Just a short post on a lazy Sunday morning in Umbria.

Yes, we’re back in Umbria, back home after a few days at the beginning of the trip enjoying cosmoplitan Florence and Bologna. But home is where the heart is and we are home in the “green heart of Italy.” Rural, natural Umbria.

Our arrival here just before the weekend was to a cold, wet Umbria, slightly gray and drizzly. But rising Saturday morning in preparation for the arrival of our Cucinapalooza cooking tour group we were greeted by warm, bright sunshine. Spring has officially arrived here in Umbria. You can feel it in the air, hear it in the chirping of the songbirds, feel it in your soul. It is a time of rebirth when the earth seems to be stretching and shaking off its winter slumber.

And speaking of stretching, we have found a yoga instructor to help us stretch our winter ravaged bodies and find our centers during our two weeklong tours. Lucia gave Suzy and I a preview of our sessions together and it will be a welcome addition to the weeks’ itineraries. We are novices to this ancient discipline but are looking forward to it.

What arrival in Umbria would be complete without a visit to our friend Simone’s restaurant, le Delizie del Borgo in Bevagna? We stopped in for a relaxing lunch with Wendy to officially mark our return to Umbria, enjoying, among other plates, a raw artichoke salad, savoring the freshness of the thinly sliced artichokes dressed with rich local olive oil and just a pinch of salt. Home, most definitely sweet home.

And after a welcome lunch in Santa Maria degli Angeli with our new guests and a walking tour of Assisi on the nicest day of the year so far, it was time to welcome them to our cozy farmhouse home, la Fattoria del Gelso. And what a welcome it was, with Maria Pia preparing a traditional meal of antipasti and porchetta, a boneless pig, rolled up with herbs and slow roasted in the oven.

Spring has returned to Umbria and so have we. And we are grateful for both.

Ci vediamo!
Bill and Suzy