The Gift that Keeps on Giving (daily)

Fortunately for us ... unfortunate for our waistlines ... a new and EXCELLENT Gelato Cafe has opened in this area.   Made by hand from only the freshest ingredients .... We have started a ritual G.o.t.D. (Gelato of the Day).   Irresitable and only 10 minutes away!!!

Flavors we have had thus far ... 

  * Lemon

  * Pistaccio

  * Coconut

  * Pineapple

  * Peach

  * Crema

  * Dark Chocoate

  * Banana

  * Strawberry

  * Marcapone & Nutella

  * Caffe

  * Melon

  * Ricotta with Fig

So much gelato ... so little time!!!

Mercato delle Gaite - Part 4 - The Mercatos

An additional part of the contest for the Mercato delle Gaite is the actual markets each Gaite creates.  The markets are created to represent what a local market would be in Medieval times.  The food, animals, goods for homes, etc ...

Keep in mind each Gaite is (seriously) judged ... here is the procession of judges as they walked through Bevagna on Sunday morning, going from mercato to mercato for the official judging.

Some examples of the mercatos (markets) ... 

More photos to come ... too many to choose from!!!

Mercato delle Gaite - Part 3 - The Trades

Another part of contest of the Mercato are the trade demonstrations.  Each Gaite will have a couple of trades (crafts) from medieval times.  They work extensively to recreate the detailed steps for key trades that were established in each Gaite in Medieval times.  The demonstrations are primarily open in the evening, each presented with candles and torches that help establish such a wonderful atmosphere and ambiance as you walk around the town.

Here are some pictures from some of the demonstrations:

Cloth making ... starting with the silk worms ... all the way to weaving the cloth.

Candle making

Paper making

Creation of the pigments used in fresco painting

Creation of Instruments

Mercato delle Gaite - part 2 (The Food)

One part of the competition for the Gaite (4 quarters of the town) is food.  Each Gaite selects a menu of food original to Medieval times in Bevagna.  Interesting to note; at that time there was no corn, rice or tomatoes.   You see as you read the dishes below ... none of these ingredients (that we think common to Italy) are used in these dishes.

Here is a sampling of the food we have tried on 2 different nights at the Gaite.

From Gaita Santa Maria ... 

Clockwise from upper left corner; Lasagne salsiccia e ortica (Lasagna with sausage and poison oak - more likely nettles), Lumache odorose (snails), Insaleggiata de cipolle (onions), Barbozza alle erbe (guanciale).

Top row: Strozzapreti fave e barbozza (pasta with fava beans & guanciale), Zuppa di farro e ceci (soup with farro and chick peas), Stinco de Porco (pork shank)

Bottom row:  Coratella d'agnello (lamb offal), Fave alle erbe odorose (Fava beans cooked with herbs), Spiedini de Porco (skewers of roasted pork with flatbread)

From Gaita San Pietro .... 

Top row:  Antipa sto Sancto Pietro (antipasta plate with various meats, farro, bruschette and spinach roll); Menestra de farro (farro soup).

Second row: Pappardelle de porco selvatico (pappardelle pasta with wild boar), Torta con prosciutto (flat bread with prosciutto)

Third row; Salcicce con torta bianca (sausage on flat bread), Insalata d'herbe (mixed green salad)

Center;  Stinco di porco rostito (roasted pork shank)

Clockwise - starting upper left; Porco Rostito in savore (roasted pork), herbe cotte (cooked greens), Scafatta de fave (fava bean cooked with pork) & Papero (duck)

Now ... doesn't that make your medieval stomach growl ???? 

The Gift at the End of an Early Evening Umbrian Rain Shower

Clouds come floating into my life.  No longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.      (Rabindranath Tagore)

What's All the Buzz About?

One of the pleasures of this area is enjoying the countryside.  The late spring rains and cooler weather have delayed the full blooming fields of sunflowers ... however, through exploring the small backroads, we have been able to find a few fields that are just about at peak.

Unfortunately for some ... the flowers are full of bees ... none-the-less breathtaking.

Mercato delle Gaite

A brief introduction to this unique Umbrian Medieval celebration.  This is a historical celebration in this small Umbrian walled town that recognizes and celebrates it's history.  The town is divided into four Gaite (quarters. The four Gaite of Bevagna are:  San Giovanni, San Giorgio, Santa Maria, and San Pietro.  Each Gaite have their own flags, and during the festival they display their on the walls, windows and doorways.

Throughout the festival, each of the Gaite compete in several disciplines; for example food (original to the area and medieval times) and trades or crafts.  The majority of the competition and demonstrations are held at night with lanterns and candlelight that give the festival a magical ambiance.

Much more to come ..... 

Deruta Italy

Deruta is a small walled hill town in this area that is most well known for it's ceramics; however this little town on it's own is charming and beautiful.   One of my favorite places in Umbria; perhaps because it was one of the first that I visited several years ago ... the fact it was having an antique fair in the piazza that day was a special bonus!

To Travel is to Live

"To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,

to gain all while you give,

to roam the roads of lands remote,

to travel is to live."

.... Hans Christian Andersen

Happily, once again, we find ourselves on the back porch of Genius Loci in Umbria.  A large terra cotta pot once used for olive oil now used to hold brightly colored flowers ... and in the distance perched on the hill is the lovely hill town of Montefalco.