• Andrea Rees
  • Andrea Rees

In search of truffles

A pilgrimage to sample Umbria's culinary delights and treasures. Read more
  • Trip start
    June 9, 2025
  • A very large pond

    June 10 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    So we wound our way over the hills and villages to Lake Trasimeno. We were expecting a fresh swim in some lovely blue waters, but we were a little put off by the turquoise merkiness. Ah well, we had a scrummy lunch in Passignano.
    The pool was much more inviting for an afternoon dip.
    Cità della Pieve, over the valley, is a lovely old town up in the hills. A wonderful place to wander around the secret old passageways and dine on fabulous food.
    Lots of fireflies this evening. 😁🔦💡
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  • Going underground

    June 11 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We spent the day in Ovieto today. The funicular up to the town was not working, but it was easy to park up top.
    Another hot day, so some underground activities were quite welcome.
    Olly and I explored a deep deep well used centuries ago for donkeys to fetch water. There is an ingenious one-way down and up set of steps.
    After some perusing of the town, we found a fantastic lunch spot also underground overlooking the valley below. Absolutely fab food, and, yes, including delicious truffle pasta 😋😋
    The drive back was an adventure along miles of dirt track. I think we'll take the main road next time. 😳
    Pool...... dinner....... drinkies.
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  • Signora Volpe

    June 13 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    So, we lost Olly today. 🥺 he's flown back home to work tomorrow.
    Tone and I hit the road to follow in the footsteps of Signora Volpe in Penicale, a very pretty town on a hill overlooking the lake.
    After a fab lunch and a wonder, we meandered home via some obscure villages for an eat up dinner on the terrace.
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  • Sneeky trip to Tuscany

    June 14 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    As we had missed out Siena previously, we decided to pop over into Tuscany for a visit.
    It's definitely busier and more expensive than Umbria.
    We came home via Montepeluchiano, which was less busy and quite steep. (tis mighty warm again) Wonderful lunch spot with a view, and nice to wander around the town, art gallery, and wine cellars.
    Visited our local bar in Fabro and had another yummy dinner back at our Agritourismo.
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  • Deeper into Umbria

    June 16 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Went East today to Assisi and Perugia.
    Lovely lunch stop again with fab views in pretty Assisi.
    Perugia is quite interesting, having five long escalators up underground through old roman subterranean passages to the old town.
    Picked up dinner on the way home to cook in our little kitchenette.
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  • Waterfalls... 😁

    June 17 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    So, today, we drove over the hills to see the marmore waterfalls. They are actually man-made by the Romans many moons ago by clever engineering and diversion.
    It was a flippin long walk down and a long way up, too.
    Had a lovely drive back along the valley following the river and Lake Corbara to Orvieto.
    I apologise in advance for the excessive waterfall pictures. 😬😳
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  • Mille Miglia

    June 18 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We've managed to hit Italy in time for the Mille Miglia again. Hundreds of classic cars on a rally. (Sorry, but many car pictures)
    It's passing west of us today in Radicofani, a pretty little village in Tuscany with a hill Fort.
    Tomorrow, it passes back up Italy through our lower village of Fano.
    We stopped for a beer in a thermal spring village on the way home.
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  • Homeward bound

    June 20 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Last night, we took a stroll down the lane to see the fireflies and ended our stay with a late night drinkie.
    Today, we headed over to the coast for some wonderful seafood pasta at the marina. Yum!

    Trip end
    June 21, 2025