13 - 15 September: In giro in Umbertide

Wednesday 12 September: I met Frederika for coffee at Sandri's then we went to the hairdresser to book her pedicure and haircut - they were happy to see me and welcomed Frederika. We then went to Casa di Corredo and bought some beautiful pure linen Italian sheets - they weigh a tonne, so I think I will try to post them home together with my lovely Italian linen towels. Came back to her place with our goodies and had a nice lunch before saying farewell as I would be in Umbertide when she left Perugia. It was so nice meeting someone from Perth. Giselle from Gusto wine tours sent me photos of the day, which are good, though not so much of me.

The amazing night sky in Perugia after the weather cleared.

Thursday 13 September: Slept badly but woke to birthday emails from Anne and Lorna and Nigel and I facetimed for a while, so very nice start to the day. I had some running around to do before my hair appointment and it was windy and rainy but not unbearably so, in fact, it was nice to be cool for a change. My hair appointment was unbelievably successful. I couldn't believe how good it looked: I had loose curls, like ringlets and it looked really good; all for €20. So I've booked for next Friday and it will still be good for Monday when I leave Perugia. I asked Eva to book me a taxi to go to the train station as my carryon weighed a tonne - gifts for Anne and Ruari - and it was raining. And....just as I was ready to leave my lovely apartment I discovered I have shutters for my bedroom window. I am very thrilled about that because the piazza is just outside and it gets very noisy and stays that way until around 3:30 in the morning. Arrived in Umbertide and was met by Anne and Ruari. Umbertide is a lovely town but quite different to Perugia. It is further north and is flatter; no hilly streets (it was a shock to the system to get back to Perugia). The town is on the Tiber and after dropping off my bags in their lovely house we went for a long walk along the Tiber - very pretty.

We stopped for an aperitivo at Bar Mary and then headed home as we were eating at Osteria del Musicante in the San Francesco cloisters as part of the festa. Everyone in the town dresses up and the costumes are wonderful.

We met Daniela and her friend Natalia briefly after dinner but we were early to dine and they were late so we didn't have time to chat. The 4-day festa is called Fratta dell '800 and is about Garibaldi and his red shirts coming to save the town. I crashed about midnight and had the best sleep ever so woke refreshed ready to do it all again. All-in-all a fabulous birthday.

Friday 14 September: Today we took the train to SanSepolcro in Toscano and saw the Piero della Francesca fresco. I had already seen the amazing frescoes in the Bacci chapel in Arezzo so I only have one more to visit to complete the cycle - the stunning Madonna at Monterchi, but I do not think I will get there this visit. When i was in Arezzo in 2008, I loved her so much I bought a postcard and a card not realising that she was in Monterchi. We had a lovely wander around the town, popping into museums and churches. We visited a lace museum and spotted that the thread that they use comes from Scotland.

The rose window in the ceiling of the duomo is made of alabaster. I know the photo doesn't look much but it was beautiful

This lovely doorway has a black dove(?) nesting in the hollow at top right.

We had lunch at a small ristorante which gave a discount with our tickets from the museum. I had spelt soup (zuppa di farro) - it was delicious. We shared a bottle of white from the Banfi estate. I had forgotton we were in Tuscany.

Arriving back in Umbertide, Anne and I wandered around the town, popping into shops and buying, of course. We called into Busatti, which is a shop that sells woven cloth. I bought a couple of little souvenirs and the owner said that another woman from Perth was staying in Umbertide and had been in the shop earlier. We Perthite women are everywhere in Umbria it seems. After eating at home, we then spent a fabulous Friday evening wandering around the various stalls - lacemaking, steel forging, 19C baking, brigands and bordellos - it was a lot of fun. It is wonderful to see the whole town involved even the teenagers are happy to play a part. There was the town band, a choir, dancing, and a circus. After we spent about three hours enjoying the sights, we stoped for dolci and vinsanto, which I liked very much. I was surprised because I had heard it tastes like sherry but it is not even close to sherry as far as I am concerned.

Lacemaking demonstration.

The local band.

The beautiful and fit highwire expert at the circus.

Anne, Ruari and me having just finished our dolci and vinsanto.

And so, after a very long day to bed about 12.30am.

Saturday 15 September: A beautiful morning but I am Perugia-bound. Ruari took me on a walk down to the river for a final walk around as the weather was clear and sunny.

The tower with the tricolore flying.

We headed for the train station and thought the train left from binario 1 but suddenly there was a loudspeaker saying it was binario 2 and we had to rush down the sottopassagio. I jumped on the train but it didn't leave for another 10 minutes, it was waiting for another train. The train was a very posh new smart train - electric - but not so posh it could manage the hill to Sant'Anna, we had to change to the old diesel train at Ponte San Giovanni to huff and puff up the steep hill.

Sant'Anna stazione. Tiny but very efficient - only four platforms.

I took a taxi home 'cos my bag was very heavy and it is uphill all the way even with the scala mobile (escalators). Then I had to drag the bag up six flights because I am scared of the the lift. After relaxing and unpacking, I headed off for some Perugian sightseeing. I went down the stairs at via Appia to the old acquadotto and walked all the way until I reached Augustus Perusia and bought some more chocolates. I tried to see a couple of churches but couldn't get in; another day! Finally, I got to visit the Nobile del Cambio and Nobile della Mercanza - stunningly beautiful rooms. Exquisitely frescoed and the walls and ceiling of the mercanza are all wood - very beautiful.

No photos allowed in the cambio and I didn't get a postcard.

When I returned to the apartment I did a load of washing - boring - then Daniela texted me to meet her but even after she clarified, I didn't understand the location. I was roaming the corso Vannucci asking where the Priori arco was - turns out it is the arch at the begining of the street. Now if she had said at the top of via dei Priori I would have understood perfectly. We had a drink at Caffè di Perugia - Mimosa for me, Bellini for her - and discussed tomorrow's tour. Bevagna first, then Montefalco where we will lunch and finally Tempio di Clitunno. She needs to be back in Perugia by early afternoon 'cos she is driving to Rome to pick up her son at Fiumicino.

At 9:00 I went out to eat at the downstairs ristorante. I was the only person outside but they had 20 people inside for a festa. I had penne with salsicce, peperoncino (unfortunately, I think they forgot the chillies) - very tasty but too much. And so ends Saturday...I leave you with a photo of Anne's cat.

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Resting then heavenly Gubbio

I felt seriously unwell about lunchtime Sunday but after resting, decided to go ahead and go to the show at the Rocca. It was extremely hot inside and the show was acted out on an angle and I was feeling very dizzy looking up. I had expected a pageant but it was more like a moving play, all in very loud Italian, during which I picked out no words at all. After 20 minutes I cut my losses and headed home.

A blurry look down the "tunnel" where the play began.

Monday was day of rest, although I had to do some shopping. Early afternoon I went out and walked around the block. I bought some bread for a cheap lunch. I met up with Daniela and we talked about the trip to Umbertide; she may come too as she has a friend who lives there. So, hopefully, we will all have a great birthday dinner together. I also sent a paragraph or two to my Italian teacher and she emailed me back in Italian and, miracles of miracles, I understood without once going to the dictionary. After another long rest I went to the restaurant downstairs again and I had a pizza Perugina: tomato paste, cheese and sausage - very nice, with a small bottle of wine and water. And so to bed...after a reasonable night's rest I finally started feeling a bit better and decided to head to Gubbio today, Tuesday, and so very glad I did. What a glorious town. There was a regional market on in the morning and I bought some fruit to bring home.

Four peaches, six Roma tomatoes from Sicily and two plums for €2.50 - about $4.

The bus trip to Gubbio is not for the faint-hearted - a seriously winding road climbing evermore. My ears kept popping. The bus stopped outside the city gates because of the market and this disoriented me but a lovely lady showed me where to go. There was so much car traffic in town, it was quite disconcerting but apart from that the town is whisper quiet. At the top of a very steep flight of stairs I met three very pleasant women, one from Melbourne and the others from NZ. They took my photo, which was sweet of them and I bumped into them in a ceramic shop later. They are on a hiking/walking tour. I visited the Palazzo dei Consiglio and saw the Eugubine tablets. They look awfully like an early printing press - to me the words seem back-to-front, but what do I know. I was extremely hot after that visit and stopped for a drink, a spremuta limone with ice, very refreshing.

Palazzo dei Consiglio (as usual with me, a tad crooked)

I also visited San Giovanni Battisti and tried to get into San Francesco church but it was closed tight. After this, I went to Palazzo Ducale and the Duomo. Palazzo Ducale had some amazing furniture on display and the most intriguing hologram show. It was so good, I thought at least one person was real.

The hologram...it was moving, so difficult to capture.

I have included a few views and interiors. Gubbio is a very lovely town.

A sweet little cat, sleeping

After buying my fruit and a seriously good panino porchetta from Bevagna, I sat in the park for a little while and then went to a bar and had not one but two spremuta arancia with ice. Lovely on a hot day. Then I headed for the bus. This was a really pleasant trip home. Arrived home to a clean flat with beautiful new sheets and fluffy white towels - very spoilt. I had a bottle of beer in the fridge, so after drinking that and having my leftover porchetta, I was inspired to do some washing in my miniature laundry...bumped my head trying to open the washing machine door. But it all worked well and my clothes are drying in the sun, still hot at 7pm.

Tomorrow I am meeting the woman in apartment Argento for coffee as she leaves on Saturday and I might not see her again before she leaves. We are going to Sandri's that gorgeous pasticcerie in the corso.

Unfortunately, there are reflections in the window - but hopefully you can get an idea of their gorgeous cakes. I'm heading out shortly to Osteria di Priori and hope they have room for me. My dessert will be one of my super peaches..hope they taste as good as they look. Cannot believe how warm it is. All my windows and the patio doors are open but after changing for dinner I feel the need for a nice cool shower.

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Sunday - Overheated in Perugia

Last night I had dinner downstairs - tagliatelle ai porcini, insalata verde, red wine and water and very nice it was too and only €20 with tip - not far to come home apart from Mt Everest. Each day it seems to get harder not easier to climb those 6 flights.

Sunday 9 September - early morning Skype to Mary - what fun, isn't technology marvellous? About 9am I walked first to via Volte della Pace a covered street.

Then on to Del Sole restaurant to coffee. It is a restaurant with a fabulous view. I had read it is expensive but that must be for dinner. I had a large capuccino and a very very fresh cornetto crema (they called it a brioche but it didn't look like one to me) - cost €4 very reasonable. While here I saw hundreds of vespas roaring up the road to Perugia. Discovered later they were heading to San Lorenzo church in MY piazza.

Me and the view!!!

Then I went to book my ticket for the show la guerra di sale at Rocca Paolina but the 6pm show was booked out so am going to the 9pm show if I can get off the bed in time. Stopped off for another coffee as I wanted to text Daniela about meeting. We will get together some time on Monday. Got back to the apartment and when I opened the door I heard a roaring sound and thought, "Oh, no, my dodgy gas hot water system is going to blow up, then I realised it was hundreds of vespas revving like mad in the piazza. I visited a couple of churches today - San Lorenzo and San Filippo Neri and I think I finally found where Santa Cecilia Oratorio is. I also visited the building next door to me - I think it is the archbishop's palace but not really sure - the maps are not clarifying it for me.

After all this walking around I stopped for a beer at a place I had not been to before. As it was about 1.30 I thought I would have lunch too, I had a very nice melanzane and salad panino. Two women sat near me and after a while I had to ask if they were Australian - yes and both from Perth, how bizarre is that. Also one of the women is in the apartment one level down from me. We have agreed to meet for a drink and dinner tomorrow night.

After a couple of hours rest I headed out again - it was very hot. I found via Prome a street consisting entirely of stairs - 3 flights. Fortunately, I was going down them.

Flight two, I think

Then I headed for Augustus Perusia to buy some chocolates and saw they had glorious gelati too. So I had a small cup of limone and glorious it was too.

And so to home. It was now extremely hot outside. My weather app said 30 degrees at 5.30 - too too much.

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Saturday - silly in Assisi

I am sitting in my bathroom with my poor feet in icy cold water in the bidet - bliss! Today I took the bus to Assisi, a pleasant trip. The bus lets you off in Piazza Matteotti but it is not clear where to go from there - it is not a Piazza but a parking lot-cum-bus station. Finally found my bearings after a misdirection together with an American woman who spoke very good Italian, not like my poor efforts. First though a cappucino then a walk to the Rocca Maggiore, though not all the way. It was so hot in Assisi, could not believe it. Felt like I wanted to explode most of the time walking around.

Next I headed into the centre. Wandered around a little went to the duomo, San Rufino - beautiful. I don't think any of my interiors are very good, unfortunately. Then down into the piazza where I stopped for a cold prosecco and a rest. I went into Tempio di Minerva without realising I had done so - in fact, went into a few churches but don't know which ones they were. After my pausa I did some tourist shopping - little souvenirs for the children. I spent too much time doing this and thought I would have time for a look at the basilica of St Francis. I went to the upper level only - glorious. Then a much-needed loo stop - spotlessly clean 'cos They were serviced, cost 60c. I wasn't sure where the lower bus stop was so thought, "I've got plenty of time, 30 minutes til the bus" mmmm, no. I raced up the hill and I do mean hill and then didn't know where Piazza Matteotti was. Then I saw I was too late for the bus anyway and was seriously overheated so stopped for about one litre of water - it looked like a two-litre bottle. Eventually, I was okay and asked about taxis. They said, you've guessed it, go to Piazza Matteotti. Well, I did find it but no taxis. i asked the cash desk at the parking and she wrote down a number for me - no chance I was going to manage that but miracles of miracles there was a bus parked nearby going to Santa Maria degli Angeli station. Paid the driver and hopped on board but...I missed the station and did the round trip. I did see the facade of the chuch - magnificent. Finally, got to the train station but where did the bus leave from? Got that answer and the bus did arrive but about 5 mins late. Nevertheless, obviously Alzheimer's hasn't set in yet, 'cos I made alternative plans when I missed the bus and they worked out fine.

San Rufino, sorry about the van - they were delivering stupendous flowers for a wedding.

A rather blurry interior of San Rufino.

Interior of Minerva's temple - not quite what I expected.

Minerva's temple exterior

Hungry? It seems meringues are the go in Assisi.

Exterior of the basilica - a bit at bit stunning, no?

Down and down I went only to have to climb a small hill to get to the bus station.

So, finally back in Perugia. Tried to help a couple looking for their hotel but they wouldn't take my good advice, keep saying they would get lost again so I left them to it.

Reached Caffè di Perugia and had a lovely cold beer before heading home - the 6 floors were a killer after Assisi but I got here.

I will be back near Assisi when I do my cooking class, so will go back and see the basilica properly.

Wow, a day to remember, thought not all in the nicest way. It's nearly 6pm so must get my feet out of the bidet and think about freshening up and going out to eat. I think I will try the pizza place downstairs as they have taglietelli with porcini on the menu and that sounds just about right.

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Friday - Gusto wine tour day

What an amazing day. It was very hot, more than 30 degrees, I think and apart from my sprained ankle swelling up to football size I had the best day. Mark met me at the train station and then we picked up two delightful Canadians, the other participant was a young Singaporean (hoping to become a cardiologist). We visited three cantine, two before lunch and one after lunch. Unfortunately, I didn't make a note of the name of the lunch place but will rectify that omission later. (Now rectified) Mark was so knowledgeable and informative and the company was excellent.

The first cantina was Di Filippo where we tasted about 6 wines and had breadsticks to mop up the wine. We saw the grapes being prepared for drying for the passito. We tasted a grape and they were wonderfully sweet. Although I did not buy from that cantina, the wines were wonderful. Next we moved on to Azienda Agricola Dionigi (Dionysus) - marvellous last name for a wine family. There we again tasted 7 wines, this time with bruschetta (olive oil and salt) to do the mopping up. I bought a passito 2006 and a wonderful grechetto. I was very careful to sip only and then tip out so I managed to end the day on an entirely sober note.

Following this we headed off to lunch at Agriturismo Bella Treccia. I expected antipasti but it was a full-blown meal. First some antipasti: sausage, salami and prosciutto, the most glorious bean salad and small bruschette, then a vegetable lasagne - creamy and wonderful, next, a favourite with everyone, onion soup but the soup was all gone, soaked up by the bread topped with cheese. The main was pork, beaten very thin and coated with rosermary and fennel, very, very tasty. With this we had onions, zucchini and sage leaves in tempura.

We had house red, very drinkable, and water. Finally, we had a crostata and coffee. Unbelievable and I certainly had more than an elegant sufficiency. We then headed off to the final cantine - Milziade Antano - glorious wines. Here I bought I Montefalco Sagrantino not yet ready to drink and a Montefalco Rosso that is eminently drinkable at present.

The amazing zuppa di cipolle grantinata

We tried passito at two wineries and tasted it with a piece of 70% dark chocolate in our mouth - not a sweet wine as I thought perhaps more similar to a Donnelly River liqueur muscat. The day ended at the Ponte San Giovanni train station.

Here are my fellow participants and Mark our host.

By the time I climbed up to the Rocca and up the scala to my neck of the woods, I was shattered - very, very hot with swollen ankle so before facing my 6th-floor Everest, I stopped off for a cold aperitivo - vodka tonic at Bar Centrale - and, unbelievably, as I was tapping out this post I became hungry so had a piece of cold pizza from yesterday's lunch. All in all, an absolutely fabulous day and I got the tee-shirt. Below are the wines we tasted at Dionigi cantina.

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Trekking to Sant'Angelo

Thursday afternoon I finally found my way to visit Museo delle porte e delle mura urbiche and the tempio. I headed up corso Garibaldi - halfway up I needed oxygen or a lie down. I stopped to visit the Poor Clare Convent as Daniela said they have a marvellous fresco there but unfortunately it was some feast day and they didn't take visitors, so I have to go again. So, up to the top of Garibaldi, seriously hot and a little winded, I saw the museum and entered...well...there are 4 levels and on each level except the very top there are some artifacts, friezes etc and the top level is the stunning view. The first long, steep staircase was wooden with a handrail, next a shorter wooden staircase with handrail and finally a long, long, stone staircase without handrail, by the time I got to the view I was wondering about a defibrillator or better yet, IV vodka tonic. I was hot but the view was certainly worth it all.

I staggered down the stairs and headed to the tempio, which is a church and not a temple. The stonework is beautiful as is the ceiling not for any frescoes but for its simplicity - only wood, I think. Lovely and quiet inside with some nice wall frescoes and paintings and benches to sit on and meditate - well, cool down anyway.

I then headed out and back down the corso, downhill is somewhat trying too. At the bottom of the hill I stopped at a bar opposite the Università Italiana per Straniere - where foreigners go to learn Italian. I briefly thought about a water but had a lovely cold beer instead before the trek home. I had seen people walking through the Etruscan arch and thought it would be a shortcut, mmm, possibly, it was uphill all the way.

From there, I aimed for corso Vannucci, the main street, and decided to have a manicure. The one I had before I left home wasn't very good. This one was fantastic, my nails look really good. Again, no-one spoke English, more practice for me. I also booked an appointment to get a shampoo and blow-dry (shampooing and brushing, go figure!) for next Thursday, my birthday and the day I go to Umbertide for the medieval festa, staying with Scottish friends of a friend of Lorna. After all this I did some more shopping and then had an aperitivo about 5.30 before coming home to freshen up and, finally eat real food, not snacks.

I went to Da Cesarino and had umbricelli tartufo nero (similar to a spaghetti) and a lovely mixed salad, water and a glass of red completed my meal. It was all very nice until the family from hell got the table next to me - 2 men and their wives, a mother/mother-in-law and four children. One woman was really self-centred, rude and hygiene-obsessed although size 6 would be loose on her, I think 3 of the children belonged to her 'cos they too were rude and hygiene-obsessed. Clearly she was not on speaking terms with her husband as she sat as far from him as possible and spent most of the time looking through her phone. Luckily, I was halfway through my meal by the time they arrived. So, to bed at 10 but slept really badly...but very excited about my wonderful wine tour today.

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