[Itinerary Page]The daily diary of a wandering restaurateur
May 10 - A Down Day in Umbria
If the idea of getting away is to slow down the pace and relax, every so often you must actually slow down the pace and relax. Today was one of those days, at least for Margene and me. The morning was overcast with a hint of rain in the offing, so we decided to forego the sightseeing in favor of a more civilized pace while the other four headed off to Assisi. (Nothing wrong with Assisi, just that I have been there twice and Margene has visited three times. We like it, but we've pretty well seen it.)
So the project of the day was lunch and grocery shopping. We found ourselves back in Corciano to see if the restaurant featured in a poster back at the house was still in existance. It appears not, but I still hope to find another copy of the print. Since we were in town anyway and the clock was ticking, we headed back to Il Convento for lunch. I really like the mass and feel of the vaulted brick in the lower level. The restrooms had class as well.
Grocery shopping in Italian supermarkets is similar to what we see in the newer US groceries. There are packaged meats, cheeses and breads ... or you can go to a deli-like area and select from a wider range of products that are cut to order. The impressive part to me is the selection they offer. I was also impressed with the freshness and quality of the produce, which did not appear to be the mass-produced, often tasteless stuff that we get. Since the competition is truly fresh-from-the-garden veggies at the local public markets, I guess it keeps everyone honest. Tomorrow is market day in Umbertide so I may have an update for you.
We made our way back to the house and put in a load of wash. Italian washing machines take hours to run a load of clothes and with three couples wanting to get their wardrobes ready for another week, you grab washer time when you can get it. There are no clothes dryers however, and laundry is hung up to dry. In this case, the only option was a rack in the back room as the weather was still rather damp (and nothing dries outside at night anyway!)
Although we were stocked up for another picnic at the house, the gang opted to head out for dinner. The trattoria that was closed on Sunday night was in full swing tonight. This is truly a local joint, seemingly populated by single older men for whom it probably provided their regular evening meal. The food was quite good ... and very inexpensive ... always a good combination in my book. Dinner for six (with wine) ran about US$80. You certainly can't beat that!
When we got back to the house, there was not the usual wide-ranging conversation over yet another bottle of wine -- everyone just folded up. Perhaps we are getting smarter as we get older. Perhaps we are just resting up.
© 2005 Restaurant Doctor