It is winter in Umbria and very quiet indeed. Many shops in Castiglione del Lago are closed until Carnival, or even until the end of February. My home town is semi deserted now. During the weekly market there are less stalls, many stay at home because of the colder...
Pasta alla Norcina is a typical Umbrian pasta dish. The name derives from the small village Norcia. Norcia is in the Sibillini mountains and famous for its sausages, cheeses and cold cuts. People here are quite proud of their local kitchen and rightly so! Umbria also...
January 6, Epiphany is an important holiday in Italy. It is the day that the Three Kings brought gifts to Jesus. Traditionally it is the Befana who brings sweets and gifts to children in Italy on January 6th. That morning I had a training with my friends in Chiusi,...
This was the second time I participated in the half marathon Invernalissima. Two years ago I participated and last weekend again. Inverno means winter, hence the name for this race. Invernalissima is a half marathon which always takes place in Umbria before Christmas....
It's Christmas time! In many towns in Umbria there are cosy Christmas markets to buy souvenirs, taste local products and drink a warm glass of "vin brulè" mulled wine. Also in Castiglione del Lago, the small village where I live, the shops in the main street are...
I was in the Netherlands this month and attended an Italian event “Sapori d’Inverno”. I enjoyed some hours of Italian atmosfere in Holland! Cooking workshops, winetastings and typical Italian food all made up for a easy going Italian atmosfere. Ferrari’s, catwalks,...
Olive harvest in Umbria Every year in October and November is the time to harvest the olives in Umbria. In 2014 we had a terrible harvest: a combination of bad weather (a mild winter and rain in summer) led to Italy's most disastrous olive harvest. The olive fruit fly...
Chiusi is one of these typical hilltop towns in the South Tuscany, on the Umbria/Tuscany border. It used to be an Etruscan city. Chiusi overlooks the valley of Valdichiana. Chiana used to be a side river of the Tiber. Lake Chiusi and Lake Montepulciano are two...
Eurochocolate is a food event in Perugia Umbria and a walhalla for "chocoholics" like me. Every year in October Perugia is transformed into a chocolate city. Perugia is not only famous because of its university but also for its production of the famous "Baci" (kisses)...
Funghi porcini, or Boletus Edulis, is a wild mushroom which is not too difficult to find in the forests in Italy. Many go out to find these precious mushrooms, often just after the summer season in September and October. Once I accompanied a friend into the forest in...
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