unlike a hotel, or traditional rental, La Fattoria del Gelsohas a working kitchen garden for use by the guests.
The row of tomatoes in the garden
Building a meal around what you have physically growing next to you feels so refreshing. The task of thinking of a dinner is not exhausting when you have a finite amount of fresh materials. After a long day of activity, the question “what will we have for dinner?” is met by a glance out the back door. What do we have?
Many times that question was met with the answer of tomatoes, lettuce, eggplant, and tons of figs. Enter leafy salads topped with local olive oil, fried eggplant tucked into pasta, tomatoes drizzled with oil and tossed with mozzarella, and figs paired with sharp local pecorino cheese. No matter how many times we had a combination of those dishes, we kept coming back for more.
A glass of local wine (from a vineyard visited that afternoon) was always poured as we assembled the ingredients from the garden and set to work on our dinner preparation. Soon we were walking out to the pool with our hand painted ceramics and wine glasses, to eat a simple yet delectable meal as the sun set.
Tomatoes and basil from the garden with mozzarella, lettuce from the garden with artichokes and with beans, fried eggplant from the garden.
Being able to cook and eat like a local is a fun part of any vacation. But claiming to have a huge garden entirely at your disposal while vacationing? Now that’s La Fattoria del Gelso.
The dates for 2016 are now open. I would suggest you book a trip of your own, if not just to see what’s in season in the garden.
Can you believe it’s already past mid-September? Did post-Labor Day have you jumping into tons of new activities? Are you finding time for Spritz O Clock?
Well for your weekend we have a lot of fun articles this week. Take a look:
This Italian dog atones for whatever he did in the most adorable way. We can’t stop laughing.
Photos from Italy in the 1950’s are nostalgic, but all of these photos don’t look too far off from what one would see today. Italy is timeless, which is part of its magic!
Lavazzawill direct more than a third of its investment budget toward the U.S. this year as Italy’s biggest coffeemaker seeks to triple revenue in a country that accounts for less than 10 percent of sales. More espresso! We’re in.
Well wasn’t this week short! We are delighted that another Friday has rolled around after this four-day work week. Here is what we have been reading this week:
It’s Friday! We are very excited for the long weekend. Here is what we have been reading this week:
Eggplant Parmesan. A classic Italian dish that is comforting and wholesome…but where did it actually come from, and what does it really mean? Food 52 dives in with the real history, with some delectable recipes along the way.
It’s almost Onion Fest in Cannara!!! Our sleepy town gets injected with onion madness and crowds gather to celebrate the humble cipolla.
Ask the average 11 year old boy who his favorite Italian is and he just might say Mario. How this short Italian plumber captured the heart of a generation, from TheAtlantic.
Here is what we were drinking the last time there was a long week-end…cheers to three days and nights off! We’ll be posting what we’re drinking this time around, so stay tuned!
Last week, our friends over at Oliver’s Travels interviewed us about the Green Heart of Italy. Today, we share their top 10 reasons for visiting this fantastic region.
The Top 10 Reasons to Visit Umbria
It might be landlocked, but to overlook Umbria is to overlook one of the best-kept secrets in Italy. Often overshadowed by its grandstanding neighbor Tuscany, Umbria is smaller, quieter and much less crowded. If you’re looking for a true Italian experience, try staying in a wonderful villa in Umbria and enjoying the hilly landscapes and sumptuous local produce. It’s a world away from a hectic city break, and much more relaxing too.
Still need convincing? Here’s 10 great reasons why you should choose Umbria for your next Italian adventure!
1. It does one Italian staple better than anyone
Mancino Olive Oil
And what staple is that, you might ask? Easy – olive oil. Umbria is often (and rightfully) lauded for the standard of its produce, and it’s particularly true of its olives and the oil they produce. If you’re over, be sure to pick up a bottle or two to bring a zesty new dimension to your home cooking, whether that’s in salads, sauces or just enjoyed with a hunk of ciabatta and a bit of balsamic vinegar!
2. And another less well, but that doesn’t really matter!
Pardi Cantina Montefalco Rosso
For a long time, Umbrian wine was seen as a poor cousin of more famous vintages, particularly those from Tuscany. However, in recent years Umbrian wine has been enjoying a bit of a renaissance, and Sagrantino di Montefalco wines in particular are fast making a name for themselves, so make sure you keep an eye out.
3. And the landscape adds to the charm!
The landscape in Umbria is remarkably hilly, and while you’ll find some of those hills topped with the aforementioned vineyards and wineries, others are crowned by beautiful and charming towns. Spoleto, Gubbio and Assisi are easy to reach and enchanting to explore, with plenty to see and do and each with their own quaint appeal.
4. As well as taking you back in time
History buffs and those with a bit of romanticism in their hearts will have another reason to enjoy Umbria’s hilltop towns, particularly Spello, Gubbio and Perugia. They all retain a wealth of their medieval (and sometimes even Roman!) architecture, taking you right back to the days of the Renaissance and beyond.
5. Italy’s “Green Heart” is also a foodie heaven!
Umbria is nicknamed the “Green Heart of Italy” and it’s not just because of the lush, verdant landscape is, well… so green. It’s also celebrated for the magnificentproduce grown and reared on the fertile land, produce that goes way beyond grapes and olives. From charcuterie to mushrooms, from trout to asparagus, when it comes to fresh, fantastic food Umbriais probably the best region of Italy to head to.
6. And carnivores have one huge treat waiting for them…
Porchetta
If you’ve ever tried a roast pork sandwich you’ll know how well hot, juicy pork, sweet apple sauce and crispy crackling go when stuffed between two hunks of soft white bread. In Umbria this is taken to the next level with Porchetta, deboned pig stuffed with fennel and spit roasted, then sliced and crammed between slices of fresh Italian bread. It is, quite simply, irresistible.
7. And gourmet eaters are served even better!
Remember how just a couple of entries ago we were talking about how there’s so much wonderful produce coming out of Umbria? There was one we didn’t mention, and it’s one of Umbria’s most prized exports – truffles. But it’s not just hyper-expensive mushrooms that’ll tickle your gourmet palate. Umbria’s humble lentils are prized by chefs and foodies throughout the world – so make sure you try some if you visit.
8. It has a chocolate festival
Sticking with food (because it’s seriously one of the best things about Umbria) Perugia is a major producer of quality chocolates, which culminates in Eurochocolate, a week long festival celebrating all things chocolatey. And yes, free samples are given out – up to a million of them each year, in fact.
9. There’s plenty of stuff to keep you fit and active
Nearly 10% of Umbria is taken up by protected parklands and nature reserves, which make a great place to head for the day if you feel like enjoying the open air. Walking, rafting and mountain biking are perennially popular, but if you want to experience the landscape in a whole new way, try heading through on horseback. The kids will love it!
10. And there’s some truly magical places to stay
The pool at La Fattoria del Gelso in Cannara
There’s an absolutely massive choice when it comes to hotels and holiday homes in Italy, but some of the luxury Umbrian villas available make the very best of staying in the glorious countryside while providing the best creature comforts including wifi, swimming pools and a whole lot more. It’s by far the most authentic and most enjoyable way to experience Italy’s most underrated region!
There comes a time around 5-7PM when a little break is needed from life.
The sun begins to make its journey down, the heat from the day lets up, the stores begin to think about closing, and the only thing I need is a Spritz.
Not exactly a before-dinner drink, instead more of a late-afternoon drink, the Spritz is perfect for the transition from a long day to a leisurely evening. A relatively new invention(for Italy), the Spritz took the whole boot by storm, and is now ubiquitous in piazzas all over Italy in the early evening.
Unlike some USA style happy hours, the idea of a Spritz is not to get you buzzed. Aperol is only 11% alcohol, and is an appetite stimulant. Though your body still tastes alcohol, this cocktail is undeniably light.
The bitter, zesty taste of a Spritz always signals to my taste buds that the work for the day is essentially over. With a glass full of orange liquid, you can nestle into your chair on the piazza, take a deep breath, and appreciate a mental pause in the day.
Yesterday morning, at 10:30 AM, a quasi-Jeep pulled up to La Fattoria Del Gelso. Frederico, the son of the Ribigini family, had come to take me away. We swerved through the Umbrian countryside, to arrive in the sleepy town of Deruta.
After being fully indoctrinated with the Geribi Ceramics story in the United States, I was eager to see what the production in Italy is actually like, and Frederico was there to show me. My most recent memories of Geribi involved packing up vast piles of it to move into storage, when Via Umbria closed for renovations. Hopefully this visit would be a little lighter, literally and figuratively.
First stop: the museum.
After reading Bill’s post on the museum two years ago, I was eager to enter the ex-Franciscain monastery to see the history of ceramics in Deruta. And it was just as educational and inspiring as he said it would be.
The visual timeline the museum offers is exceptional. Ceramics have been in Deruta for centuries, and to see the first fragments, which use only one or two colors and are more carved designs than painted, and then to travel through the Renaissance and to modern times, is a visual treat. One can really come to understand who these ceramics are essential to the history and understanding of this place.
The museum closed at 1 (for lunch!) so Frederico showed me around the city. I delighted in the fact that all of the signs (don’t drink this water, parking is here, coffee this way) are handpainted Deruta tiles. Even the public benches are make of ceramic. Here, ceramics are part of the fabric of life, an element of style that has seeped into the blood of Deruta.
We headed back to the warehouse, where Frederico explained the layers that go into creating the final piece. The warehouse was full of ceramics in different stages of the creation process. It was so interesting to see the skeletons of so many ceramics that I have worked with for a year.
But then it was lunchtime. We headed to a nearby restaurant with the whole Ribigini family, where the breeze offset the dramatic heat. I got to properly practice my Italian ear – not just having a one on one conversation but being part of a multi-channel exchange.
I asked the family what makes their ceramics stand out in a town full of shops. In this historical place chock full of studios and rich with history, the Ribigini’s take Deruta ceramics and really make them their own, injecting the family style into each one of their creations. Patterns that I saw in the museum, historical styles of ceramics, are taken and given a vibrant twist in the Geribi studio. This is key in artwork, taking inspiration from proven old styles and refreshing them with the vibrancy of the present.
As we head back to Cannara, Frederico tells me he thinks the craft is dying out. Our generation is not as interested in carrying on the tradition of ceramics. He told me 10 years ago there were many more stores, but as the world modernizes, people are not as intent on staying with the family trade, as he and Claudia have done. He says this with a shrug, mentioning that it may make it easier for him in the future, if not that many others are producing the high quality ceramics in the same quantity.
I certainly hope these ceramics remain alive. When I use them back at La Fattoria Del Gelso that night for dinner, I have a renewed appreciation. I understand the history, inspiration, work, and love that went into creating my dinner plate. And that creates a truly rich meal.
Ci Vediamo!
–Elsa at Via Umbria
————
Via Umbria imports ceramics directly from the Ribigini family. Support their craft at our online store.
This past Sunday I ventured out for lunch with Frances at Simone’s renovated restaurant. Having never seen his old restaurant, I was impressed by the freshness and modernity of his new place. When commenting on how small the kitchen is, he told me this new one is three times larger that his former one! While at first this seemed impossible, I soon remembered that Simone is the only person working in this kitchen.
He preps the dishes, cooks them, makes their presentation, and sometimes washes the dishes. From start to finish, the things you eat are 100% Simone. And so when you are eating a dish from Simone, you are also eating something he is proud of.
And so lunch commenced. We left the menu up to Simone, and were pleased, as usual. A perfect DiFilippo rose was consumed by all. Upon leaving, he asked if I would come back to help for dinner, which I accepted with enthusiasm.
He made some fresh pasta for the night, and then a massive thunderstorm set in. A bit nervous that perhaps there would be no crowd for the night, (and it being the aperitivo hour), we had a spritz. But alas, people showed up, and Simone cooked away, preparing dish after dish himself for his happy customers. He even convinced me to eat a snail ( I have been a vegetarian since birth)…and I will admit it was good. It all was a delight to witness.
And what would a Simone post be without a recipe? Yet again, we will bring you a zucchini recipe, appearing on the blog tomorrow!
Just before I arrived (dazed and confused) at La Fattoria del Gelso on Saturday, the tomatoes were harvested.
Heaps of fresh tomatoes lay in the bowl, far more than could possibly be eaten.
Through hard work and diligence (and a little encouragement from i bambini), these precious summer tomatoes can be turned into something wonderful to use once their time has passed – tomato sauce.
As I write this, I have been in Cannara for three days , and have absorbed a lot in such a small time. It is tempting to get overwhelmed, by the amount of things to see, and visit, and eat…the people I want to talk to, the talking (in Italian) that I want to improve. But it is also important know that I do not need to consume everything, but instead to enjoy the extreme ripeness of the moment, and tuck some away for later. Whether it be through photos, a recipe from an Italian friend, or a small ceramic, I can embrace this summer moment, but also know that Italy will still be with me when I go home.
On a dreary day in winter, perhaps a can of this summer juice can be opened, and remind Marco and his family of this lovely hot day in August.
Take in all of the bounty, process it, and save a bit for later.
This was going to be the year Suzy and I did not make our annual summer visit to Italy. Instead of hot summer Cannara days and cool Umbria Jazz under starry skies, taking the place of rocky Ponza beaches and breezy Ischia sailboat trips we would remain in steamy, sultry Washington, our attention focused squarely on completing – or at least moving forward – the renovation and reopening of Via Umbria as an Italian market.
But life often has other plans for you. Plans that do not align perfectly with the gantt charts and timelines that get you from demolition to grand opening. And so this week life threw us a curveball that said “I want you to come to Italy.” A fat hanging curveball that we swatted all the way from Washington to Bevagna. Life told us that our friend Simone was going to have his own grand opening, the reopening of his restaurant le Delizie del Borgo and we decided, emphatically, that were not going to miss it.
So with progress at Via Umbria slightly stalled and the opportunity present to sneak away for a few days we scoured the online travel websites, landing a perhaps too-expensive but unassailably priceless pair of tickets that would take us from home to Bevagna for Friday’s grand opening. We were on. And no one knew we were coming.
Suzy and I have been boarding flights to Italy three or four times a year now for the past decade, and we always feel a sense of excitement about the possibilities that lie ahead. What new adventure will we discover? What new friends will we make? What unforgettable dish will we eat or bottle will we drink or fresco will we see? But boarding the non-stop flight to Rome, in fact getting into the car for the two hour drive to the airport was an experience so filled with excitement, made us so downright giddy, that you would think it was the first time we’d ever flown.
Upon our arrival in Rome we were met with cobalt blue skies and a blazing sun that our Italian friends have reminded us all summer long has scorched the Italian peninsula this year. But carefree we settled into our little rental Fiat 500, cranked up the air conditioner and hit the autostrada, making record time thanks to carry on luggage. After a brief stop in Todi to explore a little bit and enjoy lunch, by early afternoon we were in Bevagna, home of le Delizie and our home for the next four days.
When seven o’clock rolled around (the hour the celebration was slated to begin) we got sidetracked on a call back home, finally emerging from our albergo about an hour late and hoping we hadn’t flown across the Atlantic only to miss the celebration. But as we exited Bevagna’s city gate and made our way up the path that leads to the Campo dei Frati public park that houses the new Delizie, the overflowing parking lot and the music gently wafting through the trees told us that a celebration was going on.
Our first glimpse of Simone and Ombretta’s new restaurant was one that will be hard to forget. When we departed Italy last November the pair had opened their restaurant in Bevagna’s public garden, taking over a humble kiosk that served ice cream to park dwellers and served as a simple snack bar for the locals. But that simple edifice included the bones for a kitchen and over the winter Simone and Ombretta planned and cajoled and tirelessly worked toward constructing a permanent outdoor structure to house their dream. That first glimpse confirmed what we already knew. Simone and Ombretta are excellent dreamers. And tonight their dream had become a reality.
Built around the old snack bar kiosk was a beautiful glass structure, a sort of winter garden lit from within by a soft golden glow that cast its warmth onto the outdoor patio seating which was itself covered by two enormous umbrellas. Under the umbrellas, crowded inside the pavilion and lounging on park benches a hundred well wishers were laughing and chatting, eating and drinking and sharing in the moment of triumph for their friends. Just as we had arrived to do.
About fifty feet from the restaurant entrance we were recognized and discovered by Simone’s partner Desiderio, whose eyes bulged Marty Feldman-like and who threw his hands to his face Macaulay Culkin-like. As we stepped into the dining room Ombretta spied her surprise visitors with a look of shock that immediately turned to tears. And a moment later, Simone working in the kitchen spotted us through the window, matching Ombretta tear for tear. Within seconds the entire group was engaged in a speechless hug, our anticipation finally being realized, their surprise just now being processed. It was indeed a magical moment that exceeded anything we had or could have imagined.
* * *
Our second visit to the new Delizie del Borgo was likewise a surprise affair. Two days after our arrival and Simone’s grand opening we had booked a table for lunch for 20 at the restaurant, but under the guise that the party would be the family staying at our nearby farmhouse la Fattoria del Gelso. In the meantime our colleague Marco had invited a bunch of our local friends to join him for lunch to celebrate Simone’s reopening. Instead, as they assembled in the parking lot outside Bevagna’s Porta Cannara we surprised them with our presence and then paraded up the pathway and into the park where our little fraternity (which had swollen to 25) congratulated and paid their respects to Simone. And then proceeded to spend the next six hours enjoying a casual lunch and many, many bottles of wine under the giant umbrellas in the warm breeze of a hot Umbrian summer day.
The magic of sharing Simone’s triumph and the opportunity to laugh and spend time with those we hold dearest in Italy made our impromptu surprise visit to Umbria a memory that will last a lifetime. And it reminds us why we love coming here, for here in Umbria, the “green heart of Italy” renowned for its fertile soil bursting with bounty, the thing that grows best is friendship.
Summer is upon us and with it the summer travel season. And I just love it.
I was one of those kids who was “shipped away” to summer camp every year just weeks after school ended. And I loved it. Well at least after a few weeks of homesickness. It helped to have my older brothers at camp around me, if only that first year.
And as I grew older, being the youngest in the household afforded me the opportunity to travel the world with my parents. Just me and mom and dad. On those trips I learned how fascinating the world outside your backyard can be. And I learned too that spending every waking hour (and in the case of my parents, every sleeping hour, too) with the same people, sitting around small dining tables together (at least) three times a day, crammed together in a small rental car trying to pretend you were not lost or that you really didn’t care too much if you were, can induce a certain amount of stress. But by the time our plane landed back home and the bags were loaded in the car we would be reminiscing about the good times and planning our next trip.
Travel – seeing that world beyond your back yard, challenging the assumptions that color every one of your everyday activities, hearing strange sounds, smelling intoxicating smells, tasting flavors and combinations your mouth has never known before and feeling the warmth of strangers who go out of the way to lend you, the true stranger (the Italians call foreigners stranieri) – a helping hand when you are lost or tired or just don’t know how things work – is a powerful reminder of how connected we are to each other and to our world. And I love it. Especially because we lose sight of those connections so easily in our day to day lives.
With so many distractions and enticements around us as we motor through our daily lives, we can find ourselves alienated from our very selves, too easily running off here and there instead of enjoying the moment and what the moment affords us. This alienation can happen when we travel, too, but for most of us it doesn’t. And I have yet to meet anyone who has traveled to Umbria who hasn’t felt that he or she reconnected with something inside him or herself and with others in that magical place.
So just what is so special about Umbria? Umbria by its very nature encourages you not to visit but to experience.
Umbria has that natural ease, that comfort of an old pair of jeans or a favorite old shirt. It may be a little frayed around the cuff here or there, but you wouldn’t trade it in for anything.
Approachable. Accessible. Authentic.
That is Umbria.
Loaded with history. With culture. With tradition. With every step you take, with every glance at its rolling landscape, you could write a semester-long curriculum. Here is where Hannibal defeated the Roman legions. And there is where struggling medieval tradesmen took a middle eastern art form – majolica (ceramics) – and made it their own. Over there is an arch from the Etruscans, inscribed with a tribute to the Roman emperor Augustus. History piled atop history serving as a fascinating foundation for a modern world.
The rolling hills burn orange and red in the fall, blanketed by gnarled vines issuing forth grape varieties that were first introduced hundreds of years ago, when Vannucci (better known as il Perugino) was training his pupil Raffaelo, and even today those wines – wines that are as much a part of this place as Lake Trasimeno or Monte Subassio – are served with the same rustic fare that was created a millennium ago by peasant farmers who were poor in material wealth yet rich in lifestyle, grace be to the even richer soil of this place. Towering mountains and rolling green hills thrust their peaks into the sparkling clear sky as cool streams and rivers tumble over stones and boulders on their way to Rome. Il cuore verde d’Italia. Umbria truly is Italy’s green heart.
Umbria is known as the land of saints, boasting more native born saints than any other region, including Saint Claire and Santa Rita, Saint Valentine and Scholastica, Europe’s patron saint Benedict and the granddaddy of them all, Saint Francis. Is there something mystical and sacred in Umbria that has spawned all of these saints, or were they simply inspired to greatness by this place? In the end the answer really doesn’t matter. But to be in Umbria, finding yourself under a carpet of stars blazing in a sea of blackness on a perfectly quiet night, is to be powerless to resist pondering that very question.
Even today you feel it in Umbria, that sense of the sacred, of the possible. You hear it on the wings of the birds that flutter from cypress to cypress. You feel it on your skin during a steamy summer sunset or a crisp spring noon. You smell and see it on a foggy autumn morning.
But most of all you see it in the faces of the Umbrians themselves. Faces that look unflinchingly toward the future with confidence and hopefulness but who never fear to pause and make eye contact with the present. Who open their doors and their hearts to their families, friends and to strangers alike. Whose roots run deep into the soil and reach all the way to their glorious past. Gaining nourishment from it and keeping it alive and fresh and relevant.
I have long tinkered with the idea of writing a guidebook to our Umbria. And I am sure that it would be a long and interesting guidebook indeed. But in my opinion it would be a far, far better thing to visit Umbria yourself – to experience Umbria – and to inscribe that book in your mind and in your heart. And when you do, I will be the first one to invite you to give a private reading.
Thinking of traveling Umbria? Don’t plan your trip without talking to us first. It could the difference between visiting Umbria and experiencing Umbria.
And be sure to check out our blog – Dolce Vita – for stories about our experiences in il cuore verde d’Italia.
Summer is the time unplug and curl up and read a good book. While any reading is good reading, Suzy was captivated by three online summer reading recommendations that touch on Italia. Check them out, give them a read and let us know what you think!
THE CONTEMPORARY
Salvatore Scibona, a contemporary writer, can put many prestigious awards and grants on his resume, including New Yorker magazine’s “20 Under 40” list of best authors. An American born into an Italian family, Scibona is currently a professor of English at Wesleyan University.
His debut novel,The End, is about a single day in 1953, as lived by six people in an Ohio carnival crowd.
As a contemporary Italian-American writing about America, his work is a nice fictional, and nuanced summer read.
THE CLASSIC
John Fante, “…is one of the true bad boys of 20th century American literature,” and a major inspiration to Bukowski. Another Italian-American, his work is very important to the American Beat movement. Working in LA during his lifetime, his work precedes the classic depictions of Italian Americans today.
This Salon profileof him convinced us that his work should go on our list this summer. We recommend trying his most famous novel, Ask the Dust, which was also made into a movie starring Colin Farrel and Salma Hayek.
FOR THE KIDS (?)
This Slate articlewill remind you what Pinocchio is really like. While admittedly a little dark, Carlo Collodi’s quick wit and knack for description make this a childhood tale worth revisiting.
If you find yourself in Italy, there is a whole theme park (in a tasteful Italian manner) in the town of Collodi. Complete with a sculpture garden filled with of the main characters in the book, it is a delightful trip for fans of the Italian novelist.
Just a two and a half hour drive from Cannara, visiting the garden could be a fun day trip if you are staying in Umbria! We are starting to take bookings for next summer, so hop over to our Casa page to see availability.
