[Itinerary Page]The daily diary of a wandering restaurateur
May 23 - Corciano
Our last full day in Umbria and we went exploring. The big discovery was Ristorante Il Convento in the little hill town of Corciano, fairly close to our villa. The restaurant is in a restored monastery that has been there for 1200 years (and you think YOUR building is old!) St. Francis (of Assisi) even lived there for a year. We had lunch in the restaurant and enjoyed it so much that we brought everyone back for our farewell dinner. The town itself is pocket-sized and charming, with a postcard view around every corner and down every side street. In one sense, hill towns look fairly similar but they each have a character and feel all their own.
We wandered on to the towns of Panicale and Paciano but opted not to stop, instead heading back to Citta della Pieve for gelato in the piazza and one more buying spree at the wine shop. Cinzia had the afternoon off but we were well cared-for anyway. I am sorry to have missed her. I mentioned that we were in Citta for the first time in 2000, sharing a house in Citta with two other couples. Cinzia's became our nightly gathering spot. Eric Favier, co-owner of Chez Pierre restaurant in Tallahassee wrote her a thank-you note ... which she has framed and hung on the wall! Oh, the power of gratitude! That is a big wakeup call to me to take the time to say thank you in writing. I am continually amazed at how much it means to others.
Our little band from Gudiolo gathered at Il Convento for the final meal of our time together ... and they did it up well. The restaurant features typical Umbrian food and wine, perfect for a going-away dinner.
We head off in the morning and I suspect that Internet access is going to get more difficult. Bear with me if the reports are late in being posted.
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